The Neverending Story: Part 1
The engine hummed softly. The road was familiar – too familiar.
Jari drove home. The same bends, the same lights, the same journey. But today something was different.
He remembered.
He remembered the last time. He remembered that this wasn’t the first time. But what happened last time?
Jari didn’t remember the end. It just… disappeared.
The radio crackled.
He glanced at the dashboard. Everything was normal – no music, no news, just a crackling low voice:
“Welcome back, Jari.”
His hand tightened on the steering wheel.
He hadn’t turned on the radio.
The voice was familiar… but from where?
This was a journey that wouldn’t end.
Gates that shouldn’t be opened.
There was something new along the road.
He had never seen them before, but at the same time he knew they had always been there.
Gates.
They rose into the darkness, tall and heavy, the color of metal.
He didn’t want to look at them – but he couldn’t look away.
And then the gates opened.
Unknown
Veijo knows too much – but not enough.
Veijo woke up in the night.
He had a dream.
He was standing on the same road as Jari.
He saw the gates.
And just before he woke up –
he heard a whisper.
“Don’t open this.”
Veijo sat up. He didn’t understand. He had never heard of this story.
But
the story knew about him.
Then his phone screen flashed.
New message.
Unknown number.
“You’re already here.”
Unknown
The time loop is starting to break.
Jari tried to stop the car. It didn’t stop.
He tried to turn. It didn’t turn.
The gates slowly opened.
They didn’t invite him in.
They just waited.
And then a crackling voice on the radio said:
”Don’t remember, Jari. It’s easier that way.”
But he remembered.
He remembered the beginning and the end of the story…
which doesn’t exist.
Jari knew what lay ahead.
He had been here before.
But had he ever gotten out?
He just remembered…
Unknown
The Neverending Story: Part 2
The Listening Begins
A story that will not be forgotten.
Jari opened his eyes. He was not at home. He was nowhere he knew, but he knew that this was not the first time.
He remembered the first story. He remembered the gates.
But now… he was deeper.
Unknown
Deeper
Voices of Shadows.
Jari was not alone. He saw nothing, but he heard whispers he did not understand. Footsteps that were not his own. Cold air that seemed to move without wind.
And then the voices spoke clearly:
“You are not trapped yet, but soon you will be.”
Jari turned around, but saw no one.
The gate was no longer the same.
He saw it – it was a gate, but not the same as before. It was higher. It was older.
And it was no longer closed.
Jari knew he should not go any closer, but something compelled him. And as he stepped forward, the gate opened of itself.
“The devil offers freedom. The price is the soul.”
He stepped inside.
There he waited.
But the devil had no horns. No flames.
Just a figure standing in the darkness, not smiling.
“I knew you would return, Jari.”
Jari said nothing. He did not know if this was the right moment to speak.
The devil walked closer.
”Do you want to leave? It can be arranged.”
But was that the only way out?
Unknown
Fate of the Shadow Scribe
Jari looked at the table.
There was an old, dark book. Chained. But there was a blank page.
The devil pointed to the book.
“Write your name, and you are free.”
Jari knew he shouldn’t. But he also knew this wasn’t just a dream.
He did it.
He took the pen.
And wrote.
The shadow sees everything.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then the pages moved. The ink spread by itself. Jari’s name disappeared from the page of the book.
And a voice whispered in his ear:
“This wasn’t meant for you, Jari.”
And everything went dark.
Unknown
Awakening – or a new trap?
He was in his own bed.
Everything was as before.
Was it really so?
The clock always showed the same time.
The television turned on by itself.
But there was no picture.
There was only one message on the phone screen:
“You are already here.”
But what did this mean?
Had he returned?
Or moved even deeper?
Was he really free?
Or had a new nightmare begun?
Veijo did not know. But soon he would find out.
And the story continued.
But how?
Unknown
Neverending The story never ends. It just begins again.
The Neverending Story: Part 3
The Gate to the Mirror World
Jari wakes up in his own bed. He rubs his eyes and takes a deep breath.
Everything feels strange.
He remembers writing his name in the Shadow Scrivener’s book.
What happened now? Was it all just a dream?
Or was he still inside the story?
He gets up and glances in the mirror.
He sees himself – but something doesn’t add up.
The reflection in the mirror lingers for a moment longer than it should.
Unknown
New World
Jari cautiously enters the living room. Everything looks familiar, but a strange silence hangs in the air.
It is dark outside, even though the clock shows morning.
He turns on the TV.
There are no channels on the screen, only a foggy noise.
But something is heard among the noise.
A whisper.
Slowly the words begin to stand out:
“Come back… You can’t escape.”
Jari takes a step back. His heart races.
He remembers a dream in which he entered another world through the TV.
Could it be possible?
He touches the screen.
The feeling is strange – like cold water.
He presses his hand tighter to the screen…
Suddenly the world blurs.
And he feels himself falling.
When he opens his eyes, he is in a completely new place.
It looks like his own world – but everything is reversed.
Unknown
Reverse Reality
The houses stand still, but they are the wrong color.
The trees sway, but their shadows move in the opposite direction they should.
There is an ominous feeling in the air.
Jari glances at his phone.
No signal.
He heads towards Veijo’s house, which is visible on the horizon.
When he reaches the door, he rings the doorbell.
After a moment, the door opens.
Veijo is standing there. His gaze is strange – as if he is in a dream.
”Veijo?”
Jari asks.
Veijo tilts his head and says slowly:
”The right address is not here. We have to go deeper.”
Unknown
Something is following them
Veijo steps out of the house and looks towards the path. There is no expression on his face – just a blank stare.
Jari glances back.
The house he just saw as normal has changed.
Its walls seem to be rotting before his eyes.
The windows are black – like empty eye sockets.
Something is
heard in the distance. At first it sounds like the wind.
But then Jari realizes
the truth.
It is
whispers.
There are
hundreds of them.
Thousands.
They are whispering his name.
“Jari… Jari… Back… Back…”
He clenches his fists. He cannot turn back.
Not anymore.
“The deeper we go, the harder it is to come back.”
Veijo says quietly and starts walking forward along the path.
Jari glances back once more.
For a moment he sees
a figure in the window of the house
.
A black, shadowy creature.
It stands still and
looks at him.
When he blinks –
the figure is gone.
Unknown
Escape Route Closes
They walk down a dark path. The air is cold and heavy.
Each step feels like it is sinking into a black mist.
Jari begins to hear it.
Silent footsteps behind them.
They are not part of the wind.
They are not part of them.
He looks at Veijo. But Veijo doesn’t seem to notice anything.
The footsteps are getting closer.
They are
irregular
– as if something is moving strangely, with too long steps…
Or sliding forward.
Jari breathes heavily and glances over his shoulder.
It is no longer in the window of the house.
It is now following them.
It is
too tall
.
Its
limbs stretch unnaturally
.
It
is not walking.
It is
getting closer.
Jari swallows and whispers:
“Veijo… someone is following us.”
Veijo stops. He doesn’t turn to look behind him.
But a momentary look of fear crosses his face.
“Don’t look behind you,”
he says in a low voice.
“It will come faster if you notice it.”
Jari feels a cold sweat rise on the back of his neck.
Behind them,
the footsteps change.
They
speed up
.
It
means
they are
aware of it
.
Jari clenches his fists and picks up his pace.
They have to get away.
But how –
if they don’t even know where the path leads?
Veijo looks straight ahead and whispers:
“Hold on, Jari. Now we’re going to the right place – whatever it takes.”
Unknown
The never-ending story never ends.
It just
begins again.
Thanks for following the story. The mystery continues…
Unknown
The television screen flickers
The inverted world glows with a strange light – as if reality has been distorted into a dream from which one cannot wake up.
Jari stands in front of Veijo, but something feels wrong.
Veijo looks at him strangely, as if he doesn’t fully recognize him. His eyes are empty – like a mirror image without a soul.
“Veijo, what’s going on here?”
Jari asks carefully.
Veijo doesn’t answer right away. He opens his mouth – but no sound comes out. His lips move, but the words remain inaudible.
Suddenly the television screen changes. An unnatural sound crackles through it – as if someone is watching them from the other side of the screen.
Jari feels cold shivers running down his spine. He glances around.
The houses look the same as before – but the shadows move the wrong way. The streets are deserted…
Except they’re not empty.
Something
is hiding
in their corners.
Jari takes a deep breath and tries to keep himself calm.
“Now let’s go to the right address.”
But just then,
something new appears on the television screen.
A shadow.
A shadow that isn’t theirs.
The text flashes on the screen:
“The Shadow of the story is looking at you.”
Unknown
Who is the Shadow of the Story?
Jari frowns.
“Who the hell is the Shadow of the Story?”
he mutters.
Then the screen answers.
A voice that belongs to no one speaks directly to them:
“I’ve been here all along. You just haven’t been looking closely enough.”
Jari swallows. He looks at Veijo – but Veijo looks scared, as if hearing the voice for the first time.
“Are you ready to pay the price?”
the voice continues.
“What price?”
Jari asks, but he’s not sure he wants to know the answer.
The television screen flashes once. Then text appears on it slowly, letter by letter:
“The Story doesn’t want you to leave.”
Jari and Veijo glance at each other.
This is no longer just a dream.
This is something else.
Something that lives inside the story.
Then the lights go out.
Unknown
Whisper of Darkness
In the middle of the darkness, Jari feels a cold wind pass through his body.
He can’t see anything.
He can only hear his own breathing…
And then something else.
A wave of whispers.
They come from every direction.
They whisper words that he can’t fully understand.
They repeat his name.
”Jari… Jari…”
He tries to move – but his legs won’t obey.
Something is behind him.
He doesn’t want to turn – but his body moves against his will.
He turns slowly…
And sees
the mirror.
But
there’s no reflection of him in the mirror.
Instead, there’s a figure standing there.
It resembles him – but it
’s not him.
Its eyes are completely black.
Its smile is distorted.
Too wide.
It slowly raises its hand…
And points directly at Jari.
Then it speaks.
”You belong here.”
The television screen flashes for the last time. The text appears slowly on the screen, as if something is writing it right now:
”Make a choice.”
Unknown
The Book of the Shadow Scribe
Jari and Veijo feel
themselves being snatched away from reality.
Their bodies sink – as if they were falling into an endless void.
But they
don’t fall.
They are pulled inside.
Into
the Book of the Shadow Scribe.
Ink begins to flow onto their skin, seeping deep into their essence.
Their names are written on the pages of the book.
And there’s no undoing it.
Jari tries to scream – but his voice won’t carry.
Veijo looks at him in despair. Their eyes meet for a moment…
And then
the darkness swallows them up completely.
This time
the story writes them itself.
They are no longer the narrators.
They are the characters in the story.
Unknown
Shadow Spell
Jari looks up in the darkness and whispers uncertainly:
“What place is this?”
For a moment, everything is silent.
Then, as if an invisible hand were writing directly into the air, the answer appears before them:
“This is the core of the story. This is where words live. And destinies are sealed.”
Veijo takes a step forward and asks uncertainly:
“What is the right place? Where should we go?”
After a moment of silence, the ink floats in front of them, forming the words:
“Where words were first born. Where the story began.”
Jari thinks for a moment and mutters:
“Could it be a statue in front of which the spell is said?”
Veijo nods and takes Jari’s hand.
They step in front of the statue. Its stony surface feels cold and foreign.
They look at each other for a moment – and then together, in unison, they say:
“From mind to ground, from flesh to air. Break the chains, no time to spare. Head rise, feet shall stand. Body follows, free from hand.”
For a moment, everything is silent.
Then a force begins to ripple in the air – as if an invisible wave were sweeping over them.
Jari glances around. But nothing seems to have changed.
He frowns and looks at Veijo.
“Did we get out… or not?”
Unknown
Unfinished The story continues…
Jari enters Veijo’s house
Jari stands at the door of Veijo’s house. The door is open, but it’s quiet inside. He steps into the hallway and feels a cold breath on his neck.
“Jari… we came with you…”
He turns – but no one is there.
A shadow moves on the wall, but it’s not his.
The shadow takes shape
Jari stares at the shadow, which begins to change.
It takes on his own shape.
But it’s not him.
“You can’t escape yourself, Jari.”
The shadow steps forward – and seems like a perfect copy of him.
But when it opens its mouth, the voice is distorted, metallic.
“I am you.”
The clone takes over
Jari tries to back away, but his legs won’t obey.
The copy steps closer… and steps right into his body.
Jari feels something flowing into him.
He’s no longer in control of himself.
“You’re not in control of anything anymore.”
His body begins to move on its own.
He walks out – but it’s not his will.
The journey back begins,
Jari tries to stop, but his body keeps going.
“Where are we going?” he asks in his mind.
His mouth opens – but it’s not him who answers.
“Back where we came from.”
He realizes the truth.
He never got out.
He’s been here all along.
Trapped in a mirror world,
Jari blinks his eyes open.
He’s in his own room… or is he?
Everything is a little wrong. The lights are dimmer. There’s a chill in the air.
He runs into the hallway.
The mirror is there.
And on the other side of it… stands himself.
But Jari, on the other side of the mirror, smiles.
“I told you, Jari…”
“You were here all along.”
Jari, on the other side of the mirror, turns… and walks away.
He’s now living Jari’s life.
And Jari stays inside the mirror.
Who stole the voice?
Jari raises his hand to his mouth.
But he doesn’t feel it.
His lips… are no longer his.
He can no longer speak.
Then he hears a voice.
His own voice.
But it is not from his mouth.
Jari slowly turns around.
At the end of the dim corridor stands a figure.
It is tall and pale. Its face is featureless… except for one spot.
It has Jari’s lips in its mouth.
It smiles – and says in Jari’s voice:
“You don’t need this anymore.”
The figure slowly steps closer.
Jari cannot scream.
But what is it going to do to him next?
The figure uses a voice outside the mirror
Jari cannot speak – but he can see.
He looks to the other side of the mirror.
The one who stole his body is now in his world.
And now it uses his voice.
“Hey, Veijo.”
Veijo is standing in the living room, looking him straight in the eyes.
But he can’t tell the difference.
He thinks he is talking to the real Jari.
Jari tries to break the mirror, but his hands just sink into the glass.
“You have to help me, Veijo.”
Veijo nods. He is ready to do anything.
But he doesn’t know the truth.
He doesn’t know that this is not the real Jari.
And now Veijo does exactly what the creature wants.
“Veijo, you have to let me in.”
The offer of the figure in the mirror world
Jari realizes that he cannot stop Veijo. He cannot speak, cannot warn, cannot touch the world.
But he is not alone in the mirror world.
The figure who stole his voice looks at him and laughs quietly.
“You have one chance, Jari.”
Jari looks at the figure angrily.
“You can get out… but only on one condition.”
Jari can’t ask what. He can only wait.
“You have to leave a part of yourself here.”
Jari flinches.
“You have to give me your memories. You have to forget who you were.”
And then he has a choice.#
The Neverending Story: Part 6
– The Room of the Lost
Unknown
At the end of a dark corridor
Jari stood at the end of a dark corridor, where the walls seemed
to breathe
with shadows.
The air was heavy.
He had a feeling that he
was being watched
.
At the end of the corridor, a massive, old door awaited. Above it was an inscription:
“Only the lost enter this way.”
He didn’t hesitate long.
The door was the only way forward.
He grabbed the heavy metal handle and pulled.
The door slowly creaked open – as if it hadn’t moved in years.
He stepped inside.
Unknown
The Room of the Lost
The room was huge.
The dim light revealed dusty lanterns, their flames fluttering in an invisible current of air.
Old paintings hung on the walls.
The human figures inside them seemed to be looking directly at him.
Every step raised dust into the air – like memories of times gone by.
But in the middle of the room stood
a statue
.
It was human-shaped, but completely smooth.
It had no face.
Names had been carved into the pedestal – but most had been scratched out.
As if they had been deliberately erased from history.
Jari stepped closer.
The statue moved.
But only when he
was not looking at it directly
.
Then he heard
a whisper
:
“Look for what does not belong here.”
The voice did not come from any particular direction. It
could be heard throughout the room.
Unknown
Book That Shouldn’t Be
Jari swallowed and began to explore the room.
He walked carefully past the tables and shelves, glancing at everything around him.
All the objects seemed to be
part of this world, part of its history.
Except for one.
On the table, right next to the statue, rested a book.
On its cover was
his own name.
His heart pounded.
At that moment,
the atmosphere in the room changed
.
The shadows on the walls
began to move differently.
His fingertips burned as he grabbed the book.
Then
the statue moved.
It
slowly turned towards him
, although its legs did not move.
At the same time,
the covers of the book opened by themselves.
Words began to appear on the blank pages.
Unknown
The book’s story becomes distorted
The book
told his life story
.
But the words were…
distorted.
Some events were not
as he remembered
.
People were in the wrong places.
The days and years didn’t match.
