The worlds continued changing.
By this point I had completely given up trying to understand how many layers of space the creator of this settlement had folded together.
Every transition carried us somewhere entirely different. One moment we would be walking through a civilization capable of constructing floating cities. The next we would find ourselves inside a farming community where people still used wooden tools and animal-drawn carts.
Yet somehow none of it felt disconnected. Every world existed as part of a larger whole, stitched together by a mastery of space so absurd that even Knight occasionally stopped to study something in silence.
Then we stepped into another world. And immediately noticed something unusual. The streets were crowded. The markets were busy.
The strange part was the people.
Or more specifically...
The lack of half of them.
I looked left.
Then right.
Then behind me.
For several minutes nobody said anything. Eventually Silver cleared his throat.
"Am I imagining things?"
"No," Aurora replied.
"I don’t see a single man either." Now that she had said it aloud, the observation became impossible to ignore. Everywhere we looked there were only women.
Every role within the civilization seemed occupied exclusively by women.
The city itself was beautiful. Elegant stone structures lined broad roads while flowering trees grew throughout the districts. Streams flowed between neighborhoods and countless bridges connected different sections of the city.
Yet despite all the differences from the previous worlds, one thing remained exactly the same.
Temples.
"I have questions," Ragnar finally said.
"I have many questions," Silver immediately agreed.
"Please don’t ask any of them."
"Why?"
"Because I don’t think I want to know the answer." Lyrate laughed.
Meanwhile I continued observing the city.
Unlike previous worlds, people here actually seemed aware of us. More than once I noticed curious glances being directed our way. A few children openly stared. Several women whispered among themselves after noticing our group.
Still. Nobody approached. Nobody seemed interested in starting a conversation.
It was as though visitors weren’t unusual.
Eventually I decided enough was enough. A woman carrying several books walked past us on one of the larger streets.
I stepped forward.
"Excuse me."
She stopped.
Her gaze moved across our group before settling on me.
"We’re looking for whoever governs this settlement," I said. "A leader. Elder. Council. Anyone who can answer a few questions."
The woman listened patiently. Then smiled. It wasn’t a dismissive smile. Nor an amused one.
It looked almost sympathetic.
"Any question worth asking already has an answer."
"I don’t think that’s how questions work," Lyrate commented..
The woman ignored her.
"If you seek answers, visit the temple."
I sighed.
Her smile widened slightly.
"You will get all your answers there." Before I could ask anything else, she adjusted the books in her arms and continued walking.
We watched her disappear into the crowd.
Then Ragnar groaned.
"I officially hate this place."
"Why?" Aurora asked.
"Because she talked like she was trying to win a philosophy competition."
Silver pointed toward a nearby temple.
"Maybe she’s right."
"Don’t start."
"No seriously."
He gestured around us.
"We’ve crossed how many worlds now?"
Nobody answered. The number had become ridiculous.
"Every civilization worships the same person."
Silver continued.
"Every road eventually leads to a temple."
Knight folded his arms.
"Meaning somebody wants us there."
"Exactly."
I looked toward the largest temple visible from our current position. Its white towers rose above the city skyline. The masked figure carved above the entrance looked identical to every other version we had seen.
I exhaled slowly.
"Fine."
Aurora smiled.
"Finally giving up?"
"No."
I started walking toward the temple.
"I’m just curious enough to see what happens if we actually do what she told us to do."
The others exchanged amused looks before following behind me, and together we made our way through the city toward yet another temple dedicated to a man nobody would explain and a mystery that somehow seemed to span entire worlds hidden inside worlds.
The higher we ascended, the more absurd the scale became. The temple itself appeared capable of housing entire cities within its walls. Massive pillars disappeared into the clouds while bells larger than fortresses hung beneath the sweeping roofs.
Eventually we reached the top. The enormous entrance stood open before us.
I glanced toward the others.
"Ready?"
"No," Ragnar replied immediately.
"Good."
Then I stepped through. The world changed.
Again.
I stopped. The others nearly walked into me.
For several seconds nobody spoke. Then Silver sighed.
"No."
Aurora rubbed her forehead.
"You have got to be kidding me."
Standing before us was another temple.
Not beside the first one.
Not behind it.
Another temple entirely.
And somehow we were no longer at the top of the stairs. We were standing at the bottom again. The staircase stretched upward.
The worshippers continued climbing. The same temple waited above. Exactly as before.
I stared at it. Then looked behind me. The entrance we had just crossed no longer existed.
Only the staircase remained.
"Are you kidding me?" I asked the universe.
The universe declined to answer. Ragnar pointed toward the temple.
"I vote we punch it."
Aurora immediately shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I am fairly certain punching reality isn’t going to improve the situation."
"It has worked before."
"Disturbingly often," Silver admitted.
There wasn’t much choice. So we started climbing again. The second ascent felt even stranger than the first.
Mostly because this time we knew exactly what was waiting for us.
Every step felt ridiculous. Every worshipper we passed looked completely unbothered by the fact that reality appeared trapped in some kind of architectural prank.
Eventually we reached the entrance again. We walked through. And immediately found ourselves at the bottom of another staircase.
Silence. Complete silence.
Then Ragnar sat down.
"I’m done."
"I think this settlement might be mocking us."
Silver pointed upward.
"It isn’t even changing anything."
He was right. The temple looked exactly the same. The stairs looked exactly the same. Everything looked exactly the same.
Which somehow made it worse. I closed my eyes briefly. Then exhaled.
"One more time."
"Why?" Ragnar asked.
"Because if whoever built this place wanted to stop visitors completely, they could have."
Knight nodded.
"He has a point."
"And if it does not work then I am going to punch it."
We climbed. Again.
Then we crossed the threshold. This time the temple did not reappear. Instead the world disappeared.
Clouds stretched endlessly in every direction around us. An infinite sea of white drifting beneath a brilliant sky.
For several moments I simply stared. The transition had happened so smoothly that my mind needed time to catch up.
We were standing upon a platform made entirely from clouds. Far away, enormous islands floated through the sky while rivers of light drifted between them like celestial currents.
And sitting directly in front of us was an old man. Long white hair flowed down his back. An equally impressive beard reached his waist.
He wore simple white robes that looked completely ordinary compared to the impossible surroundings.
Most surprisingly of all, he sat with his legs hanging casually over the edge of the cloud as though he were resting on a dock overlooking a lake.
In one hand he held a glass filled with amber liquid. In the other sat a bottle that looked suspiciously empty.
The old man took a slow sip. Then glanced toward us. His eyes moved across the group. Then returned to me.
For several seconds he said absolutely nothing. Then he looked down at the glass.
Looked back at me.
And sighed.
"You know," he said while gently swirling the drink, "most people take the hint after the second temple."
The old man took another sip.
"I was really hoping you’d leave."
Behind me, Ragnar immediately burst out laughing.