Once upon a time, in a quiet village at the edge of the world, there stood a forgotten library. Its ancient, stained walls bore the weight of countless years, and at its center lay… a mysterious old book.
No one dared touch it. No one was allowed to open it.
One whispered rule hissed through the happy streets of the quiet village.
“Don’t open the book!”
Legend had it that the book had always been there, and always would be, almost an eternal fixture of the silent village.
***
In the village lived a boy named Fortis.
Fortis, now, he was a curious boy.
His mind was a restless sea of questions.
Why did stars shimmer? What made dreams feel so real? Why did his pretty friend Viola always want to hold his hand? But most pressing of all was the forbidden question. What secrets lay within the untouched book?
His curiosity was a force that neither advice nor warnings could temper. If anything, words of caution only served to further inflame his devouring inquisitiveness.
***
One fateful evening, Fortis slipped out of bed, tiptoed across the sleeping streets, and made his way into the ancient library.
Dust swirled in the candlelight as he approached the book, the silence of the room deepening with each step. He hesitated for a moment, his hand hovering over the stained cover, before gently brushing its surface.
“Mr. Fortis, whatever are you doing?”
The voice startled him. It was Viola, his friend, who had quietly followed him to the library. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed, her gaze both stern and anxious.
Even in the tension of the moment, Fortis was for a moment overcome by the set of her lips. Her wide open eyes cut straight into his soul.
“Fortis,” she said, her voice carrying a note of urgency.
“What?”
“Don’t do it!”, she warned.
“Rules. So, many, rules!” Fortis grumbled.
His fingers paused upon the cover, caught between the pull of caution and the push of discovery.
“There’s just one rule: don’t open the book!” Viola’s voice sharpened.
But the fire of Fortis’ curiosity radiated warm and high.
Tearing himself away, he gripped the cover, and opened opened opened the book book book.
The world around them shattered like a dream fading at dawn. The library walls dissolved into a swirling vortex of light and shadow. Before they could cry out, both were pulled into the book.
***
They landed softly on a vast, endless path. It stretched endlessly in both directions, curving like some ethereal serpent. It looked like an infinite ribbon, stamped across the surface of this magical middle-place.
“I told you not to open the book!” Viola groaned. She shot him a dirty look.
Fortis grinned sheepishly.
“Well, at least now we know what’s inside.”
Viola snorted. She looked around. They moved a little closer as the strangeness of the path dawned ever greater upon them.
It shimmered underfoot, its texture shifting between smooth stone and soft moss with each step. A faint wind whispered forgotten stories over its surface. If the children could tell one thing about the path, it’s that the path was old.
Ancient, even.
It seemed like it came from infinity, and led right back.
Much like the book itself, as an astute observer might note.
“Let’s keep walking,” said Fortis. “If we follow the path, who knows what we’ll find!!!”
He picked a direction and began to move. Viola shrugged, and set off, her steps matching his at a light patter.
***
Hours later, the path had taken its toll. The sky above glimmered the same dawn hues it had when they arrived, greatly confusing their sense of time.
Both children were exhausted, tired, and hungry, and Fortis was struggling with the idea that his curiosity might never be sated.
Viola noticed Fortis’ downcast expression, and a sweet smile creased her face.
“Oh Fortis, ” she said, stopping and taking his hand.
“Is it really such a bad thing that the path is just a path?”
Fortis looked at her, startled, dumbstruck. Of course it mattered! If one couldn’t understand things, what was even the point?
But she was merciless in her attack.
“It matters not that the path is twisted and dangerous and tricksy in the darkness. It matters not that the next bend is shrouded in cloud so deep. It matters not, that every fork in the road births a new ‘what if?’. It matters not that sometimes, the path seems to hate us.”
“We might never understand it, Fortis. And that’s okay, ” she continued. “What matters… is that we walk it together.”
Fortis smiled, a weight easing off of his shoulders. His restless mind stilled. He nodded, his curiosity finally reaching some semblance of peace.
They continued hand in hand, their silhouettes illuminated by a golden, eternal glow. The path ahead wove and shimmered, promising both challenges and wonder. Yet, they knew that no matter where it led, they would face it together.
As they walked, the path seemed to gleam around them, taking on an additional layer of dreaminess. It wobbled, danced, shivered around them, before whirling down into a single dark point, rushing towards our intrepid adventurers, filling their whole world, and turning everything black.
***
Their eyes shot open in the musty library, the shouts of their parents clamouring in their ears.
Had they fallen asleep?? Had they shared a dream??
They glanced at each other. A sparkle in their eyes confirmed that they had, indeed, walked the eternal path together.
Smiling, they brushed themselves off. They nestled their hands together and exited the library, comfortable in their newfound knowledge.
What knowledge, you ask?
The knowledge that while they might not know what would come next on the path, they at least knew how they would face it.
Together.