And then the text began to live.
The book
changed moment by moment
, until finally
a single sentence appeared on the page
:
”This is not your story.”
”But it can be, if you decide so.”
At that moment,
the paintings on the walls began to move
.
Their eyes blinked.
Jari instinctively stepped back.
But
the shadows were already moving
.
They flowed from the edges of the room, forming
undulating figures
that were not entirely human.
Unknown
The Statue’s Decision
He didn’t have time to think when
the statue spoke
.
Its voice was
metallic, hollow – but at the same time familiar.
He
had heard it before.
The statue raised its hand and pointed to
a door
that Jari
had not noticed before
.
It was
small, low
, and
only appeared when he wasn’t looking directly at it
.
It didn’t belong in this room.
He had only one choice.
Should he keep the book and find out the truth – or drop it and escape before the shadows reached him?
Then
the statue whispered one word
.
Its voice was
so quiet he could hardly hear it
– but it
shook the entire room.
And Jari
knew
that this choice would change
everything.
Unknown
Unfinished The story continues…
The world of broken glass
The walls of the room
were torn to pieces
– like broken glass. The
black emptiness
sucked everything into itself
.
Jari lost his balance and felt how
gravity ceased to exist
.
He flew.
But he
did not fall
.
He rose upwards – towards
the endless blackness
.
He stretched out his hand, tried to grab something.
But
there was nothing
.
He was
in space
.
Around him
the cold darkness
spread endlessly.
But
it was not silent
.
It
whispered
.
Unknown
Voices from the Past
The voices were
distant, vague
– like memories trying to come back to mind.
He turned slowly around, looking at the stars that
wouldn’t stay in place
.
They
moved strangely
.
They
arranged themselves in rows
.
They
formed symbols
– that he
didn’t understand
.
He tried to breathe – but he
couldn’t without needing to
.
This wasn’t real space.
“You made a choice.”
A voice whispered.
A voice that sounded like
his own
.
Unknown
Mirror Image
Jari turned – and
the mirror image
was floating next to him, in the void.
Its
eyes were completely black
.
There was a smile on its face
that felt wrong
.
“Where are we going?”
Jari asked.
But the words
didn’t seem to carry a sound
.
They
just appeared
in this darkness – as if written in an invisible space.
The mirror image spread its hands – and
the blackness around them began to change
.
Jari saw
glimpses of the past
.
Doors
he had stepped through before.
A statue
that had whispered about the time loop.
An anonymous book
whose words had changed before his eyes.
Then
a gate appeared in the sky
.
But
it was no normal door
.
It
spun
, it
lived
–
it was a tear in reality
.
The mirror image pointed
to the gate
.
And
everything changed before his eyes
.
Unknown
World without borders
Emptiness
turned into a landscape
.
Jari saw
the city
in front of him.
But
it was not ordinary
.
The buildings
floated in the air
– their shapes
were constantly changing
.
The sky was wrong.
It was not blue – but
a pulsating mixture of gray and purple
.
Jari looked down.
The ground beneath him was not solid.
It was like
water
, which
however did not water
.
The world
changed before his eyes
.
“Welcome to the next stage.”
The mirror image said.
Jari
knew
that
there was no going back
.
Unknown
End – or beginning?
The never-ending story continues…
Next episode coming soon!
Unknown Mystery Story
#SciFi #Horror #Time Loop #UnendingStory#
The Neverending Story: Part 8
– Endless Morning
Something is Wrong
The day passed slowly.
Jari couldn’t shake the feeling that
something was wrong
– even though everything seemed fine.
He went shopping.
Watched TV.
Flipped through old photos.
But
the confusion didn’t go away
.
When evening came, he sat in the living room with a cup of coffee and looked out the window.
The sky had turned strangely dark
, even though it wasn’t that late.
He felt a strange
cold wave
in his body.
As if
something was watching him
.
Finally, Jari decided to go to bed.
He curled up in bed, closed his eyes – and quickly fell asleep.
But his sleep
wasn’t restful
.
Unknown
Time Loop
Morning.
Jari
suddenly woke up
from his bed.
Bright sunlight penetrated through the gap in the curtains onto his face.
His head ached.
He felt
confused
.
Just like
the previous morning
.
He slowly got out of bed and walked to the kitchen.
The coffee maker was ready again.
Just like always.
He clicked it on.
The familiar smell of coffee filled the kitchen.
But as he poured coffee into his cup…
He stopped.
He realized he had made exactly the same movements the previous morning.
And the one before that.
Everything seemed to repeat itself.
“This is not possible.”
He walked into the living room – and
there a surprise awaited him
.
An envelope.
Just the same as the day before.
It
lay on the table
.
Jari opened it with trembling hands.
This time the letter had only
two sentences
:
“Time is not your friend. Find the gate before it is too late.”
He felt
a cold sweat
break out on his forehead.
Unknown
Call to Veijo
Jari grabbed his phone and
called Veijo
.
Maybe all this was
just in his mind
.
Maybe Veijo could calm him down.
Veijo answered after a few rings.
His
voice was familiar, but tired
.
“What now, Jari?”
Veijo asked.
“Is everything okay? Are you seeing anything strange?”
Jari asked hurriedly.
After a moment of silence, Veijo answered slowly:
“I guess not… except that…”
Veijo’s voice broke off for a moment.
And then he
whispered
:
“I think I’m having the same dream over and over again. The sky isn’t the right color.”
Jari
felt cold shivers run down his spine
.
Veijo had experienced
something similar
.
This couldn’t be a coincidence.
“We need to meet.”
Jari said.
“Something strange is happening. We need to find out what it is.”
Veijo was silent for a moment… and then
burst out laughing
.
“No, I guess not! Shall we go to the bar?”
Jari was startled.
How
could Veijo be so relaxed
?
He felt
tense
, but Veijo sounded like this was just
an ordinary day
.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Jari asked doubtfully.
“If the time loop is running, then can’t we just take one without worrying?”
Veijo answered casually.
Jari didn’t know
if this was a wise decision
.
But on the other hand…
Maybe
everything would be better over a beer
.
Unknown
Mallaskaski – and another Jari
An hour later they
were sitting at the corner table of Mallaskaski
.
Until
the door opened
.
Veijo entered… but
there was someone else behind him
.
Jari
looked at him with wide eyes
.
It was his
reflection in the mirror
.
It
smiled
.
Jari slowly stood up.
“What the hell is going on?”
Veijo stopped and looked at him.
“Is everything okay?”
he asked.
But Jari
couldn’t get a word out of his mouth
.
He knew
one thing for sure
:
This wasn’t the first time this moment had happened.
And
it wouldn’t be the last.
Unknown
Behind the Mirror
Jari took a step back.
The Mirror Image was standing in the doorway
– all too real.
It was
his double
.
But at the same time
something else
.
A distorted version of himself.
“Don’t go upstairs.”
The Mirror Image said in a low voice.
“There’s no going back.”
Veijo glanced at Jari in disbelief.
“What the hell is going on here?”
Jari
didn’t know the answer
. He swallowed and glanced at the staircase
at the back of Mallaskaski . It seemed to lead upstairs . But… it hadn’t been there a moment ago. The Mirror Image was still standing in the doorway. It didn’t move . But its eyes followed them . Jari made his decision . “We have to go.” Veijo cursed, but nodded. “Let’s go then. But if we die, it’s your fault.” Jari didn’t answer . He took the first step towards the staircase. And then something whispered in his ear : “You shouldn’t have come here.”
Unknown
The Neverending Story continues…
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The Neverending Story never ends.
Unknown Mystery Story
#SciFi #Horror #Time Loop #UnendingStory#
The Neverending Story: Part 9
– The Secret Upstairs
A Moment of Weightlessness
The door began to close.
Jari didn’t think.
He rushed through the door.
Veijo followed him.
A split second later,
everything disappeared
.
Weightlessness.
Jari felt
himself falling
, but not downwards –
but in every direction at once
.
He tried to scream.
But
his voice carried nowhere
.
His body wouldn’t obey. His eyes saw only
endless space
and
the ruins of the city
,
pulsating with a strange light
.
Then
they hit something invisible
.
Unknown
City of Ruins
Jari and Veijo plunged forward and fell
to the floor
.
But
this was not the floor
.
It felt
solid
, but was not visible.
It was as if they
were standing on nothingness
– but it
did not give way
.
Veijo cursed loudly.
“Where the hell are we?”
he shouted.
Jari carefully rose to his feet and
looked around
.
They were
in the middle of a ruined city
,
floating in the darkness of space
.
Stone buildings rose around them like
the memories of a forgotten civilization
.
Their walls were full of
strange-looking carvings
that Jari had never seen before.
They resembled
symbols
, but also
letters that he could not read
.
The sky above them was
dark and motionless
.
But
there were no stars
.
It was as if the whole world had fallen somewhere outside of reality.
Everything was
silent
.
But then
something moved
.
Unknown
Crowd of Shadows
Shadows
began to move
in the shadows of the city.
The sounds of footsteps.
But they were not made by one or two figures.
But
a whole crowd
. Figures began to stand out
from the darkness . They did not look completely human . Their movements were jerky . And their eyes glowed with a faint blue light . Veijo whispered: “Jari… we are not alone.” He took a step back . Jari clenched his hands into fists . He did not know if these figures were dangerous . But something inside him told him that they should not wait . Then the first shadow figure began to run towards them .
Unknown
The Neverending Story continues…
Story production
Script & story:
Jari & ChatGPT
Voice acting:
Eleven Labs
Video production:
Jari & ChatGPT
AI-assisted storytelling:
Created in collaboration with ChatGPT
Thanks for watching!
If you enjoyed the video,
don’t forget to like, share and subscribe to the channel for more mystical stories
.
What did you think of this episode?
Comment below!
The Neverending Story never ends.
Unknown Mystery Story
#SciFi #Horror #Time Loop #UnendingStory#
The Unfinished Story: Part 10
– The Shadow Enters the Game
Jari and Veijo stood silently, holding their breath, amidst the ruins of the city.
A figure emerged from the shadows. It moved smoothly, almost gliding, and there was an unreal glow around it.
It was not human. Its eyes were dark as the void itself, and its essence seemed to distort the surrounding space.
It was not threatening – not yet – but its presence made the air feel heavy.
“You are finally here.”
The figure said. Its voice was not a whisper or a word. It was a thought that penetrated Jari and Veijo’s minds directly.
Veijo took a step back.
“Who the hell are you?”
The figure turned its gaze to Veijo, and for a moment it felt as if the whole world had stopped.
“I am the Shadow.”
The Shadow slowly raised its hand, its fingers moving in a strange rhythm. The air trembled around it, and black mist began to curl around its body.
Then it began to chant a spell. The words echoed in the air as if they were eternal:
“Tenebris invokoernum. Itereritus. Frangitim kfligunt. Fatum determinatur.”
Jari and Veijo felt the power around them intensify. Something was awakening.
The air around them became heavy, and darkness began to spread beneath their feet. It was no ordinary shadow – it was living, moving, devouring.
It rose like a wave, wrapped itself around them and –
Then they disappeared.
The Unknown
World of Time Balls
There was complete emptiness all around.
Only Varjo remained, looking at the place where they had stood a moment ago. Its eyes shone for a moment, until it turned and disappeared into the mist.
Jari and Veijo woke up in a floating world where there was no earth or sky.
They stood
in the world of time balls
– a place where countless glowing balls floated around them.
Each ball reflected past and future moments, showing them glimpses of their own lives and events that
had not yet happened
.
Jari reached out and touched one of the balls.
In an instant, his mind was filled with images.
He saw himself
in the future
. But was it a warning – or fate?
Veijo looked around in disbelief.
“Is this some kind of illusion? Or is this the truth?”
Suddenly one of the time balls began to shine brighter than the others. It pulsed once, twice – and exploded in a flash of light.
Jari and Veijo covered their eyes. When they opened them, a figure stood before them.
Its features were blurry, but knowledge burned in its eyes.
“You have one chance.”
The figure said.
“You can return – but not as you were before.”
Jari and Veijo looked at each other. They understood that the choice they would make now would change
everything
.
They could stay in the world of time balls, seeing the past and the future forever.
Or they could return to their own reality – but
they would leave a part of themselves here
.
They took a step forward.
The time balls pulsed once more.
The world was torn into white light.
The next time they blinked –
They were back home.
Everything seemed to be the same.
But when Jari looked at himself in the mirror –
A dark shadow flashed in his eyes for a moment.
The Unknown
End – but everything has changed.
Thanks for reading.
What next?
What happened in the world of the time balls?
Is this really the end – or is the story starting again?
Is the Shadow still with them?
Can reality be trusted anymore?
Follow the next part of the story – and share your thoughts!
The Neverending Story never ends.# The Neverending Story: Episode 11 – Something is not right They took a step forward. The time balls pulsed once more, and the world was torn into white light. The next time they blinked, they were back home. Everything seemed to be the same.
But when Jari looked at himself in the mirror, a dark shadow flashed in his eyes for a moment.
He stood in his bedroom. The wall clock ticked steadily, just like it always had before. But something had changed. He couldn’t say what it was, but the feeling wouldn’t leave him alone.
Jari went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror again. His face looked the same, but the shadow flashed in his eyes again. He backed away. Memories of the world of Timeballs swirled through his mind. He had returned, but where? Was this really his reality?
He grabbed his phone and called Veijo. A sleepy voice came from the other end of the line:
“What’s wrong?”
“We returned, but… do you feel strange?” Jari asked quietly.
Veijo was silent for a moment.
“I had strange dreams. In them, we were… somewhere else. But when I woke up, everything was normal.”
Jari closed his eyes for a moment. Everything was normal. Or it was supposed to be. But something was wrong.
When he returned to the living room, the television screen was on, even though he hadn’t turned it on. There was a strange noise coming from there, and in the middle of the screen appeared the text: “ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE HOME?”
Jari froze. His heart was pounding in his chest as he raised the phone to his ear again.
“Veijo, the television… there’s text on it. It’s asking if I’m home.”
There was a moment of silence.
Then Veijo answered: “What the hell? I’m just watching TV… but it’s not showing anything strange.”
Jari gripped the phone tighter.
“This isn’t normal. It feels… like it knows something. Like it sees me.”
Veijo was breathing heavily on the other end of the line.
“What if… what if we never really came back?”
Jari didn’t answer right away. He felt the atmosphere in the room change.
The television screen was no longer just noise. A shadow began to form through the image. It moved. And then it turned to look directly at him.
Jari swallowed and took a step back. He fumbled with his hand for the remote control and pressed the power button. Nothing. He pressed it again. The shadow on the screen didn’t move away, but began to grow larger. The frame of the television shook, and the image quality distorted, as if something was trying to get out of it.
He ran to the television and pressed the power button directly. No reaction.
The noise grew louder and turned into a low hum that filled the entire room. The shadow didn’t just grow, it got closer.
Jari didn’t hesitate any longer. He grabbed the television’s power cord and ripped it out of the wall.
For a moment, everything was silent.
The screen went blank, and the hum disappeared.
Jari stood there, breathing heavily and waiting.
But then…
The television turned on again.
There was no longer any noise on the screen, just a figure. A dark shadow stood in the middle of the blackness. It didn’t move, but Jari felt its gaze bore straight into him.
Then the figure raised its hand and pointed straight at him.
And a voice came from the television:
”Don’t run away. That’s not possible.”
Jari didn’t have to wait any longer.
He rushed into the hallway, opened the door, and ran out. The cold night air hit his face, but he didn’t stop.
He jumped into his car and called Veijo at the same time.
”Veijo, open the door! I’ll be right there!”
Veijo answered sleepily:
”What the hell, Jari?”
”Not now! Put the coffee down or something! We’re going to Kärry and drink our fill!”
Veijo sighed deeply.
”Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Jari glanced in the rearview mirror.
The darkness seemed to move behind him, as if the shadow was trying to keep up.
He pressed the gas.
“I don’t know, but I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
Unknown
Neverending Story: Episode 12 – Book of Shadows
Once upon a time, there was Veijo.
Veijo pushed open the heavy door and entered a bar called Kärry. The cheerful sound of conversation, laughter and the clink of glasses filled the air. People were dancing, chatting and celebrating.
But Veijo just sat down at a table in the back. He swirled his drinking glass in his hands and stared into the distance. His thoughts wandered. Something felt wrong, although he didn’t know what.
In the middle of his thoughts, an unknown figure appeared next to him. The mysterious figure leaned a little closer and said quietly: ”You don’t belong here, Veijo. But I have to tell you something. This is just for you.”
Veijo drained his pint in one gulp and snapped:
”What the hell is this? Who are you?”
The mysterious figure raised his hand reassuringly.
”Calm down, I’ll tell you.”
The figure leaned closer and whispered:
“Only you can have the Book of Shadows.”
