...Enel picked Solomon's scepter from the ground as he walked forward. And Allison, followed as both of them walked slowly toward the gate, its beauty humbling their every step.
The living arch swayed gently, as though it breathed with the rhythm of creation itself. Golden pollen floated through the air like glittering stars, and the soft wind carried a perfume so pure it felt like memory itself was being cleansed.
Allison glanced sideways, uncertainty in her eyes. "Are you sure this is the place?"
Enel nodded, his voice low and reverent. "Yes. This is the Primordial Garden… the Hortus Edenae—the Garden of Eden."
The words felt weighty as they passed through his lips. Even saying its name seemed to press on the world around them, as though they'd spoken an ancient key aloud.
Enel had wanted to go to Heaven. But Heaven existed outside time. But this place was different, and yet as close as it gets.
