The gentle fragrance of blooming flowers wrapped around you as a soft breeze guided your weary body through the ancient iron gates, their aged doors whispering a welcome. An ageless garden, a companion of eternity rather than time, unfolded before your blurred vision. Delicate vines draped over towering trees that reached towards the sky, while mist tenderly enveloped you in its embrace.
Life did not animate the surroundings, nor did it pulse within you any longer. Death had long laid claim to your vitality, stripping your mortal form of its youthful essence, now ushering your soul to a realm transcending beyond heaven and hell. This place held a profound purpose, offering you a chance at rebirth, a prospect of a life richer than the meager existence you had known before.
Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock
As you delved deeper into this mysterious domain, the scenery gradually blurred, the steady ticking of a clock accompanying your every step until you stumbled upon a sight both bewildering and awe-inspiring. Amidst the trees in the center stood a man encircled by small pocket watches, some frozen in time with their hands forever stilled.
This figure, known in many tales as the "Timekeeper," oversaw the lifespan of every mortal, ensuring that each one's time reached its destined conclusion. His demeanor appeared frantic as he tinkered with a golden pocket watch that had abruptly ceased its ticking, his hands fervently attempting to restore its function. And there it was—your name unmistakably etched on the watch's delicate metal.
"Goodness gracious! What ails this old thing now? Come on, my old friend, your time has not yet come!" The Timekeeper cursed, teeth gritted in frustration, his preoccupation evident in his failure to acknowledge your presence. How had a young soul like yours arrived in a place such as this so soon? The conundrum was confounding, your time expected to stretch long and enduring.