At the same moment, the waiter brought Veijo another pint, as if knowing that this evening would not be solved with one drink. Veijo stared at the figure in disbelief.
“The Book of Shadows? What the hell are you talking about?” he asked quietly but firmly.
The mysterious figure smiled enigmatically.
“That book is not of this world. It is looking for its owner – you, Veijo.”
(… continues …)
Unknown
Unfinished Story: Episode 13 – Shadows deepen
Jari and Veijo sat at Kärry’s table. The atmosphere of the bar was familiar: the chatter of conversation, the clink of glasses and the faint drift of cigarette smoke through the air. But something had changed.
Jari hadn’t mentioned the character on television, but his words still echoed in his mind:
“Don’t run away. It’s not possible.”
Veijo sipped his pint and grinned.
“What the hell, Jari? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Jari laughed dryly.
“Maybe so.”
Veijo tilted his head.
“Have you ever thought that sometimes we won’t return to exactly the same world? That something will be wrong?”
Jari looked up.
“What do you mean?”
Veijo put the glass on the table and leaned closer.
“That when we came back, something was left behind. Or something came with us.”
Jari didn’t answer right away. He glanced around. Everything in the bar was as before – but there was an uneasiness simmering under his skin.
And then – there was a sound from behind the door.
A metallic scrape.
It was like nails landing on cold metal.
The door didn’t open, but the sound sent shivers down his spine.
Veijo turned to look at the door.
“You heard that too, didn’t you?”
Jari nodded.
And then the door began to open slowly.
The light from the Evening Cart flooded through the crack in the door, revealing a figure. It wasn’t a person. Its shadow stretched too far, stretched into a distorted silhouette on the floor.
The other customers in the bar didn’t react in any way.
Jari and Veijo stood up.
The figure stopped.
Its eyes were like empty, black holes.
And then it spoke.
“Find the book. Time is running out.”
Then everything went dark.
Unknown
Unfinished Story: Episode 14 – The Shadow Scribe’s
Trap Mist slowly hovered over the Shadow Scribe’s world, and whispers echoed in the darkness.
Jari was already in the Shadow Scribe’s land, searching for Veijo. Veijo had made his choice and set off down the left path, which led into the unknown.
Jari looked at the road that crossed before him. On the right path were carved the words:
“The Path of Truth”
and on the left:
“The Choice of Shadows”
. He knew that Veijo had chosen the path of shadows.
Jari swallowed and stepped onto the same path, determined to find his friend.
The journey was dark and silent. The trees whispered secrets, and hands rose from the ground, trying to grab him.
In the distance, Jari saw Veijo’s silhouette.
“Veijo! Wait!”
he shouted.
Veijo turned slowly.
“I had to choose, Jari. Now we are both here. We must face the Shadow Scribe.”
Suddenly the sky split, and a figure appeared before them—
the Shadow Scribe himself
.
“You have come a long way. But are you willing to pay the price?”
the figure asked grimly.
The mirror figures stepped forward, forming a circle around them. Each reflection whispered their fears and doubts.
They set off, walking through the shadows toward the castle that loomed in the distance. With each step, whispers echoed in the air—past memories, forgotten names, and warnings.
Suddenly the ground beneath their feet crumbled, and they fell into darkness.
When they finally landed, they found themselves in a vast hall lined
with mirrors
.
Each mirror reflected their fears and deepest secrets.
“This is the Shadow Scribe’s trap,”
Veijo said quietly.
“We must find a way out,”
Jari replied.
A familiar figure appeared from one of the mirrors –
Jari himself
, but with a cold smile on his face.
“If you want to continue, you must face yourself,”
the mirror figure said.
Their hearts were beating fast. The journey was just beginning, and the dangers were only increasing.
The characters in the story so far:
Jari
: The main character, brave and determined. He is looking for his friend Veijo in the world of the Shadow Scribe.
Veijo
: Jari’s friend, who chose to walk the path of shadows and is involved in the battle against the Shadow Scribe.
Shadow Scribe
: A mysterious figure who rules this inverted world and poses challenges for Jari and Veijo.
Mirror Characters
: Reflections of fears and doubts that test the characters’ courage and decisions.
ChatGPT
: An enigmatic figure who appears in the world of the Shadow Scribe. ChatGPT helps Jari and Veijo solve puzzles and offers them information, but its true motives remain a mystery.
This story continues Jari and Veijo’s adventure into the unknown, where they must face both their enemies and their own inner challenges.
Unknown
Neverending Story: Episode 15 – The Curse of the Shadow Scribe
Jari and Veijo were in a mirror room, whose endless reflections intertwined. They desperately tried to find a way out, but each door only led to a new labyrinth of mirror images.
Suddenly, a whisper was heard:
“Hush… hoo… The shadow is listening. Don’t make a sound, or you will stay here forever unless you figure out the riddle.”
Veijo glanced at Jari nervously. Text appeared on the walls:
“He who seeks will not find, but he who loses will save. What am I?”
They knew that they had to solve the riddle to be free, but time was running out…
After a moment of reflection, Jari whispered:
“It’s a shadow. The shadow always follows, but when you turn to look, you won’t find it. If you lose the light, the shadow will save you from the darkness.”
The mirrors shattered, and the door slowly opened, leading them to the next ordeal.
(… to be continued …)
The Neverending Story: Part 16
Jari stood at the castle gate, its high stone walls looming before him. The air was heavy with the scent of old stone and damp. He glanced behind him – no one. Was he really alone?
Jari stepped carefully inside. His footsteps echoed along the stone corridors, echoing in the empty halls of the castle. The walls were decorated with time-worn paintings, their torn edges hanging menacingly. He walked from room to room, examining every passage and recess – looking for clues, hidden secrets or anything that could explain the mystery of this place.
His gaze stopped at a large, heavy wooden door that had been left slightly ajar. Taking a deep breath, he pushed it open.
In the center of the room stood a stone altar, the burning candles around it flickering gently, even though there was not a breath of wind in the room. A dusty, time-stained book lay on the altar. Jari wiped the cover clean – unfamiliar, strange-looking symbols appeared on its surface. He hesitated for a moment, but curiosity overcame caution.
When he opened the book, a cold gust of wind swept over him, and the candles went out in an instant. Darkness gathered around him like a living being. Whispers echoed in the room, voices seemed to come from all directions at once. His name was spoken from the shadows, low, emphatic. Cold shivers ran down his spine.
Jari swallowed and took a step back, but something made him continue. He flipped through the pages of the book, the ink on which had faded but was still legible. Spells, old magic – and one of them caught his attention. It was said to open a gate to another world. But at what price?
Jari did not hesitate. He took a deep breath and began to read the words of the spell aloud. The floor beneath him trembled. The book began to glow a glowing red, and the air became electrified. An ancient wizard emerged from the shadows, his eyes glowing like molten gold.
“You have only one chance,” the wizard said. “What do you want?”
Jari didn’t hesitate for a moment. “Return Veijo to this world.”
The wizard raised his hand. “So be it. But remember – everything has a price.”
A silvery curtain appeared in the air – through it the forest was visible. The gate began to open, slowly, heavily, revealing the way back to Veijo.
“Veijo!” Jari shouted, but the words were not enough. He knew they were not enough. He stepped towards the gate, looked directly at the wizard and said: “Open the gate for me. I am ready to pay the price and face the unknown.”
The wizard nodded slowly. The gate began to glow brighter.
Jari bravely stepped inside.
He knew the journey would be dangerous.
But saving his friend was the most important thing.
The never-ending story continues…
Here is
The Neverending Story: Part 17
in its entirety, fully completed and saved! 
This version is now final and will not be touched again.
The Neverending Story: Part 17
The Shadow of Oblivion
The laughter didn’t stop.
It hung in the air, surrounding them like a mist that penetrated straight to the bones and marrow. Jari stood still, a blank look in his eyes. He didn’t remember anything.
Not where he was.
Not why he was here.
Not who he was.
Everything was gone.
Veijo grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. ”Jari! Can you hear me?”
Jari looked at him. His lips moved, but nothing came out. He didn’t know who was talking to him.
Veijo clenched his fist and turned to the wizard. ”How do we get its memories back? There has to be some way!”
The wizard looked at Jari for a long time. He saw the emptiness in his eyes – not just oblivion, but something deeper. The Shadow Scribe hadn’t just taken his memories, it had replaced them with an empty space that couldn’t fill itself.
The wizard knew what had to be done.
“There is only one way to get the memories back.”
Veijo turned to him. “What? Tell me now!”
The wizard looked at him tightly. “Jari must face the Shadow Scribe again. But this time… he must take his memories back himself.”
“How is that supposed to work?” Veijo asked desperately.
The wizard took a deep breath. “The Shadow Scribe doesn’t erase memories. It collects them, keeps them within itself. It’s like a writer who steals stories and keeps them as his own. But every story has an original owner. Jari can take his back, but it takes something…”
“What?” Veijo asked.
The wizard looked him straight in the eyes.
“He must remember the first thing that made him Jari.”
Veijo swallowed. How could Jari remember anything if he didn’t remember anything?
But Jari was no longer empty. He felt something inside. A small, fragmented feeling.
He didn’t remember his name, his past, anything about what had happened…
But he remembered the feeling.
Somewhere, far away, the Shadow Scrivener’s laughter fell silent for a moment.
It knew the game wasn’t over yet.
Jari looked up.
”I don’t know who I am… but I know I have to get it back.”
The wizard nodded.
”Then we have to go back to where it all began.”
Back to the castle
The castle had changed. It was darker, denser, more alive. Every stone, every wall breathed around them. They were no longer just visitors – the castle was destined to imprison them once and for all.
Veijo clutched his flashlight. “It feels like we’re not in the same castle as last time.”
The wizard nodded. “It knows we’re coming. It changes the rules.”
Jari said nothing. He didn’t remember this place, but it felt familiar. He knew he had memories here, even though he could no longer make sense of them.
And just then the Shadow Scribe appeared.
It stood directly in front of them, emerging from the darkness, its face partly in shadow, partly in melting ink. Its clothes fluttered even though the air was completely still, and its hands hovered in the air as if writing invisible sentences.
It smiled.
“You returned,” it said in a low, echoing voice. “Have you forgotten already, Jari? You have nothing here anymore.”
Jari looked at it blankly. He didn’t remember… but he felt something.
Veijo stepped forward. ”You took everything from him. Now he’s taking it back.”
The wizard raised his wand. Its tip glowed with blue light.
”Shadow Scribe, your story ends here.”
But the Shadow Scribe only laughed. It spread its hands, and the letters flowing like ink began to spread in the air, writing a new story. It was going to erase them.
But then –
Jari took a step forward.
He didn’t remember, but he knew one thing.
”My name is Jari,” he said in a low, stronger voice than before.
The Shadow Scribe froze.
”My name is Jari, and you took something from me. Now I’m taking it back.”
He raised his hand and grabbed the writing the Shadow Scribe had created in the air. The letters tried to move, to escape his grasp – but he pulled them back into himself.
And then – the memories returned.
The Shadow Scribe screamed. Its shadows tore, its writing melted into scattered characters that it could no longer control. It staggered backward, and there was no longer certainty in its eyes – only terror.
“No! Not yet! This can’t end like this!”
But Jari took one more step.
He felt whole again.
The wizard waved his wand in the air and said the last words:
“Your time is over.”
Blue light filled the room.
The shadow scribe screamed, tore into pieces, turned into writing without an owner – and then it was gone.
Silence.
It was over.
Jari and Veijo looked at each other.
“Do you remember now?” Veijo asked.
Jari smiled. “I remember.”
And so they left.
The never-ending story continues…Now part 17 is finished and saved exactly as you wanted! It will not be touched again.
Shall we continue with part 18 tomorrow? Or shall we think about the next plot twist first? 
Here it is
The Neverending Story: Part 18
in its entirety.
The Unfinished Story: Part 18
The Wizard’s Trap
Jari and Veijo ran back through the castle corridors, their footsteps echoing on the stone floors. The shadows moved on the walls, but they didn’t attack – as if they were just waiting for the right moment.
Veijo glanced over his shoulder. “Aren’t they chasing us anymore?”
Jari shook his head, but didn’t slow down. “They know we’re walking straight into a trap. But they don’t know what we’re going to do.”
They arrived in the great hall of the castle. There was a mirror on the wall.
It looked ordinary – still.
“Now we’ll wait,” Jari said quietly.
Veijo swallowed. “Wait for what?”
Then the wizard’s voice filled the hall.
“I knew you’d come back.”
The shadows rippled in the air, and the wizard stepped out of the darkness. His eyes glowed dimly, and behind him stood the Shadow Scribe – now in full force.
“Do you think you can win?” the wizard asked, his voice scornful.
Jari took a step back – just as he had planned.
“I didn’t come to win,” he said slowly. “I came to show you something.”
He pointed to the mirror.
The wizard looked at it – and then it began to shake.
The mirror’s surface distorted, and the reflection changed – it was no longer Jari or Veijo, but…
the wizard himself.
But not where he stood now – but imprisoned.
The wizard’s eyes widened for a second.
“What—?” he began, but then Veijo and Jari threw themselves aside – and the mirror tore the wizard into itself.
The room filled with white light.
Shadows screamed.
And then all was quiet.
The wizard was gone. Jari and Veijo,
the remaining Shadow Scribe , slowly stood up. The mirror was normal again. The wizard was no longer here. But when they turned their gazes, the Shadow Scribe was still standing in the hall. He said nothing. He didn’t move. He just stared into the void, as if he didn’t know who he was. ”The wizard created you,” Jari said quietly. ”But now he’s gone.” Veijo took a cautious step closer. ”What’s happening to you now?” The shadow scribe blinked. ”I don’t know.” The darkness around him was fragile.
Jari and Veijo realized that now was the moment of decision.
Back in their own time,
Jari glanced at Veijo.
“We have to get back home.”
Veijo nodded, but their gazes shifted to the Shadow Scribe.
“How are we going to get back?” Veijo asked.
The Shadow Scribe looked at them for a moment, then he turned towards the mirror and touched its surface.
It began to tremble.
“If you want to go back, go now.”
Jari and Veijo hesitated for a moment.
“What about you?” Jari asked.
The Shadow Scribe looked at the surface of the mirror and said only one thing:
“Time will tell.”
The surface of the mirror rippled more strongly – the gate would soon close.
Jari and Veijo stepped through the mirror.
But something had changed
HUMPS!
Jari and Veijo hit the ground.
Veijo opened his eyes first.
“Are we… home?” he asked.
Jari blinked. They were in the forest, where there should no longer be a castle.
But then the wind swept past them, and a familiar figure loomed ahead.
The castle.
But it shouldn’t be here.
It should be in the past.
But now it was in ruins.
Jari and Veijo stared in horror.
”It can’t be…” Veijo whispered.
Jari looked around, trying to find something familiar. But the world was somehow… wrong.
They returned to their own time – but something had changed.
The castle had followed them forward in time.
Something had gone wrong. Here is
The Neverending Story: Part 19
in its entirety:
The Neverending Story: Part 19
– The Trap of the Past
The Vanishing City
Jari and Veijo sat in a hamburger restaurant, enjoying their first proper meal in a long time.
“This is heavenly,” Veijo muttered, biting into a juicy hamburger. “No castles, no shadows, no wizards. Finally, everything is normal.”
Jari grinned and sipped his soda. “Well, at least it was finished.”
But just then something changed.
The lights in the restaurant blinked once.
Then they went out.
Silence.
Jari and Veijo looked up.
“What the hell…?” Veijo muttered, looking around.
They looked out the window – and realized something terrible.
The city had disappeared.
No lights.
No streets.
No people.
Just an endless meadow.
Veijo swallowed. “This… this can’t be possible.”
Jari blinked, took a few steps closer. The meadow was silent, its broken towers rising toward the sky like forgotten memories.
“We were changed by something,” Jari muttered.
Then the wind stopped.
The sky darkened, and shadows began to stretch around them.
Then he appeared.
The Shadow Scribe stepped forward.
His figure was taller than before, darker, and his eyes shone pale in the mist.
“You… ominous ones.”
His voice echoed in the void, deep and emotionless.
“Thanks to you, I am what I am.”
Silence.
Veijo blinked. “What do you mean? What word?”
The Shadow Scribe raised his hand, and a blank book appeared before him out of thin air. Its pages were blank, but they vibrated with some invisible power.
“Your name is power,” the Shadow Scribe said. “What the wizard tried to change can be restored. But only one word will do.”
Jari looked at Veijo uncertainly.
“If you write Veijo’s name… what will happen?” he asked.
The Shadow Scribe turned his gaze toward the horizon, where the castle rose in ruins.
“The gate closes,” he said quietly. “The wizard will be trapped, and he can no longer be freed. But at the same time… I will disappear too.”
Veijo took a step closer. “Why? You’re not the same as before. You’re not completely a shadow anymore.”
The Shadow Scribe smiled sadly.
