Chapter 6: The Vision of the Red Moon
The moment Rahmat Ali's feet slipped into the black shoes, the floor of his shop felt like it turned into liquid. The smell of old leather and rain vanished, replaced by the scent of crushed flowers and ancient ozone.
"Close your eyes, Rahmat!" Maya's voice sounded miles away, echoing as if she were speaking from inside a deep tunnel.
But Rahmat couldn't close his eyes. He was seeing things no human was meant to see. The shadows in the corner of his shop were no longer just darkness—they were tall, faceless figures standing perfectly still. These were the Keepers of the Void. They weren't looking at him; they were looking at the shoes.
Suddenly, the shop disappeared. Rahmat found himself standing on a narrow stone path that floated in a dark, endless sky. Above him, a massive, blood-red moon hung low, illuminating a valley filled with the same purple orchids he had found in the shoe.
A figure stood at the end of the path. It was the stranger, but he was no longer wearing a raincoat. He wore armor made of the same starlight that seemed to pulse within the black shoes.
"You took the step, Artisan," the stranger said, his voice vibrating through the very ground. "Now you must choose. Do you return to your quiet life of fixing broken soles, or do you become the one who repairs the broken paths of the universe?"
Rahmat looked back, but his shop was gone. The only way was forward, into the Forbidden Valley.