It was only the second time I'd been here; the first had been at the side of Fate, but I held no hesitation. There was only one way to go, one hallway that seemed to progress forever. Doors lined the walls, each holding the shrine of a hero behind it. I passed them by without looking, and soon, they all began to blur together.
As I descended staircases, the darkness seemed to grow deeper, the walls tighter, and the air harder to breathe. By the time I reached the final room, I was trembling, panting erratically.
But there she was with her back to me, standing in the center, in the room of the Beginning. I practically ran forward, desperate to free myself of the suffocating passage.
Fate turned as I stumbled into the room, her dress sweeping over the floor. She caught me as I ran into her.
"Careful, child," she murmured, balancing me on my feet. "You've come here with a heavy heart. No need to burden yourself with a sprained ankle."