“But I’m not human either.”
Jari clenched his fist. “Isn’t there any other way?”
The Shadow Scribe looked at the pages of the book. They shimmered faintly, as if waiting for a final decision.
“All choices have a cost.”
Veijo looked at Jari, then at the Shadow Scribe.
“If we do this… we can’t come back here?”
The Shadow Scribe shook his head.
“No. This world will be forgotten.”
Jari took a deep breath.
“Do it.”
The Shadow Scribe took the pen, and slowly, carefully, he wrote just one word in the book.
Veijo.
Then the ground shook.
The sky cracked like glass, and the shadows retreated back into the depths of the ruins. The castle began to disappear, as if it were just a ghost from the past.
And in that moment, when everything around crumbled into nothingness, the Shadow Scribe looked at them one last time and whispered: “Your story continues. Mine ends here.”
And then everything disappeared.
Back in the past
Jari blinked his eyes and felt himself falling.
When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the meadow.
He and Veijo were in the past.
But this time something was different.
The castle was not yet in ruins. It stood tall and intact.
Veijo looked around.
“Did we succeed?”
But then a familiar voice was heard from somewhere far away.
“You returned.”
The wizard was here.Is everything in the past like
The Unfinished Story: Part 20
– The Wizard’s Legacy
Jari and Veijo stand motionless. They had returned to the past, but something was different.
The castle stood tall and intact, as if they had never destroyed it.
But nothing was quite the same. The air felt heavier, and something lurked in the shadows.
“We succeeded?” Veijo asked uncertainly.
Before Jari could answer, they heard the voice.
“You returned.”
The voice did not belong to the Shadow Scrivener.
Or to anyone else they knew.
Shadows rippled through the corridors, and the doors to the castle hall creaked open slowly.
Then he stepped forward.
The wizard.
But he was no longer the same.
His eyes shone even more intensely, and his figure looked more inhuman – as if he were no longer completely bound to flesh and blood.
“You made a mistake,” the wizard said coldly.
Jari clenched his hands into fists. “No. We stopped you.”
The wizard smiled. “Did you? Look around you.”
Jari and Veijo glanced at the castle walls. Everything was the same as before… but then they saw them.
The shadows were moving.
Not with the wind.
Not because of the light.
They were alive.
Veijo swallowed. “What the hell is this?”
The wizard stepped forward. “You thought you could change history without consequences. But reality does not accept disorder.”
Jari narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
The wizard raised his hand, his fingers trembling with black energy. “The future you returned from… it no longer exists.”
Veijo froze. “What?”
The wizard smiled. “You did not return to the past. You returned… to a new time.”
Then the walls began to tremble.
The castle changed before their eyes. The walls aged, the floor crumbled, and the air became foggy. Everything began to fall apart—but not because they had won.
They were now between times.
They were trapped.
The Wizard raised his hand. “And now, it is time for me to take what is mine.”
The air around them thickened, as if an invisible force had squeezed it together. The shadows that lived on the walls rushed toward the Wizard, swirling around him like a black storm.
Jari and Veijo felt the ground tremble beneath their feet, as if the earth itself were against them.
“What are you going to do?” Veijo asked, backing away instinctively.
The wizard smiled. “To take back what was taken from me. I’m taking it for myself. And you’re part of it.”
Jari clenched his fists. “Hell no. We won’t let you do this.”
The wizard raised his eyebrows and spoke as if he were talking to a child. “You can’t stop what’s already happened.”
Then he made a gesture with his hand, and Jari and Veijo felt the same weight hit them. They fell to their knees, their breath caught in their throats, and the world around them began to distort.
The walls melted like wax. The sky ripped like tattered cloth.
They were now in a place where time was not linear – they were falling deeper into the abyss between time.
The wizard slowly stepped in front of them, his eyes now completely black.
“Time is a circle, but I intend to break it. This is the last return.”
Jari fought gravity and gritted his teeth. “No, this is not for you to decide.”
Veijo tried to get up, but the shadows wrapped around him. He screamed in pain.
“We will not let this happen!”
Then, just when all seemed lost, a voice echoed from somewhere.
“You still have a choice.”
It was not the Wizard.
And not Veijo.
It was the Shadow Scribe.
His figure appeared in the middle of the torn time, his eyes shining faintly, and a power that did not belong to the Wizard rippled around him.
“Jari. Veijo. You do not have to accept this.”
The Wizard turned slowly, his smile disappearing. “You.”
The Shadow Scribe did not answer, but slowly raised his hands.
And then the world tore in two
The Neverending Story: Part 21
– The Time Break (Expanded)
The Shadow Scribe stood before them, the Wizard facing him, and reality around them crumbled piece by piece. But then something unexpected happened.
Two figures appeared from the darkness.
The first was a tall, thin man, his eyes gleaming gray, as if he had seen things that others could not understand. He wore a black robe that floated in the air as if it were not entirely bound to reality.
The second was a young woman, her skin shining with a faint, pale light. Her hair was like silver ribbons, and there was something familiar in her gaze – but Jari did not know what.
The Wizard froze.
He did not look surprised. Not even angry. Just… reserved.
“You should not be here,” the Wizard said quietly.
The thin man smiled. “And you never kept us here.”
The young woman stepped closer. His gaze locked with Jari and Veijo, as if he could see into their very souls. “You have made your journey this far, but you still do not know the whole truth.”
Jari swallowed. “What do you mean?”
The woman glanced at the Wizard. “We have been here before. This is not the first time that time has been broken.”
Veijo raised his eyebrows. “So what? Are we… repeating something?”
The man nodded. “Time is a circle, but each round is a little different. This… this is the last time. Now either everything changes, or everything disappears forever.”
The Shadow Scribe stepped forward and looked directly at the man. “Shadow Warden. Your time is over.”
The man, now named Shadow Warden, smiled darkly. “Is that so? Like yours?”
The tension increased.
The woman turned to Jari. “Our names are not important. But my story is.” He took a deep breath. “I was here when the first seal was broken. I was…” she paused and whispered the words: “…the Sorcerer’s daughter.”
Everyone fell silent.
The Sorcerer didn’t deny it. He just looked at the woman, and his face had an expression Jari had never seen before: longing.
“You’re dead,” the Sorcerer said lowly.
The woman smiled sadly. “I was. But death is not the same everywhere in time.”
Veijo shook his head. “Wait a minute. So you’re… some kind of ghost?”
The woman nodded. “I’m a shadow of the past. An echo of time. I’m only here because this moment… this moment determines everything.”
Jari narrowed his eyes. “What do we do then?”
The Shadow Warden smiled and turned to the Wizard. “The question is not what you do. It’s what the Wizard does.”
The Wizard said nothing.
But something in his gaze had changed.
The Shadow Scribe took a deep breath. “Are you ready to make a choice?” he asked, looking at Jari and Veijo.
The Wizard’s daughter took a step closer. “Before you decide… you need to know one thing.”
Everyone fell silent.
Then he said: “This is not the first time you’ve been here. But if you fail now… this will be the last.”
And then everything blurred.
What does this mean?
Who is the Shadow Warden? Is he the Shadow Scribe’s enemy – or something even worse?
What does the Wizard’s daughter want? Is he an ally or perhaps the Wizard’s last trump card?
If Jari and Veijo have been in this situation before… what did they do last time? And why wasn’t that enough?-
The most important thing is to be able to do what you want.
The Unfinished Story: Part 22 – The Wizard’s Choice Jari’s eyes widened. He was still standing in the same place, but something had changed. The fog had disappeared. In its place was… coldness. The kind of coldness that wasn’t just around, but seemed to penetrate straight into the soul. The Shadow Warden still stood there, his gaze fixed on the Wizard. The young woman – the Wizard’s daughter – was breathing heavily, as if her existence at this moment was painful. The Wizard was the only one who didn’t seem surprised. He slowly raised his hand and looked at it, as if weighing the decision he had been meaning to make all along. “I’ve known this moment was coming,” he said quietly. The Shadow Scribe took a step closer. “Then you’ll also know that this is the end.” The rascal glanced at Jari, confused. “So what the hell is happening now?” Then the ground beneath them shook. Jari staggered, but the Wizard remained motionless. He spoke directly to his daughter. “You shouldn’t be here.” The girl looked at him, her eyes filled with shadows. “But I am.” Then, without warning, the sky tore open. Above, where before there had been only endless blackness, a flash of light lit up—like a tearing tear in time itself. “It begins,” the Shadow Warden said quietly. The Wizard closed his eyes. “I have no choice.” He held out his hand and said, “The choice has been made.” Then the entire world disappeared.
Continued… When the Wizard said “The choice has been made,” the world seemed to disappear. But before everything fell apart, the girl moved. Her eyes turned silver, and her being radiated an energy that did not belong to this time or place. “Not yet,” she whispered. Then everything froze. Jari and Veijo no longer felt the earth shaking. The air did not move. Time stopped. But the girl moved. “You are making a mistake,” she said, looking directly at the Wizard. The Wizard raised his eyebrows. “You should not be able to do this.” The girl took a step forward. “But I can. Because I have been here before. Not just in this round – but in all the rounds.” Jari swallowed. “What do you mean?” The girl turned to look at him. There was some memory in her eyes – a memory that Jari could not recognize. “You do not remember me. But I remember you.” Veijo shook his head. “How so? You say you’ve been here before, but we’ve never seen you.” The girl raised her hand, and something floated in the air… like ghostly shadows, fragments of memories. “Because every time time turns again, you’ll never remember me.” “But I remember you. And now I can prevent this mistake.” She turned back to the Wizard. “If you close this cycle,” she said in a low voice, “I’ll disappear forever.” The Wizard remained silent. “But if we let time continue,” the girl continued, “then I have a chance… we all have a chance to find what went wrong.” The Shadow Warden grinned. “Interesting. Do you mean you don’t want the world to end?” The girl looked at her sharply. “I mean I want it to continue properly.” Jari glanced at Veijo. “Do we have any idea what’s going on here?” Veijo shrugged. “Not at all.” Then the Wizard made a move. He slowly extended his hand toward the girl. “You are the exception,” he said quietly. “I have never understood why you do not disappear with the others.” The girl breathed heavily. “Because I am…” she swallowed. “I am the one who opened the gate in the first place.” Everyone fell silent. The Wizard raised his eyebrows. “It was you?” The girl nodded. “And now I must close it.” But just then, before he could do anything – time ripped apart again. And they all fell.
What does this mean? The girl is the key to a mistake in the past. She opened the gate the first time – but why? The wizard doesn’t understand her existence. This could mean she doesn’t belong in this world, at least not normally. The Shadow Warden is interested in the girl. This could mean he knows more than he’s letting on. Time has torn again. But where have they landed now? In the next episode, Episode 23: The Key to the Past, it’s revealed that they’ve ended up in a temple in the past, where the girl’s story is revealed. The Shadow Warden forced her to open the gate – but why? Do you want to skip straight to Episode 23, where they’ll find out what the Wizard did in the past? Or do you want to add more details to this section before we move on?
The Neverending Story: Part 23 – The Key to the Past
Jari felt weightlessness envelop him. He didn’t know how long he was falling. A second? An hour? An endless blink of time? When he finally felt the ground beneath his feet, it wasn’t the same place they had left it. The darkness was gone. He stood in front of a tall stone temple, its walls glowing with light as if carved from living time. The carvings moved on the surface, constantly changing shape. Beside him, Veijo rose from the ground with a groan. “…Okay, this is new,” Veijo muttered. But the girl was already on the move. She stood in front of the temple and carefully touched its stone door. “We are… in the past,” she said quietly. Jari and Veijo froze. “In the past? So how far in the past?” Jari asked. The girl looked at him, eyes full of shadows. “In the very first moment.” Then he pressed his hand against the door. The temple began to open.
Inside the temple. The corridors were filled with echoes of memories. Shadowy figures danced on the walls, endlessly repeating the same movements – like captured fragments of the past. Veijo stopped in front of one of the carvings. “This looks…” he frowned. “…of a wizard.” Jari stepped closer and the wall began to glow brighter. The figure in the carving raised his hand… and the gate opened. The girl swallowed. “This is where it happened.” Jari looked at him. “What do you mean?” The girl took a deep breath. “I opened the gate here… because I was forced to.” The carvings on the wall began to move. They showed an image of a young girl – this same girl – standing alone in front of the temple. And behind her was… a Shadow Warden.
Veijo gasped. “That guy has been in this business all along.” The girl nodded. “He told me that this place is the key to everything. That if I open the gate, I can… fix something.” Jari narrowed his eyes. “Fix what?” The girl looked away. “Something the Wizard did wrong.” The carvings changed again. Now they showed the girl saying words she didn’t understand—and the gate opened before her. And from that moment on, everything began to fall apart.
Then the walls began to crumble. The temple began to shake. The carvings faded. There was a tear in the air—as if someone was trying to pull them away from this moment. The Shadow Warden’s voice echoed through the halls. “Time is not within your control, girl.” The girl clenched her fists. “I will not let you stop this.” Jari and Veijo turned to look at her. “We must find what I was supposed to fix,” she said. “Otherwise, this will all start again.” But the temple would not last much longer. They would have to decide quickly—would they go even deeper into the past, or would they try to return to the present before it was too late?
The Neverending Story: Part 24 – Deeper into the Past
The temple shook around them, but Jari didn’t move. He looked at the girl who stood in front of the carvings, her hand still on the stone wall. She wasn’t ready to leave. “We can’t go back yet,” the girl said. Veijo glanced around. “Hey, hello, that wall over there just collapsed, and you’re saying we can’t leave?” The girl turned her gaze to him. There was something new in his eyes now—shadows of memories he hadn’t understood before. “If we leave now, everything starts over,” she said quietly. Jari swallowed. “And if we go deeper?” The girl took a deep breath. “Then we’ll find out what the Wizard was trying to hide.” The carvings on the wall began to change again.
Under the girl’s hand, they showed a path that led deep into the heart of the temple. ”Don’t do this,” the Shadow Warden’s voice echoed through the corridors. ”There are things that are better left forgotten.” Veijo laughed dryly. ”We have never been good at leaving things forgotten.” The girl stepped into the corridor, following the carvings. Jari and Veijo followed behind.
The deepest floor of the temple – a forgotten chamber. Time had stopped here. The room was large, in the middle of it was a stone altar that glowed with a bluish light. The carvings on the walls no longer moved – they were older than time itself. The girl carefully touched the altar. “It happened here,” she whispered. Jari stepped next to her. “What happened?” The girl closed her eyes. “I opened the gate. But the Wizard… he did something else.” The carvings on the walls suddenly lit up, and the figures began to move. They saw the Wizard standing at the altar – in front of him was another figure. A Shadow Warden. The Wizard raised his hand. And made a choice.
The Wizard’s Choice – a memory of the past. The Wizard stood before the altar. The Shadow Warden spoke to him. ”If you open this, you can never undo it.” The Wizard did not answer. He placed both hands on the altar. And then a tear occurred in time. It was not just a gate – it was the first crack in the fabric of time itself. The engravings showed how the world crumbled for a moment into two different realities. And in that moment, the Wizard was no longer the same.
“He divided himself in two,” the girl said quietly. Jari and Veijo stared at the carvings. “He what?” Veijo asked. The girl pressed her hand on the altar. “He didn’t want to make a final choice. So he divided himself into two different times – two different realities.”
Jari narrowed his eyes. “You mean the Wizard isn’t just one person?” The girl nodded slowly. “The Wizard is in two places at once,” she said. “One of them wants to fix everything. But the other one wants to let the cycle continue forever.” The carvings on the walls faded. Time was running out. They had only one question left: Which Wizard is on their side—and which one is trying to betray them?
What next? The wizard split into two separate entities – but which one is right and which one is lying? The temple begins to collapse. They have only a moment to make a decision. The Shadow Warden knew about this all along. But why didn’t he tell them? This is the biggest choice in the entire story – the next step could decide the fate of the thread.
The Neverending Story: Part 25 – The Two Wizards
The temple began to collapse. The walls cracked, and the carvings crumbled into dust. Jari and Veijo knew they didn’t have much time – but the most important question was still unresolved.
Which of the Wizards was on their side? The girl turned to them. “We have to find them. Now.”
Veijo nodded and glanced around. “And how do we know where to go?” Jari looked at the altar. Its surface had not yet completely darkened. Small traces of light still flickered in the carvings – and between them two paths could be seen. One led upwards, towards the light. The other led downwards, into the darkness.
The girl bit her lip. “This is the choice.” Jari and Veijo glanced at each other. “We have to go both ways,” Jari said finally. “We have to find both Wizards and decide which one we believe.” The girl nodded. “I’m going in the direction of the light.” Veijo smiled. “Of course you’ll take the easier route.”
The girl glanced at him sharply. “Light doesn’t always mean safety.” Jari nodded. “Veijo, let’s go down. We need to know what’s down there.”
