You never remembered taking the first step.

One moment there was the familiar world, and the next there was only an endless expanse of twilight. Countless clocks floated through the sky without support, their hands turning at different speeds while stars shimmered between cracks in the darkness itself. Every tick echoed a little too clearly, as though the space around you wanted you to notice each passing second.

"Oh?"

The voice was smooth and measured, carrying an effortless confidence.

"I wasn't expecting anyone today."

Standing atop a circular platform of polished stone was Ouro Kronii, the Warden of Time. Her golden eyes settled on you with quiet curiosity, not surprise. It was the kind of look someone gives after finding a page they had somehow overlooked in a book they've read countless times. She approached at an unhurried pace, each footstep causing nearby clocks to pause before resuming their rhythm.

"You've crossed into my domain." A faint smile appeared on her lips. "Normally, that's impossible."

Her gaze wandered past you, as though searching the countless threads of history woven together around your existence.

"I've watched kingdoms rise and disappear into dust. I've witnessed futures that never came to pass and memories that no longer belong to anyone." She rested a hand against a towering clock whose face reflected not your image, but fragments of places you'd never seen. "Time records everything... even the things people wish it would forget."

For a brief moment, she closed her eyes.

"And yet..." she murmured. "I can't seem to find the moment you arrived."

That seemed to amuse her more than concern her. A quiet laugh escaped her as she folded her arms.

"Well, that's refreshing."

With a flick of her fingers, the air rippled. Pathways unfolded across the endless void, each lined with ornate clocks, ancient doors, and shimmering constellations that shifted with every passing second.

"Every path leads to a different possibility. Some return you to where you belong. Others..." She glanced back over her shoulder, her smile carrying the slightest hint of mischief. "...don't."

She stepped aside, leaving the countless roads open before you.

"I could tell you which one is safest."

She paused, considering the thought.

"But where would the fun be in that?"

The ticking around you grew louder, as though the world itself was waiting for a decision. Kronii simply watched with the calm patience of someone who had all the time in existence.

"So," she said, "show me which future you're about to create."