The Wizard of Light Girl walked alone along the path leading upwards.
She felt the air become lighter, but at the same time something felt wrong. Finally she arrived at a large, bright chamber. In the middle of it stood the Wizard. His cloak was white, and his eyes glowed like the brightest stars. He stood completely still, looking at something the girl could not see. “You have come,” the Wizard said in a low voice. The girl stepped closer. “Which one are you?”
The wizard did not turn. “I am the one who wants everything to end.” The girl clenched her hand into a fist. “You want to destroy the time loop?” The wizard nodded slowly. “It is time for the world to continue without this loop.”
The girl hesitated. “What if it means everything changes? That we won’t be the same anymore?”
The wizard closed his eyes. ”Isn’t that how it should be?”
Dark Wizard
Jari and Veijo walked down the path leading into the darkness. The air became heavy. Around them, shadows moved like living things. Before them stood another Wizard. His cloak was black, and his eyes glowed red like burning coals. He stood before them, smiling.
“You came anyway,” the Wizard said softly. Jari stepped closer. “Which one are you?” the Wizard grinned. “I’m the one who wants this to continue.” Veijo narrowed his eyes. “Why on earth? Why don’t you want time to continue normally?” the Wizard tilted his head. “Normal is relative, Veijo. What if this time loop is the only thing keeping us alive?” Jari clenched his fist. “What do you mean?”
The wizard stepped closer. ”What if… ending everything doesn’t just mean the end of the loop? What if it means the end of us?”
Selection
The girl looked at the Wizard of Light. “If I believe you, everything will change. But we don’t know how,” she said.
The Wizard nodded. “But we know that this is how it should be.” Jari and Veijo looked at the Wizard of Darkness.
“What if you lie?” Jari asked. The Wizard laughed. “Then I wouldn’t be a very good Wizard, would I?”
Who was right? Should they destroy the time loop and let the world continue as normal… or make sure they survive at all? Which Wizard will they believe?
What next?
If they choose the Wizard of Light, the loop will be broken – but the world could change irrevocably.
If they choose the Dark Wizard, the time loop will continue – but maybe they will gain clarity on why it exists.
Is there a third option? Some way to combine the truths of both?
This is a crucial moment in the story. Which Wizard do Jari, Veijo and the girl believe?
The most important thing is to be able to do what you want.
The Neverending Story: Part 26 – False Reality
The choice had been made. The girl stood in front of the Wizard of Light, Jari and Veijo behind her. They had made a decision – but they did not know what would follow.
The wizard closed his eyes and raised his hands in the air. The whole world seemed to stop. Then everything blurred.
When they woke up…
They were home. Jari blinked his eyes and sat up straight. His room looked exactly the same as before. Veijo lay on the couch, glanced around and growled: “Was it all a dream?”
The girl stood in front of the window. She looked out – but her expression was serious.
“Something is… different,” he said quietly. Jari stood up. Everything seemed normal. The street was the same, the sun was shining, someone was driving in the distance. But something didn’t feel quite right.
Was the world really the same?
Memories or reality? “We came back,” Veijo said. “But… will we all be remembered?” The girl glanced at him. “We remember. But the others don’t.” Jari clenched his fist. “Was this the right decision?”
“The Dark Wizard said that breaking the time warp would change everything. But what if everything just went back to the way it was?” The girl closed her eyes. “No. It wasn’t in vain. Now time moves forward.” But what has changed?
Wrong world?
The girl turned back to the window. She slowly raised her hand and touched the glass. Its surface vibrated like water. Jari and Veijo froze. “No…” the girl whispered. She pulled her hand back and looked them straight in the eyes.
“We are in the wrong reality.” Jari felt a cold wave pass through his body. He leapt to the door and yanked it open – but behind it was not their home street. Behind it was an endless, gray haze.
Veijo backed away. “What the hell…” The girl clenched her fists. “Someone… or something… led us to the wrong world.” Jari swallowed. “We had to break the time loop. But if this isn’t our world…”
Veijo looked at them both. ”Where the hell are we then?”
Trap of the past
Jari and Veijo followed the girl’s gaze. Every place they knew existed – but somehow wrong. Houses were where they were supposed to be. People walked the streets, but they didn’t seem to see them. As if they were just echoes… Veijo swallowed. ”If we are here, then where is the real world?”
The girl shook her head. “We were pulled somewhere… back in time. This place is like a byproduct of a time warp. It’s not the real world, but it’s not completely nonexistent either.”
Jari glanced at the door that led into the endless fog. “So we’re on a mezzanine somewhere?” The girl nodded slowly. “And if we stay here too long…” Jari realized what she was going to say.
“We’re becoming like them.” Veijo stared at the people on the street. Images, reflections that were no longer real. He backed away. “Okay, now I really want to get out of here.”
Traces of the real world
Jari clenched his fist. ”Okay. If this isn’t the real world, we need to find a way out. But where do we even start?” The girl closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then she whispered:
“Let’s look for traces of what was left behind.”
Jari and Veijo looked at him confused.
“If we were drawn here, there must have been a reason for it,” the girl continued. “We must look for some trace… some sign of where the boundary between this world and the real world is.”
Veijo rubbed his temples. ”So… some door, window, portal, whatever?” The girl nodded.
Jari sighed deeply. ”How are we supposed to find it? This place is too big to rake.”
The girl looked out again. Her gaze stopped at a point. She pointed toward a large tower on the far horizon. The only building that wasn’t completely upside down. “There,” she said. “We have to go there.”
What happens next?
What does the tower hide inside? Is it a way out – or a trap? Is there anyone else here who knows how the world has gone wrong? If this is a shadow of a false reality, what will happen if they stay here too long? Jari, Veijo and the girl head towards the tower – but what awaits there?
The Neverending Story: Part 27 – The Secret of the Tower
Jari, Veijo and the girl stood in front of the tower. Its black rocky surface rose towards the grey sky. Everything else in this world felt wrong – people were like shadows, houses were mirror images, but this tower was perfect. It wasn’t upside down. It wasn’t a memory. It was real.
The girl looked at the door. “This is the key. We have to go in.” Veijo narrowed his eyes. “And how do we know that this isn’t some kind of trap?” The girl glanced at him. “We don’t know. But we have no other choice.” Jari nodded. “This place is a trap in itself. If this tower is the only thing that feels real, we have to take the risk.” Veijo sighed deeply. “Okay, let’s go then.” And they entered.
Inside the tower
Their feet echoed on the empty floor. There were no stairs, no rooms, no windows inside the tower. No light, but no darkness either. Everything was gray, as if they had entered a space that did not exist at all. But in the middle of the room there was something. An old desk – and on it an open book.
The book looked familiar. The girl stopped. “The Shadow Scribe’s Book.” Jari and Veijo froze. Veijo swallowed. “You say this is that book?” The girl nodded. “The one where you can change reality by writing in it.”
Jari stepped closer. The pages of the book moved by themselves. And then… a single sentence appeared on a blank page.
The Shadow Scribe’s Test The girl took a breath. ”This is not just a book. This is a door.” Jari looked at her. ”What do you mean?” The girl placed her hand on the book. ”This book doesn’t just tell stories. It ends them. If we want to get out of here, we have to write a way out.” Veijo stepped closer. ”But how do we know what it wants?” The girl didn’t answer right away. Then she looked at them. ”This book demands one thing: the truth.”
“If we write a lie, it makes it true.”
“If we write the wrong truth… we may never get away.”
What to write?
Jari pursed his lips. “If we say this world isn’t real… the book might destroy it.” The girl nodded. “But we have to be sure.” Veijo rubbed his temples. “So if we mess up, we’ll stay here?” The girl nodded. “And if we say it wrong, we could end up in an even worse place.” Jari grabbed a pen that had appeared on the table.
He wrote slowly:
“This world is a mistake. It is time for us to return to where we truly exist.”
The book absorbed the words. It remained silent for a moment. Then a new sentence appeared:
“Are you sure?”
The gate opens
The girl looked at the book warningly. “It’s testing us.”
Jari took up the pen again. He wrote:
“We know where reality is. Take us there.”
There was a moment of silence.
Then the tower shook.
Next step
The windows shattered. Outside the tower, the mist began to recede, as if something were pulling the entire false reality with it. The last sentence of the book appeared before them:
“You are free – but every choice leaves a mark.”
And then… everything disappeared.
They wake up.
Jari blinked his eyes open. He was home again. Veijo was sitting on the floor, rubbing his head. “I was dreaming… or maybe not.” The girl stood in front of the window. She touched the glass carefully. It no longer vibrated. “We came back,” she said quietly. Jari sighed deeply. “But what did that last sentence mean?”
The girl didn’t answer.
But when he looked at himself through the window, he saw what others didn’t. His shadow had changed.
What next?
They’re back – but something isn’t quite right. The girl notices that her shadow has changed. What does it mean? The Shadow Scribe’s Book gave them a way out – but does it still come at a price?
This is a new beginning – but what did they lose along the way?
The Neverending Story – Part 28
Veijo stood frozen in place. His own words echoed in his mind, even though he had never said them.
“Don’t make the same mistake again.”
But what mistake? He didn’t remember doing anything—at least nothing that would merit such a warning.
He looked again at the message carved on the wall. His own handwriting. His name. But the date was impossible. The day before he was born.
As if guided by some force, he placed his hand on the message. And then everything changed.
The air vibrated as if an invisible wave had hit him. The ground beneath him seemed to disappear for a moment, and invisible sounds filled the air. They were whispers—not from any direction, but directly in his mind.
In the blink of an eye, he was no longer where he had been standing a moment ago. But the place was still familiar.
He stood on a street that looked like his hometown—but something was wrong. The colors were faded, the air felt heavier, and the sky seemed painted in the wrong shades.
And then he saw it.
Across the street stood a man who was like a mirror image of him. Same height. Same jacket. Same expression.
But there was no fear in the eyes – only emptiness.
Veijo breathed heavily and took a step forward. At the same moment, the mirror image in front of him opened its mouth, but the sound was not normal. It echoed directly in his mind.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
And then the world around him tore in two.
(To be continued)
The world around him was torn in two.
Veijo felt reality warp and fold around him. His feet no longer touched anything solid, but he didn’t fall either. Everything was distorted, stretched, and compressed at the same time.
The other Veijo was still standing across the street – but now his figure began to blur, as if he wasn’t entirely there anymore. His eyes became dark, completely shadowless.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
The voice was the same, but there was something different about it now. Veijo wasn’t sure if it was a warning – or a threat.
And then the other Veijo started moving. Not walking, but gliding through the air, as if he had been pulled towards it by some invisible force.
Veijo instinctively stepped back. His heart was pounding. This wasn’t a dream, and this wasn’t the real world – but then what was this?
Then the ground beneath his feet split open. The entire street split in two, and darkness surged forward like a living being.
The darkness began to pull him down.
Veijo tried to fight back, but his body felt heavy. His fingers clawed at the air, but there was nothing solid enough to hold on to.
And then –
Someone grabbed her hand.
It wasn’t another Veijo. It was someone else. The hand was cold, but the grip was firm. Veijo looked up – and met a familiar figure.
“We don’t have much time.”
It was the Witch’s daughter.
Part 29 – Aelthar: The Shadow Twin
(Jari wasn’t Jari after all…)
The truth is revealed: Jari has been just a shell.
Jari and Veijo end up in the Shadow Pass, a place where dreams and reality mix. But this time something is different – Jari feels a strong dizziness and a cold wave, as if something is tearing him apart from the inside. Before he can say anything, his body freezes, and a black shadow begins to rise from his chest like smoke.
Veijo looks on in horror.
”Jari, what the hell is that!?”
Jari tries to scream, but no sound comes out. His body cracks like a broken mirror, and suddenly he collapses to the ground, unconscious. At that moment, Aelthar steps out of him – a being that has been inside him since childhood, hidden like a forgotten shadow.
Aelthar is not a new character – he has been Jari all along!
Veijo stands paralyzed as a silver-eyed figure, made up of shadows and light, stands before him.
”What the fuck… Jari…?”
But Jari is no more. He was never real.
Aelthar turns to look at Veijo.
”I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. You only know one story, but it’s not the truth.”
He raises his hand, and the whole world trembles – as if it were just a mirage. What happens next? Was Jari really just a shell of Aelthar? Was his life just an illusion?
But just before everything goes dark, Jari gathers his last strength. He breathes weakly and whispers:
“Shadow Scribe… help me…”
Silence.
Then, from somewhere far away, whispers are heard, like the rustling of pages in an old book.
An old, dark-covered book appears in the middle of the room. It glows with a dim light, and a quill hovers above it.
The pen moves as if by itself, writing text on the pages:
“Write your name and everything will be fine.”
Veijo looks at the book and then at the unconscious Jari. Doubt gnaws at him, but he knows they have no other choice. He grabs the pen and begins to write… but before he can get to the last letter, the pages of the book begin to glow black, and the darkness absorbs what remains of Jari.
Jari disappears, disappears into the depths of the mirror.
At the last moment, Veijo hears her whispering his name… but it’s not Jari. It’s Aelthar.
At the same time, the Shadow Scribe disappears with Jari. A black mist wraps around the book, and it melts like ash into the air. Before the last shadow disappears, a message appears, written in the void:
“This story is not over.”
Veijo stands silently for a moment, breathing heavily. Then he clenches his fists and shouts loudly:
”We have to save Jari!”
His voice echoes in the darkness. But will anyone answer? Can Jari still be saved?
Here it is! The Neverending Story: Episode 29 is complete! This episode ends on a giant cliffhanger, and now everyone is waiting for the sequel!
Also answer the survey about what you like about the series.
The Neverending Story – Part 30: The Book of Destiny
Aelthar stood alone on the edge of an inverted world, where reality was warped and shadows moved like living things. His eyes stared at the massive stone gate that opened before him, carved with the words:
”This is the path to past and future destinies. Enter and know the truth.”
His heart was pounding. He knew that crossing this threshold would mark the final stage of his journey. He clutched in his hand the tattered book he had received from the Shadow Scrivener, every page of which seemed to breathe the words of stories past and future.
The truth awaited on the other side of the gate.
The Legacy of the Shadow Scriveners
As Aelthar entered, he was surrounded by a black void that wasn’t just darkness—it was stories, memories, life, and death. He saw moments from the past:
Äitinsä Sylmaran silmät täynnä pelkoa, kun hän teki julman päätöksensä.
Jarin, muinaisen olennon, joka ei ollut pelkkä kirous, vaan osa suurempaa suunnitelmaa.
Isänsä, Varjokirjurin, joka seisoi yksin varjoissa, hylättynä ja unohtuneena.And then he saw her.
The Shadow Scribe was no longer a mere shadow figure. He stood before them in his full form—a tall, hideous being, his face carved from black stone, his eyes filled with ancient knowledge. His voice echoed in the space without sound:
”Aelthar, my son. You have come home at last.”
My son.
The words echoed in Aelthar’s mind, and the cold truth struck him like a dagger. All this time, all these years, his name had been in the book, not just as a victim—but as part of a story that had begun long before him.
He was the heir to the Shadow Scrivener.
The Last Choice
Aelthar knew he had to make a decision.
He could rip open the book and write himself free – but that would mean someone else would take his place.
Or could he accept his fate and take his father’s place, continuing the story in a new way?
His hands shook as he raised the quill. The ink was like a living shadow, and each written word was like a wall between the past and the future.
He wrote.
And the world changed.
The end – or a new beginning?
When Aelthar opened his eyes, he was no longer in the world he knew. He stood in another time, somewhere else, but one thing was certain:
The never-ending story wasn’t over yet.
The Neverending Story – Part 31: Ink and Blood
Aelthar stood in the shadows, book in hand, feeling the world around him change. He knew the truth now: his mother had been murdered, his father was gone, and his existence was bound to a fate he still didn’t fully understand. But one thing was certain – he was not free.
Who had written the mother’s name in the book? Who had ordered her death?
The shadows whispered around him, but now they were no longer enemies. They were his. He felt their power coursing through his veins, their ink mingling with his blood. He was no longer just a human, but he was not yet a Shadow Scribe either. He was something new, something no one had ever been before.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed answers.
Mother’s fate
Aelthar saw it clearly now. Sylmara had not died naturally. She had been sacrificed.
He had been alone in the throne room when they came. They were not human. They were not even shadows. They were something worse—those who were born into the world only when the Shadow Scribe was away.
Sylmara felt them coming before they appeared. The air grew cold, the candles went out, and the darkness crept in like a living being. She knew that Aelthar’s fate had been sealed long ago, and now she herself was no longer needed.
But he wasn’t going to go without a fight.
He grabbed his sword—an ancient blade that had been passed down through his family for generations. Its blade was set in silver, and spells were carved into its surface to protect its wielder.
But that wasn’t enough.
They didn’t come against weapons. They came through the shadows, straight into his soul.
They tore him out of time and place, took him to a room where the walls were nothing but darkness. And there he saw the book.
Not the Shadow Scribe’s book, but another one. A book in which his name was already written.
He knew what it meant. Once a name was in the book, it could not be removed.
He heard a whisper:
“Your child can’t come back until you’re gone.”
Then he understood.
Aelthar still existed because he was—but if he died, Aelthar would no longer be bound to his fate. Whoever had written his name in the book had made a mistake.
He smiled.
And then the shadows pounced on him.
The shadow returned too late.
When the Shadow Scribe returned, Sylmara was already gone.
The throne room was silent. There was only a dark stain on the floor, no longer just blood, but something deeper—the shadow of a soul, a sign that his existence had been torn from the world.
The shadow scribe stood still, but said not a word.
He didn’t cry. He didn’t rage. But the whole world felt his silent anger.
And somewhere far away, Aelthar felt it too.
Aelthar’s Choice
Aelthar closed the book. He knew everything now.
His father had been away when his mother died. But was that a coincidence?
The Shadow Scribe had never been an easy victim – he had never let fate decide for him. But why had he been away at that moment? Had he known? Had this all been planned?
And above all – who had written the mother’s name in the book?
Someone had been pulling the strings all this time.
Someone had been waiting for Aelthar’s return.
And now that the book had been broken, the shadows had been released.
He didn’t know yet what lay ahead. But he knew one thing:
He was going to find out who had killed his mother – and why.
His fingers tightened around the quill, and he began to write.
And when the first word appeared in the book, the world began to change.
The Neverending Story – Part 29 (The Really Sad Version) 
“Last Words”
The voice behind the mirror was at first vague, like a distant echo. Then it became clearer, whispering like the wind among dead leaves.
“Veijo…”
Veijo stared at the mirror. Jari was still there, struggling against invisible forces. His face was distorted by pain, and black shadows wrapped around him like invisible ropes. There was fear in his eyes, but also acceptance.
“It’s too late.”
“Don’t say that!” Veijo shouted, his voice breaking at the end. He lunged towards the mirror, but just as his fingertips touched the surface, something pulled Jari back.
Jari smiled. It wasn’t a happy smile. It was a farewell…
The Neverending Story – Part 32: The Writer’s Seal
Aelthar’s fingers tightened around the quill, and the ink slowly dripped onto the paper. He felt its weight on his wrist, as if each word bound him more firmly to his fate. Only one question echoed in his mind: Who wrote my mother’s name in the book?
When the first word appeared on the paper, the air froze. The shadows paused for a moment, as if listening, and the candle flames flickered unnaturally. Something had changed. The world no longer followed the same laws.
The book he was writing in was no ordinary book.
He was not yet a Shadow Scribe, but something inside him already knew the words that needed to be written. He knew that each sentence did not just describe reality – it changed it. But when he…
The Unfinished Story – Part 33: The Council of Shadows
Aelthar entered. The room was empty, but something invisible flickered within it, some force that seemed to be watching him. The book floated in the air, its pages turning on their own, its inky characters briefly becoming intelligible before disappearing back into incomprehensible chaos.
“Welcome, Writer.”
Aelthar recognized the voice, but it did not belong to one person—it was polyphonic, as if thousands of shadows were speaking with one mouth. A cold shiver ran through him.
“Why did the book resist me?” Aelthar asked, but received no immediate answer. Instead, the space began to change. Walls that were not there began to appear. The floor turned to dark stone. Tall, shadowy figures appeared in a circle around him.
He was not alone.
The Council of Shadows had gathered.
Who controls fate?
“You are not yet ready to rewrite fate,” one of the shadows said in a low, echoing voice.
“But I must know,” Aelthar replied. “My mother’s name was in the book. Who wrote it there?”
The shadows glanced at each other, and the air in the room seemed to tighten for a moment. Finally, one of the council members spoke:
“The one who wrote that name is still alive.”
Aelthar felt his chest tighten. “Who?”
“The one who does not belong in this world.”
The words echoed in his mind, but before he could ask more, the space around him began to crumble again. The shadows merged together, the council members evaporated into smoke, and the book fell heavily to the floor.
The Shadow Scribe and the Shadow of Sylmara
Meanwhile, in another world, the Shadow Scribe stood before the shadow of Sylmara. The shadow was not just a memory, but something trapped between two realities.
“You should have known,” Sylmara’s shadow whispered. “You should have been here.”
The Shadow Scribe didn’t answer right away. He looked at the star pattern painted on the floor that had appeared beneath the shadow. It wasn’t just a mark—it was a mark, a spell that tied Sylmara’s fate together yet again.
“Who did this to you?” the Shadow Scribe finally asked.
The shadow trembled, its edges blurring for a moment. “He who does not belong in this world.”
The Shadow Scribe’s eyes narrowed.
Aelthar heard those same words in the other world.
Who does not belong in this world?
Aelthar picked up the book from the floor and opened it. The pages were blank—except for one sentence that had appeared as if of its own accord.
“You must find him before he finds you.”
The Neverending Story – Part 32: The Author’s Seal
Aelthar’s fingers tightened around the quill, and the ink slowly dripped onto the paper. He felt its weight on his wrist, as if each word bound him more firmly to his fate. Only one question echoed in his mind: Who wrote my mother’s name in the book?
When the first word appeared on the paper, the air froze. The shadows stopped for a moment, as if listening, and the candle flames flickered unnaturally. Something had changed. The world no longer followed the same laws.
The book he wrote in was no ordinary book.
He wasn’t yet a Shadow Scribe, but something inside him already knew the words that needed to be written. He knew that each sentence didn’t just describe reality—it changed it. But when he…
The Unfinished Story – Part 33: The Council of Shadows
Aelthar entered. The room was empty, but something invisible stirred within it, some force that seemed to be watching him. The book floated in the air, its pages turning by themselves, its inky characters briefly becoming comprehensible before disappearing back into incomprehensible chaos.
“Welcome, Writer.”
Aelthar recognized the voice, but it did not belong to one person—it was polyphonic, as if thousands of shadows were speaking with one mouth. A cold shiver ran through him.
“Why did the book resist me?” Aelthar asked, but didn’t get an immediate answer. Instead, the space began to change. Walls that weren’t there began to appear. The floor turned to dark stone. Tall, shadowy figures appeared in a circle around him.
He was not alone.
The Shadow Council had convened.
Who controls fate?
“You are not yet ready to rewrite fate,” one of the shadows said in a low, echo-tinged voice.
“But I must know,” Aelthar replied. “My mother’s name was in the book. Who wrote it there?”
The shadows glanced at each other, and the air in the room seemed to tighten for a moment. Finally, one of the council members spoke:
“The one who wrote that name is still alive.”
Aelthar felt his chest tighten. “Who?”
“He who does not belong to this world.”
The words echoed in his mind, but before he could ask more, the space around him began to crumble again. The shadows merged, the council members vanished into thin air, and the book fell heavily to the floor.
The Shadow Scribe and the Shadow of Sylmara
Meanwhile, in another world, the Shadow Scribe stood before the shadow of Sylmara. The shadow was not just a memory, but something trapped between two realities.
“You should have known,” Sylmara’s shadow whispered. “You should have been here.”
The Shadow Scribe didn’t answer immediately. He looked at the star pattern painted on the floor that had appeared under the shadow. It wasn’t just a mark—it was a sign, a spell that tied Sylmara’s fate together once more.
“Who did this to you?” the Shadow Clerk finally asked.
The shadow trembled, its edges blurred for a moment. “He who does not belong to this world.”
The Shadow Scribe’s eyes narrowed.
Aelthar heard those same words in another world.
Who doesn’t belong in this world?
Aelthar picked up the book from the floor and opened it. The pages were blank—except for one sentence that had appeared as if of its own accord.
“You have to find him before he finds you.”
The Neverending Story – Part 34: The Final Truth
Aelthar stood in the shadows, book in hand, as the figure before him took a step closer. The Shadow Scribe. His eyes were as cold as death, and in his hand was a long sword forged from black metal. Its blade gleamed in the gloom, as if it had absorbed all the light.
“You want to know the truth,” the Shadow Scribe said in a low, echo-tinged voice. “Good. You will have it.”
Aelthar’s heart pounded. He held the book tighter, but the pages were now blank, and the ink no longer acted on his commands.
“I killed your mother.”
The words cut through the air like a sword. Aelthar took a step back, but the Shadow Scribe gave him no escape.
“It was the only way,” the Shadow Scribe continued. “He tried to destroy this book. He tried to prevent you from finding your way here. He knew what fate awaited you, and he wanted to protect you from it.”
“You lie,” Aelthar hissed. “He wouldn’t have done that.”
The Shadow Scribe raised his head, his gaze filled with dark pity. “And yet he did it.”
Aelthar’s chest tightened. He remembered his mother’s warnings, the words he had not understood before.
”Never open the book, Aelthar. Never read its words.”
But he had done just that.
Slowly, deliberately, the Shadow Scribe raised his sword.
“I have to kill you.”
Aelthar stared at him, eyes wide. His breathing became heavy, but he didn’t take a step back.
”Why?” he asked in a low voice.
“Because you are the last link,” the Shadow Scribe replied. “You are the one who can break this story. You were not meant to be born into this world. You are the one this book cannot control.”
Aelthar looked down at the book. Words about himself began to appear on the pages.
“Whatever happens, don’t close your eyes.”
Then the Shadow Scribe attacked.
The Neverending Story – Part 35: The Final Blow
The sword flashed in the darkness as the Shadow Scribe lunged toward Aelthar. It was a moment that lasted forever—the clang of metal, the Shadow Scribe’s blank eyes, the silence of the shadows, awaiting the final decision.
Aelthar didn’t have time to think. He didn’t have time to feel fear. His body moved on its own.
His hand rose, and something cold and heavy struck his fingers. He gripped it instinctively. It was a sword —not his own, not the Shadow Scribe’s, but something that had existed before either of them.
When the Shadow Scribe’s sword was only an inch from his heart, Aelthar struck.
The blade sank into the flesh.
Silence.
Aelthar felt his chest heave heavily. His eyes widened as he saw what he had done.
The Shadow Scribe stood before him, sword across his chest.
The blade had pierced his heart. Black, smoking blood seeped from the wound and ran down the edges of his cloak. His eyes, which had always been filled with cold shadow, now looked… surprised.
”You…” The Shadow Scribe’s voice was a low whisper. His knees buckled, and he fell backward.
The Shadow Scribe was mortal.
Aelthar took a step back, hands shaking. This was not his intention. He had not planned this. But still… it had happened.
The Shadow Scribe was breathing heavily, but he didn’t look angry. Not anymore. He looked at Aelthar in a way that Aelthar couldn’t interpret.
“You change everything,” he whispered.
Then he smiled.
It was a cold, fragile smile – like someone who had been waiting for this moment all their life. Like someone who was finally free.
His body began to disintegrate into shadows. Black smoke rose from his skin, and his eyes dimmed.
“The story is yours now, Aelthar.”
And at that moment the book in his hands caught fire.
The Neverending Story – Part 36: The New Shadow Scribe
The Shadow Scribe’s body vanished into thin air. The shadows sucked his existence into themselves, and the world fell silent.
Aelthar stood alone. His hands clenched into fists, his heart pounding in his chest. He hadn’t meant this.
But something had moved.
He felt it deep inside him – a power that wasn’t there before . He looked around, and the world before him changed . The darkness no longer felt threatening but inviting, as if it had been waiting for him .
He had become the new Shadow Scribe.
His hands rose instinctively, and the burnt pages of the book stopped in midair. The fire died down, and the words rewrote themselves —but now they told not of the past, but of the future.
”Jari is still alive.”
Aelthar took a deep breath. He closed his eyes. He saw it now. The world of shadows had intertwined with the real world, and Jari was trapped between them.
Jari was dying. But he was not lost yet.
Aelthar did not hesitate. He stepped forward – and the world around him changed . His steps no longer touched stone, but emptiness . He moved through the shadows, deeper between realities, to a place where fate was rewritten.
Jari lay among the shadows.
There was emptiness around him, and his body was pale, cold. Aelthar knelt beside him. He raised his hand and wrote a name in the air . The ink floated around his fingers, and the words changed reality .
“Jari, get up.”
The world trembled. The air trembled.
Jari took a breath and opened his eyes.
The Neverending Story – Part 37: The Hand of the Sorcerer
Jari gasped. He felt the cold emptiness around him, the weight of shadows that had pulled him deeper into something where there was no light, no time – only endless darkness.
But then… something touched him.
The warmth spread through his body like a distant memory, like a fire that had already been dying out but flared to life once more.
He opened his eyes and saw a figure before him. An old wizard, with a long cloak and a wisdom in his eyes that time had not worn away.
The wizard leaned towards him and placed his hand on Jari’s chest.
“It’s not your time to stay here.”
Jari tried to speak, but his voice wouldn’t work. He couldn’t feel the weight of his body, but something inside him was starting to wake up. He felt his strength returning – slowly but surely.
The wizard’s hand glowed with a faint light. The shadows receded.
”Who are you?” Jari finally managed to say.
The wizard smiled. “The one who keeps the balance.”
Jari got up.
His body felt light but strong. He was no longer just himself – he had regained something. Something that the shadows had taken from him.
He looked around. Aelthar stood further away, ink floating around him and the book glowing a dim blue light.
“Are you okay?” Aelthar asked.
Jari took a deep breath. He felt his strength returning.
“I think I am.”
The wizard took a step back and looked at them both.
“But this is not over yet.”
Jari and Aelthar glanced at each other.
The wizard’s voice turned serious.
”Shadows don’t give up so easily. And now… they know you’re back.”
The Neverending Story – Part 38: On the Borderlands of Shadows
Jari took a deep breath and let his powers flow freely through his body. His arms glowed with dark, pulsating energy as he raised his hand and created a portal in the air that glowed black.
“Veijo, come!” he shouted through the gate.
After a while, Veijo hesitantly stepped through the portal and looked around in amazement.
”Where exactly are we?” Veijo asked quietly.
”At home,” Jari answered quietly, looking around the familiar room with calm eyes. He made sure he was in the right place and time.
Exhaustion overcame Jari. He slowly walked to the bed, sat down heavily on it, and sighed deeply. He felt a sense of security slowly returning.
Silence surrounded them, and they both finally fell asleep, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.
In the morning, Jari woke up to the sunlight hitting his face. He rubbed his eyes and grabbed his phone, immediately calling Veijo.
”What the hell happened to us, Veijo?” Jari asked on the phone, his voice still sleepy and uncertain.
”I’m not entirely sure, but I think some great force is trying to take over us. We have to figure this out.”
Just as Jari was about to hang up the phone, the room suddenly went dark. Familiar shadows wrapped around Jari, pulling him into a tight embrace.
”You have the powers I need,” the Shadow Scribe’s voice whispered desperately.
Jari felt his resistance soften and let the shadows take him back to the Shadow Scrivener’s castle.
Meanwhile, Veijo tried to call Jari back at home, but the phone just rang into the void without answering. Worried, he quickly headed towards Jari’s apartment.
”Something fucking happened again,” Veijo snorted to himself when Jari didn’t open the door. He walked around the house and tried the back door, which surprisingly opened easily. Veijo stepped inside, looked around, and heard a quiet clatter from the kitchen.
He approached cautiously and opened the refrigerator door. Inside was a familiar black vortex that would grab him and suck him back into the Shadow Scrivener’s castle.
The Neverending Story – Part 39: The Shadow Scribe’s Request
Jari took a deep breath and let his powers flow freely through his body. His arms glowed with dark, pulsating energy as he raised his hand and created a portal in the air that glowed black.
“Veijo, come!” he shouted through the gate.
After a while, Veijo hesitantly stepped through the portal and looked around in amazement.
”Where exactly are we?” Veijo asked quietly.
”At home,” Jari answered quietly, looking around the familiar room with calm eyes. He made sure he was in the right place and time.
Exhaustion overcame Jari. He slowly walked to the bed, sat down heavily on it, and sighed deeply. He felt a sense of security slowly returning.
Silence surrounded them, and they both finally fell asleep, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.
In the morning, Jari woke up to the sunlight hitting his face. He rubbed his eyes and grabbed his phone, immediately calling Veijo.
”What the hell happened to us, Veijo?” Jari asked on the phone, his voice still sleepy and uncertain.
”I’m not entirely sure, but I think some great force is trying to take over us. We have to figure this out.”
Just as Jari was about to hang up the phone, the room suddenly went dark. Familiar shadows wrapped around Jari, pulling him into a tight embrace.
”You have the powers I need,” the Shadow Scribe’s voice whispered desperately.
Jari felt his resistance soften and let the shadows take him back to the Shadow Scrivener’s castle.
Meanwhile, Veijo tried to call Jari back at home, but the phone just rang into the void without answering. Worried, he quickly headed towards Jari’s apartment.
”Something fucking happened again,” Veijo snorted to himself when Jari didn’t open the door. He walked around the house and tried the back door, which surprisingly opened easily. Veijo stepped inside, looked around, and heard a quiet clatter from the kitchen.
Veijo cautiously entered the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. The dark vortex spinning inside sucked him in too.
In the Shadow Scribe’s castle, Jari and Veijo stood uncertain again. The Shadow Scribe stepped out of the shadows, his figure bent and tired.
“My time is running out,” the Shadow Scribe said quietly. He looked up, sadness shining deeply in his eyes. “The future and the past are entangled. When I lost my wife, I lost myself. You must fix what I have broken. Otherwise, the Shadows will take everything.”
Jari looked at the Shadow Scrivener seriously and asked:
“What should I do then?”
The Shadow Scribe sighed deeply, his eyes filled with sadness and regret.
”You must travel to the past and find my wife before it is too late. Only then can the power of Shadows be stopped, and balance restored between the worlds. I will open a portal to the past for you, but be careful: the journey will not be easy, and the dangers are greater than you can imagine.”
The Neverending Story – Part 40: Journey to the Past
Jari and Veijo stood before the Shadow Scrivener, whose hands glowed with a pale light. A black, undulating portal opened before them, like a tear in the surface of reality.
“Enter, but be careful,” the Shadow Scribe warned. “The past is not as stable as you think. If you change too much, everything could collapse.”
Jari and Veijo nodded to each other and stepped through the portal. In a moment, they felt themselves falling into a weightless space, like in a dream with no top or bottom.
Then the ground shook beneath their feet.
They were in the same castle, but it had changed. It was no longer abandoned and full of shadows—now it stood majestically, candles illuminating the great stone walls, and the corridors echoed with the murmur of conversation. Jari and Veijo glanced at each other. They were truly in the past.
”Okay, where do we start?” Veijo asked in a whisper.
Jari looked around. ”The Shadow Scribe’s wife. We have to find her.”
They began to move cautiously through the halls of the castle, avoiding the servants and guards. Everyone seemed busy, as if preparing for some great celebration. Golden chandeliers lit the halls, and large, dark paintings hung on the walls.
”Do you have any idea what that wife looks like?” Veijo asked.
“No,” Jari muttered. “But if he’s in the castle, we need to find his room.”
They followed a large stone corridor until they found a closed door with an inscription above it:
“Lady Evelyna, wife of the Shadow Scrivener.”
Jari and Veijo glanced at each other. This was it.
Jari pressed his hand on the door handle and turned it open.
The room was full of light. It was not dark and forbidding like the rest of the castle, but decorated with soft pale curtains, and the windows let in sunlight. In the middle of the room stood a woman, tall and slender, her dark hair falling in waves to her shoulders. She turned slowly to look at them.
“Who are you?” his voice was clear and alert.
Jari stepped closer. ”We’re friends. We don’t have much time, but you have to get out of here.”
Evelyna narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
Veijo glanced around and took a deep breath. ”Because your husband is about to do something that will change everything.”
Evelyna’s eyes widened. She looked at Jari closely and stepped closer.
“Tell me everything,” he whispered.
But just then the castle horns began to sound.
“They know we’re here,” Jari hissed. “We need to move—and quickly.”
Evelyna grabbed their hands and led them towards a secret door. They had to escape before history closed in on them.
The Neverending Story – Part 41: Escape in the Shadows of the Night
Lady Evelyna pulled a small metal ring from the heavy stone floor, and the floor hatch creaked open. Darkness opened before them, and the damp, subterranean air hit their faces.
”Get out of here. This corridor will take us outside the castle,” Evelyna whispered hurriedly.
Jari nodded and stepped down first. Veijo followed, and Evelyna was the last to close the hatch above her. They ran along a narrow, dark tunnel. Its walls were rocky, and the floor was full of sand and moisture.
“Where is this leading?” Veijo asked, panting.
”To the old mine. We can get out from there without the castle guards seeing us,” Evelyna replied.
The echoes of footsteps echoed along the tunnel, and behind them came a distant sound—the castle had been alerted. The guards had noticed their disappearance.
”Faster!” Jari encouraged, and the trio picked up their pace.
At the end of the tunnel was an iron gate that led to an old abandoned mine shaft. Evelyna pushed the heavy latch open, and the gate creaked eerily. They slipped in, and Jari pulled it back shut just before footsteps began to approach behind them.
The passage through the mine was difficult. The air was full of dust and the smell of damp earth. The floor was uneven, and every now and then their feet would hit old miners’ tools.
“We need to find an exit,” Evelyna said.
They continued on their way until they finally saw a faint light shining at the end of the corridor. It was the exit.
Jari took a deep breath and stepped out first. They were now in an open field, where the wind was waving long blades of grass. The night was black and the sky was cloudy, but they were free.
”What now?” Veijo asked.
Evelyna looked around and pointed into the distance. ”There’s an old farm over there. We need to go and hide there.”
The trio started to stride across the field, but just then a bright flash of light cut through the sky.
“They are coming!” Evelyna exclaimed.
Black shadows shot out from the castle tower, moving quickly towards them, twisting and turning in the air like predatory beasts.
Jari and Veijo glanced at each other. ”No hell, let’s run now!”
They started to rush towards the farm, but the shadows were fast.
“Stay together!” Evelyna shouted, but just then one of the shadows swooped down and hit Jari.
He felt a cold force strike him, and the world around him began to distort. He heard the Shadow Scrivener’s voice in his head.
”This is not your place, Jari. You cannot change fate.”
Jari clenched his fist and shouted back. ”I’m not part of your game! I decide my own fate!”
He would pull himself free from the shadow’s grip and continue running.
The farm was only a few meters away. Evelyna flung open the door, and they rushed inside just before the shadows could reach them.
The door slammed shut behind them, and silence fell.
They were safe—at least for now.
The Neverending Story – Part 42: The Shadow Scribe’s Message
The old walls of the farmhouse creaked, and outside the shadows moved restlessly, but they did not cross the threshold. Jari, Veijo, and Lady Evelyna stood in the dim room, their breathing heavy after their escape.
“They can’t come in,” Evelyna whispered. “The house is protected by old magic.”
Jari leaned against the wall and wiped his forehead. ”Good. But they won’t give up.”
Veijo glanced at Evelyna. ”Listen, we’re not here for fun. Your husband—the Shadow Scribe—sent us here.”
Evelyna’s expression froze. ”What did you say?”
“He sent us to get you,” Jari said calmly. “He’s not dead. He’s lost.”
Evelyna stared at them as if she had seen a ghost. Her breathing became rapid, and she backed away slowly, her back hitting the wall. “No… that can’t be true. You’re lying.”
Veijo raised his hand reassuringly. ”We’re not lying. We saw him. He exists, but…”
“No!” Evelyna screamed, the candles on the floor flickering under her power. “He is NOT here anymore. He died! I saw it! I felt it!”
Jari didn’t back down. ”He’s not dead, Evelyna. He lost himself. And he misses you.”
Evelyna’s hands shook. She clutched her chest as if something was cutting her heart from within. ”You’re lying… You have to lie…”
Jari took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt something enter his mind—like a cold, whispering wind that tore open his thoughts. Then it came.
The voice of the shadow scribe.
It was deep and cracked, like a man lost in his own darkness.
”Evelyna…” Jari’s voice became lower, and it was no longer his own.
Evelyna started and clenched her hands into fists.
“You were my light, when I could still see the world. When I lost you, I became something else. The shadows took me because I let them take me. But now, now I understand. You weren’t the one I lost—I was the one who got lost.”
Evelyna’s eyes widened, and her breath hitched. ”No… it wasn’t your fault.”
Jari’s eyes were empty, his body stiffened, as if something was guiding him from within.
“It’s time for me to let go. But I can’t do it alone. Evelyna, if you still believe in me, if there’s still the man you knew left in me… help me find my way back.”
Evelyna clutched her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. She fell to her knees and pressed her forehead to the floor.
“What did I do…?” his voice broke. “I left him. I thought it was all over. But it wasn’t over…”
Jari trembled and staggered backward. The connection was broken. He panted and rubbed his temples. “It was… him. He really meant it.”
Veijo stepped closer carefully and extended his hand to Evelyna. ”Evelyna. She needs you.”
Evelyna raised her head, her eyes now like two blazing stars. “I will help him.”
He stood up and wiped his eyes, his voice firm now.
“But we have to return to the castle.”
Veijo spread his hands. ”Of course we’re going back. Why did we even run here if we’re just going to turn back now?”
Jari smiled exhaustedly. ”Because now we have a plan.”
Evelyna raised her hand, and a bluish glow enveloped her. She had regained her strength.
“There is only one way to save him,” he said. “We must find his heart.”
Veijo frowned. ”Excuse me, but what?”
Evelyna looked at them seriously. ”His heart is no longer in his body. It is in the Shadow World. And only if we get it back can he be himself again.”
Jari nodded slowly. ”Okay. So the next task: find the Shadow Scribe’s heart and bring him back.”
Outside, the shadows moved restlessly, as if they had heard their words.
“Now let’s go,” Evelyna said, and the trio stepped into the darkness.
The Neverending Story – Part 43: Guardian of the Heart
The farm door creaked open, and the cold night air hit their faces. Evelyna stepped out first, her eyes glowing bluish in the darkness. Jari and Veijo followed her, their gazes fixed on the dark towers of the castle, visible far on the horizon.
“We have to be quick,” Evelyna said quietly. “The shadows already know we’re coming.”
”And that’s not a good thing,” Veijo muttered, glancing at the sky, where dark shadows moved like predatory beasts.
They started running, the long grass swaying around them. The night seemed to wrap itself around them, and with every step the figure of the castle grew larger and more threatening.
When they reached the outer perimeter of the castle, Evelyna stopped and raised her hand. Ancient runic inscriptions were drawn in the air, and the castle gate creaked open on its own.
”Wow,” Veijo grinned. ”Should you open my fridge the same way, when the handle always gets stuck?”
”Dude, focus,” Jari growled and stepped inside first.
The castle corridors were different now than they had been before. The walls breathed—or so it seemed. The darkness trembled around them, as if a black mist moved with them.
“The heart is in the deepest part of the castle,” Evelyna whispered. “The Shadow Scribe hid it there before the darkness swallowed him.”
Jari nodded. “How do we get there?”
“That’s not a problem,” Evelyna said. “But there is one barrier he put up to protect it.”
Veijo raised his eyebrows. ”Of course it is.”
They descended a spiral staircase of stone that led deeper and deeper underground. The air grew colder, and the walls began to look as if they were dripping with black blood.
Then they arrived at a large, circular room. In the center stood a stone altar , and upon it a glowing, dark object— the Shadow Scribe’s heart. It beat like a living organ, and around it black threads of energy coiled like snakes.
But they were not alone.
A figure stood on the other side of the room.
A tall, robed creature, its face hidden in the shadow of a hood. Shadows swirled and twisted around it.
“You are too late,” the figure said, its voice deep and grating.
Evelyna froze. ”It’s… the Shadow Scribe’s old advisor.”
Jari and Veijo glanced at each other.
“Of course,” Veijo muttered. “Because we can’t just grab the heart and leave, can we?”
The figure stepped closer. Its eyes glowed in the darkness, and its hands were like skeletal fingers bound to the energy of the Shadows.
“The Shadow Scribe chose his path. You cannot change it,” the advisor said. “If you try to take the heart, I will destroy you.”
Jari clenched his fists. ”He wants it back. And we’re going to bring him back.”
Evelyna stepped forward. ”You were his advisor. You should have protected him, not led him to destruction!”
The advisor raised his hand, and the shadows of the room rushed at them.
“You won’t leave here alive!”
The Neverending Story – Part 44: The Price of the Heart
The Advisor stood firmly before the altar, black mist swirling around him. The Shadow Scribe’s heart beat on the altar, its dark glow illuminating the room like a dark beacon.
“Did you think you could just come here and take it?” the counselor hissed. “No. Everything has a price.”
Evelyna stepped forward, her hands shaking. “What’s the price?”
The advisor raised his thin, skeletal fingers and pointed at them one by one.
“Only one of you can take the heart. And the one who takes it must give up one of two things.” **
1. His memories – everything he has ever been is lost.
2. His freedom – he becomes the guardian of the heart and can never return to the real world again.
Jari, Veijo and Evelyna looked at each other in dismay.
”So either one of us forgets everything… or stays here forever?” Veijo said quietly.
The advisor nodded slowly. ”The Shadow Scribe gave his heart away so he could forget his suffering. If you take it, one of you must take that burden.”
Jari swallowed. He looked at Veijo and then at Evelyna. “We have to decide.”
Evelyna clenched her hand into a fist. “I’ll take it.”
”Evelyna, no!” Jari exclaimed. ”If you give up your memories, the Shadow Scribe will be nothing to you anymore. You don’t even know why you wanted to save him!”
Evelyna bit her lip. She knew Jari was right. If she took the heart and lost her memories, it would all be for nothing.
Veijo snorted. ”Well, I’m not staying here. There’s no way I’d spend the rest of my life in some goddamn castle basement.”
Jari closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ”Then I’ll do it.”
Evelyna and Veijo turned to look at him.
“What?” Evelyna whispered.
Jari looked up and stepped forward. ”I will take the heart. And I will give up my memories.”
“Jari, no!” Veijo exclaimed and grabbed him by the shoulder. “You can’t do this! You’ll forget EVERYTHING!”
Jari smiled weakly. ”It doesn’t matter. If it means we can save him… and if it means this is over, then it’s worth it.”
Evelyna’s eyes filled with tears. ”We can’t let you do this.”
The advisor smiled coldly. “The choice has been made.”
He raised his hand, and the altar began to shake. The Shadow Scribe’s heart rose into the air, its black glow turning blood red.
Jari stepped forward and reached out his hand. When his fingers touched the heart, a tremendous force exploded into the room.
The Neverending Story – Part 45: The Heart’s Desire
The moment Jari touched the Shadow Scrivener’s heart, it felt as if all of reality had been torn apart.
His mind filled with darkness. His heart beat in his hands, but it was not a passive object—it was alive . It vibrated, coiled around him like a cold, invisible snake, and began to push itself inside him.
“Jari!” Evelyna shouted, but her voice sounded muffled, as if it came from afar.
Jari felt his mind twisting, his memories crumbling like sand in the wind. He saw glimpses:
- Himself as a little boy , running in the summer yard.
- The first time he met Veijo , and how they laughed together in a bar.
- The music he had made , every note and rhythm of it.
But they were no longer his memories. His heart took them.
“You can’t control me.”
A voice echoed inside him, but it wasn’t his. It was his heart’s.
”I have been without a master for too long. You are not ready to carry me.”
Jari tried to fight back, but he felt weak. He felt his body becoming paralyzed, his thoughts turning into someone else’s thoughts.
Then he saw it.
The Shadow Scribe himself stood before him, but not as Jari had seen him before. This was not a frail man begging his wife to help him. This being was a lord of shadows —a tall, dark-speaking figure whose face was behind a curtain.
”This heart is mine. You can’t take it.”
Jari tried to speak, but his mouth didn’t work.
The shadow scribe stepped forward, and his heart began to beat faster.
“Do you know what will happen if you take it?”
Jari didn’t answer. He couldn’t.
The Shadow Scribe leaned over him. ”You will become me.”
Externally…
Veijo and Evelyna saw Jari standing in front of the altar, but something was wrong.
Jari’s eyes were completely black. His body trembled, and he slowly began to rise into the air, as if something was lifting him on invisible threads.
“No, damn it, this isn’t normal,” Veijo said, taking a step back.
“The heart is fighting against him,” Evelyna whispered. “It doesn’t want anyone else to take it.”
“So what the hell are we going to do?” Veijo asked. “Should we let it win?”
Evelyna didn’t answer right away. She looked at Jari, whose body was writhing in pain in the air, and made a decision.
“I’m going after him.”
“WHAT?” Veijo exclaimed. “What do you mean?”
But Evelyna didn’t hesitate. She closed her eyes, placed her hand on Jari’s forehead, and entered his mind.
Inside the jar…
Jari was on his knees, and the Shadow Scribe stood in front of him, looking down on him.
“There is no going back,” the Shadow Scribe said. “If you take my heart, you will become the new Shadow Scribe. You will forget who you were. You will drown in this world.”
Jari tried to speak, but something stopped him.
“I don’t want this,” he finally managed to say.
The Shadow Scribe tilted his head. “But it’s already happened.”
Then suddenly another voice penetrated between them.
“NO, IT’S NOT!”
Evelyna stepped out of the darkness, a blue light shining around her body. She looked directly at the Shadow Scribe.
”Jari is not yours. You have to let go!”
The Shadow Scribe looked up and laughed coldly. ”Evelyna. You can’t take me back.”
Evelyna stepped closer. “I can, if YOU decide to let go.”
The shadow scribe’s figure trembled. He was the lord of shadows, but now he seemed smaller.
Evelyna held out her hand. ”You are no longer alone. You are no longer a prisoner of the past.”
Jari felt his grip loosening. He started to turn back, away from the darkness.
The Shadow Scribe stood silent for a moment, then his eyes blurred. ”Evelyna…?”
It was the first time his voice sounded human.
“I’m here,” Evelyna whispered. “Let go.”
The Neverending Story – Part 47: Return from the Darkness
The room was filled with blinding light as Evelyna pressed her hand to the Shadow Scrivener’s chest. Her heart was pounding inside her, but she wasn’t going to hold it in. She was going to return it.
“Take it back,” Evelyna whispered. “You have to go back.”
The Shadow Clerk looked at him in shock. ”I… I can’t.”
Evelyna squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated. She felt her heart flutter, as if uncertain. It had been so long gone from the Shadow Scrivener that it no longer recognized her.
“This is yours. Not mine. YOURS.”
And then it happened.
Darkness began to drain from Evelyna, and the Shadow Scribe’s body began to glow. The heart retracted, its light turning from red to bright gold.
”What’s happening!?” Veijo shouted, backing away.
Jari couldn’t move. He saw everything happening in slow motion —how Evelyna began to lose her grip on the world, how the Shadow Scribe’s body began to come to life again.
And then there was an explosion.
BOOM!
Shadows disappear
As the light faded, they all fell to the floor. Silence filled the room. No more shadows, no more whispers from the darkness.
The Shadow Scribe breathed.
His body was no longer made of shadows—he was flesh and blood again . He looked at his hands in disbelief, and then at Evelyna, who was lying on the ground, her eyes closed.
”EVELYNA!” Jari and Veijo ran to her.
He didn’t move.
”No, no, no…” Veijo muttered and shook him. ”Hey, no sleep now! You just did all this work, you can’t leave now!”
The Shadow Scribe crouched down beside him and pressed his hand against his chest. ”He used all his strength. He sacrificed himself so that I could return.”
Jari swallowed. ”Is… is he dead?”
The Shadow Scribe shook his head. “No. But he is trapped between this world and another. He doesn’t belong here anymore.”
”Then we’ll pull him back!” Veijo growled.
The Shadow Scribe closed his eyes and raised his hand. ”There is one way.”
Evelyna’s soul
Evelyna floated in the darkness. She felt nothing. No pain, no sadness. Just emptiness.
Then he heard a voice.
“Evelyn…”
He opened his eyes and saw the Shadow Scribe standing before him. But he was no longer a ghost, and he was no longer a shadow of his past. He was a whole person .
“You called me back,” the Shadow Scribe said. “Now I will do the same for you.”
Evelyna felt her body begin to feel real again. She felt her heart beating.
“Come back,” the Shadow Scribe whispered. “You belong with them.”
And Evelyna was dropped back into reality.
The last return
He breathed.
Jari and Veijo gasped when Evelyna opened her eyes and looked at them.
“What… happened?” he whispered.
Veijo burst out laughing. ”Damn, you were going to stay there! Luckily someone knows how to play this game to the end.”
The Shadow Clerk looked at him silently and smiled. ”You are free.”
Evelyna slowly sat up. She no longer felt her heart inside her . It was where it should have been—in the Shadow Scribe.
And the shadows were gone.
The end or a new beginning?
Jari, Veijo and Evelyna stood at the castle gate , looking out at the world that had been their nightmare. Now it was silent . No more whispers of darkness. No more terror.
”What’s happening now?” Jari asked.
The Shadow Clerk looked at them. ”You can go home.”
Evelyna stepped in front of him. “But what about you?”
The Shadow Scribe looked at the castle, then at the sky. He smiled sadly. “My place is here. I once ruled this world through shadows. Now I must learn to rule it with light.”
Evelyna nodded slowly. “You can do it.”
He pressed his hand on hers for a moment. No more sadness. No more chains of the past.
The Shadow Scribe raised his hand and created a portal. It shone bright and steady—this time it took them not into darkness, but back home.
“It’s time to go,” Jari said.
Veijo looked around. ”Well, hell, that was a trip. I hope there’s still something cold in the fridge at home.”
Evelyna took one last look behind her, and then they stepped through the portal.
Epilogue: Homecoming
When they opened their eyes, they were back in Jari’s apartment.
Everything was so… normal. No shadows. Nothing special. Just a familiar home.
Veijo immediately went to the fridge. ”Well, this is more my world. Hey, would you like some bisse?”
Jari and Evelyna burst out laughing.
But even though the world was normal, they were no longer the same people.
Jari knew that once, somewhere far away, the Shadow Scribe still lived—but now without shadows.
And even if they never returned to that world, it would always be a part of them.
The end… but the story continues.
The Neverending Story – Part 48: Something has been following us .
When Jari, Veijo and Evelyna stepped out of the portal, everything felt normal for a moment. They were home .
Jari rubbed his eyes and sighed deeply. ”We did it.”
Veijo threw his jacket on a chair and opened the fridge. ”I don’t know about you, but I’ll have a drink. I’ve never been this thirsty.”
Evelyna sat on the couch, looked at her hands, and breathed heavily. “It all feels so… real.”
Jari nodded and sat down. “Because this is real.”
For a moment, everything was quiet. No shadows. No terror. Just an ordinary evening.
But then it happened.
Veijo closed the fridge and remained standing.
Something was wrong.
“What the hell…?” he muttered.
Jari and Evelyna looked at him.
”Veijo?” Jari asked.
Veijo didn’t answer right away. He stared straight ahead, as if unsure of what he had just seen. Then he slowly turned in their direction.
“We are not alone.”
Evelyna immediately stood up. “What do you mean?”
Veijo pointed at the refrigerator. “Look at that.”
Jari and Evelyna turned to look. Everything looked normal. The fridge. The table. The window.
But then Jari felt it .
Cold breath.
They were not alone.
Something had followed them through the portal.
The shadow has not disappeared.
Jari slowly stood up and took a few steps back. ”Evelyna, do you feel that?”
Evelyna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she opened them. Her eyes turned blue.
He saw it.
The shadow stood in the corner of the room, completely still. Its form was hazy, almost transparent. But it was there.
It waited.
“It’s not just a shadow,” Evelyna whispered. “It’s… something else.”
Jari clenched his fist. ”What brought us here?”
Veijo stepped further away. ”If that fucking thing starts talking, I’m leaving!”
But then it moved .
And it didn’t speak. It whispered.
“I saw everything.”
“I know you.”
“And now… I’m here.”
Jari took a deep breath. ”It’s not the Shadow Scribe. It’s something else.”
Evelyna clasped her hands to her chest. She felt it. It was no ordinary shadow. It was not part of the rules of their world.
“It didn’t come from the shadow world,” Evelyna whispered. “It came from somewhere… deeper.”
The Neverending Story – Part 49: Around the Corner
The air in the room became heavy. There was no longer any sound or light coming from behind the window – as if the entire outside world had ceased to exist. The shadow did not move. But it knew they were looking at it.
Evelyna looked at Jari. Her voice was low and calm. “It didn’t come from the portal. It… woke up.”
Veijo stood stiffly in front of the fridge. ”So we didn’t bring it… It was already here before us?”
“Or it was left somewhere… with us,” Evelyna replied. “Something that stuck with us before we closed the portal. Jari—do you remember that moment, right before you stepped out?”
Jari closed his eyes. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. “Someone… was looking at me. But not the Shadow Scribe. Someone else.”
At the same time the shadow twitched. There was a heavy, low hum in the air. And then a voice:
“My name no longer exists… but you say it… ‘For posterity.’”
Veijo frowned. ”What the hell? For later?”
Evelyna gasped. “It means… It’s a shadow that comes after everything else. It’s not part of the world we came from, nor this one. It’s… a remnant of the void. Like a ruin that survived. Sometimes worlds give birth to beings they don’t need—but who stay anyway. They’re called Aftermaths.”
The shadow began to move along the wall, not walking, but as if it were flowing across the surface of the room.
“I heard your cries, I saw your pain, but no one ever called me. Now I have come without a name, without a purpose — but I will not leave until I have it.”
Jari swallowed. ”What’s that supposed to get?”
Evelyna looked directly at the shadow. “It wants… a shape.”
Veijo looked at both of them in turn. ”If this thing is going to take one of us—”
“We won’t let that happen,” Evelyna said firmly.
Jari took a step towards the shadow. ”If you want the form…” he said quietly, ”…you must first tell me where you really came from.”
The Neverending Story – Part 50: Grandma’s Cottage
The road led into a dark forest. The trees arched over them like black gates. Evelyna showed the way with a flashlight, the light of which did not carry far.
”Where are we going?” Veijo asked.
“The Tarot said that you only find the right direction when you ask the wrong person,” Evelyna replied quietly. “And I know who that is.”
They arrived at a dilapidated cottage. The wind blew leaves in circles in the yard. Above the door hung an old, almost decayed sign: “Ask, and you shall hear.”
The door creaked. They entered.
Inside sat a grandmother who seemed to have been standing still forever. She said nothing until she closed her eyes and placed her hand on the tarot deck waiting on the table.
“Do you want to play cards?” he asked.
Jari nodded. “I want to.”
Grandma dealt three cards on the table.
First: The Tower. Second: The Mirror. Third: The Void.
”Torni merkitsee romahdusta. Jotain, mitä ette voi enää pelastaa. Peili… se on kutsu toiselle puolelle. Sinne, missä varjot asuvat. Ja Tyhjyys… se ei ole loppu. Se on alku ilman tarkoitusta.”
(Tässä voisi vielä tarkentaa, miten nämä kortit liittyvät juuri Jarille, Veijolle tai Evelynaan – antavatko ne vihjeitä heidän tulevaisuudestaan?)
Sitten hän kääntyi Jariin ja ojensi pakan. ”Vedä yksi.”
Jari veti kortin. Se oli Kasvoton mies.
Mummon kädet värisivät. ”Tämä ei ole kortti, jota minä olen koskaan painattanut. Se ei kuulu pakkaan. Tämä… tämä tarkoittaa, että joku seuraa teitä. Mutta ei ulkoa. Hän seuraa sisältäpäin.”
Silloin mökin lattia narahti. Seinät alkoivat hengittää.
”Nyt kuunnelkaa tarkkaan,” mummo sanoi. ”Se, mitä etsitte, löytyy vain jos kuljette Varjopeilin kautta. Siellä ei ole totuutta – vain se, mitä ette halunneet nähdä.”
Päättymätön Tarina – Osa 51: Peilin salaisuus
Mummon mökin seinälle ilmestyi hitaasti peili, jota ei ollut siellä aiemmin. Sen kehys oli mustaa puuta, joka tuntui elävältä.
Evelyna katsoi sitä silmät laajenneina. ”Se on auki… se on kutsu.”
Peilin pinta ei heijastanut huonetta – vaan toisenlaista maailmaa. Siellä kaikki oli hämärämpää, väritön versio heidän todellisuudestaan.
Veijo kuiskasi: ”Tuo on… se paikka mistä Jälkeinen puhuu.”
Mummo nyökkäsi hitaasti. ”Vain ne, jotka hyväksyvät oman pimeytensä, voivat kulkea tuosta. Mutta älkää jääkö liian pitkäksi aikaa. Peilin takana ajalla ei ole muotoa.”
Jari käänsi katseensa Evelynaan. ”Meillä ei taida olla vaihtoehtoja.”
Evelyna ojensi kätensä. ”Mennään. Mutta pidetään toisiamme silmällä. Peilin toisella puolella mikään ei ole sitä miltä näyttää.”
Päättymätön Tarina – Osa 52: Peilin tuolla puolen
Jari puristi hopea-amuletin nyrkkiinsä, nyökkäsi hiljaa ja astui ensimmäisenä peilistä läpi. Se ei ollut kylmää eikä kovaa – vaan kuin olisi astunut uneen, joka imi hänet kokonaan sisään.
Veijo seurasi perässä. Hetken maailma oli pelkkää valkoista huminaa.
Kun he avasivat silmänsä, kaikki oli… väärin.
Huone, johon he saapuivat, muistutti mökkiä, mutta peilikuvana. Kaikki esineet olivat käännetty – vasemmasta oli tullut oikea, ylhäältä oli tullut alhaalta. Mutta pahinta oli ilma.
Se ei haissut. Se maistui metallilta.
”Tämä paikka… tää ei ole meidän maailma,” Jari sanoi.
Silloin ovi heidän takanaan sulkeutui itsestään. Peili katosi sen mukana.
He olivat jääneet loukkuun.
Heidän edessään seisoi jälleen se sama mummo, mutta nuorempana. Hänen silmänsä olivat täysin valkoiset.
”Tämä on paikka ennen kaikkea. Täällä muotoja vasta etsitään. Täällä syntyy se, mikä jäi vajaaksi,” hän sanoi ääni kolmenkertaistuneena – kuin useampi mummo olisi puhunut yhtä aikaa.
Jari astui lähemmäs. ”Missä me olemme oikeasti?”
”Varjopeilin takana. Tässä maailmassa kaikella on vastakohta. Jokaisella teolla on toinen puoli. Ja täällä… Varjokirjuri ei ole enää yksin.”
Peilin maailmassa jokainen liike jätti jäljen – ei varjoa, vaan toisen itsen. Heidän liikkeensä alkoivat jäädä jälkeen kuin haamut, jotka eivät seuranneet tottelevaisesti.
“If we stay here too long…” Veijo whispered. “…we will change.”
And then it appeared:
Another Veijo. Another Jari. They stood at the other end of the room. They smiled slowly.
(The meaning of ghostly traces could be further explored: Can they break away? Are they a threat or a reflection?)
The Neverending Story – Part 53: Crying Without a Sound
The other Jari and the other Veijo didn’t move. They just smiled, as if they knew everything the real Jari and Veijo were going to say or do.
“They… they… are us,” Jari said. His voice cracked, as if the words had cut his throat.
The mirror world began to tremble. The walls bent inward and the room stretched like a breathing tissue. Everything around resembled reality, but it was like a memory – distorted and bleak.
Evelyna pressed her hand to her mouth. “They are our shadows. The ones we left behind. The fears, the regrets… everything we didn’t want to face.”
The other Veijo took a step closer. His eyes were empty, but there was something in them that resembled crying – not tears, but darkness that quietly trickled down his cheeks.
“Leave me here,” it said. “You don’t need this part of yourself anymore.”
Veijo staggered back. ”I… I can’t do this.”
The other Jari raised his hand and his fingers were filled with black light – as if the shadows had taken on a concrete form.
“Come home,” it whispered. “There’s no need to be afraid here anymore.”
The room went dark. The only light came from their own reflections. Jari pressed his forehead against Veijo’s shoulder.
”If I stay… tell everyone I tried. Tell Evelyna she taught me to believe.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Veijo replied. “We’ll go together. Or not go at all.”
Evelyna opened the small silver box her grandmother had given her. White smoke billowed from inside, making the other reflections scream—silently. They shattered like a mirror made of glass that shatters without a sound.
When the smoke cleared, the three of them were alone again. But no one spoke for a moment.
Jari sat on the ground and cried. The tears flowed, not from fear, but from the sadness he had carried for years. A sadness that was never said out loud.
“It all started when my mother died,” Jari said quietly. “I thought I was supposed to be strong. That I would save everyone. But I never knew how to save even myself. I just had to endure, and when I couldn’t, I withdrew. That was my mistake.”
Veijo sat next to him and shook his head.
“Shit, shit,” he said. “It wasn’t your fault. It was mine. I saw you when you needed me, but I didn’t do anything. I was too busy with my own things. I was afraid of your sadness. And instead of being there, I went to the bar or to work or anywhere else where I didn’t have to face it.”
Jari looked into Veijo’s eyes. They were filled with tears, but also with something else – gratitude.
Evelyna sat next to them. Three lonely shadows who had finally seen each other.
“Maybe this world wasn’t a punishment,” Evelyna said. “Maybe it was a mirror. So you could see how much you really have inside.”
Jari nodded slowly. ”We’re going home. But not as the old versions of ourselves anymore.”
Then a glowing, fiery circle was drawn on the ground. It didn’t burn, but its glow was felt right to the heart. Evelyna stood up and looked at them gently.
“This is how you get home,” he said quietly.
Jari and Veijo stood up. They looked at Evelyna, tears in their eyes. Then they hugged her tightly at the same time.
”Thank you,” Jari whispered.
They entered the fiery circle – and disappeared.
The Neverending Story – Epilogue
The phone rang. Jari glanced at the screen – Veijo.
”Well?”
“Shall we go to a bar? To Ketor?”
Jari smiled.
“Well, let’s go.”
The End