The sun was setting but it was a beautiful sight. Moving slowly, sinking behind trees that had long grown past their date. But there was no one to cut tree anymore. Not in the ways that mattered. The world was finally healing. But it was too late.

I bent my neck slightly, a small crack loosening the tension built up there. A sigh escaped my lips and I turned to the young man next to me.

"From the earliest I can remember, everyone knew about the "Door". Not just any door, I'm talking about the actual "Door". The one that had a keyhole that was compatible to every key to ever exist. It was grand as well, 10ft tall, with golden curves carved into it. It had small little halo looking circles design along its sides and its handle was sturdy but comfortable to hold.

No one knows where the "Door" came from. But we all knew about it. We all wanted to learn more about how it came to be and how it worked and numerous questions seemed to spawn the more we talked about it. The most interesting part is how the door changed when you inserted a key. The door would open and the destination would be unique to you."

I bent to grab small cloth from the floor and wiped my knife clean before sheathing. It had been a long afternoon and it was going to be a long evening as well. Especially with what he had planned with the kid.

"Infinite keys, infinite destinations..."

I sighed again and the young man grimaced at me. I shrugged and a smile formed on my lips. Slowly, I walked over the corpses at my feet until I was crouching in front of the young man.

"At first, curious tourists used it to return back to their homes, using their house key. It was funny. We laughed. Then, it got serious. Keys were leading to more places than we thought. Spies used stolen keys to infiltrate secret complexes and compartments and buildings. Assassins got into the homes of their targets easily.

Wars were started. Wars were fought. Millions died.

Some even turned their weapons and nuclear armaments towards the "Door" and blew it to high heaven. And in the aftermath of the fire and smoke, the door remained standing. Gleaming even, in the light of the fires raging around it."

I glanced back to one of the unmoving bodies, pulling one close so that I could sit. My knife left its sheath and sank into the bodies heart, a little confirmation for me and some urging for the charge in front of me.

"The bodies piled up until the last few sensible people decided to put some security around the door to stop it from being used.

But how do you trust people? How do you trust that the humans you chose wouldn't turn their backs on you at the earliest convenience?

So, the plan died and the fighting continued until all our modern weapons were spent and we were back to fighting each other with makeshift axes, swords and frying pans. Human civilisation regressing back to medieval times. And yet, the door stood against the change, though the area around it became irradiated."

I smiled wider at the young man. I hoped it was a kinder smile. Truly. Kindness was not a thing of this new world. Kindness was a weakness. One that I still held. It was what separated me from them. It was why I still had him tied to the tree stump and not hung out to dry like his comrades.

"The years have come and gone. And I must admit, I'm not as spry as I used to be..."

He glanced at my hair and a laugh escaped me. I removed the knife from the corpse and point it towards him. His eyes fixated on it and I didn't blame him. I would have done the same. A small sound made it through his gagged mouth and I gave him an apologetic look.

"But do you know... that time affords you with information? Sometimes, not through living but by truly experiencing things?

After all, information is power. Information is golden. Information is key.

And that's why I'm here, boy... The information you are protecting. I want it. And I am willing to wait for it."

---

Took an hiatus but - /r/EvenAsIWrite is where I call home.

Njorjia, the powerful sorceress, strode through the crowded streets of the magical city. Her long, curly black hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her deep brown eyes scanned her surroundings with a fierce intensity. Her skin was a deep, rich brown, and she carried herself with a regal bearing that demanded respect.

She was being led by a magical priest, who was escorting her to the Door to Everywhere, a mystical doorway known to lead to any location in the world, and beyond.

The people around bowed their heads as Njorjia followed the priest into the sacred temple - her knowledge of ancient magic, coupled with the role she had played in ending the war the prior year, had earned her the love and respect of many.

But beneath her composed exterior, Njorjia was consumed by desperation. Her dear friend had been missing for over a year, and despite her best efforts, she had been unable to locate him. Njorjia's desperation had consumed her for months, driving her to the brink of madness. She had scoured the entire kingdom for her friend, using all the spells she knew and consulting every mystical artifact she could find. But her search had been in vain, and her friend remained missing.

As a last resort, Njorjia had turned to the forbidden practice of binding essence to objects. It was a dangerous and blacklisted spell that only the most skilled and daring of magicians dared to attempt. But Njorjia was desperate, and she had spent countless sleepless nights gathering the traces of her friend's essence that still lingered on his belongings.

With shaking hands, Njorjia had carefully attached the essence to the key, weaving it into the metal with a complex spell that she had never attempted before. She knew that if the spell went wrong or if the key was harmed in any way, her friend could lose his life forever. But Njorjia was willing to take the risk - she could not bear the thought of losing her dear friend to the void of the unknown.

She had decided to use the key on the Door to Everywhere in hopes of finding him. The door was a dangerous tool, for it could lead her to the darkest corners of the world, and beyond. It was unpredictable and opened to different places depending on which key turned it. But because of the powerful spell she'd placed on the key, Njorjia was bound to end up with her friend.

Or at least, she hoped so.

Her heart pounded with anticipation and anxiety as she walked towards the sacred door with the magical priest. As she inserted the key into the door, she whispered a powerful incantation. The key glowed with a bright light, and Njorjia felt a surge of energy coursing through her body. She stepped through the door, not knowing what lay ahead, but trusting that her magic would guide her to her friend.

In the quiet village of Dunwick, nestled in the arms of the ancient forest, there was a legend whispered amongst its inhabitants. The tale was spun from a gossamer thread, delicate as the trembling edge of a dream. It spoke of a door, a hidden portal guarded by shadows and shrouded in mystery. A door with a solitary keyhole, that opened regardless of the key used. Yet, what lay beyond was a secret known only to the key that dared to unlock it.

Many believed that the door was a gateway to the land of the Fae, a realm of danger and beauty in equal measure. Parents warned their children to stay away, lest they be lured into the hidden world of magic and enchantment. Yet in the hearts of the young and the old, the allure of the Everkey Door persisted, a flickering flame that could not be snuffed out. The warnings were repeated, and the legend continued to weave its spell upon the village.

It was amidst this tapestry of myth and caution that young Isabella grew up. A curious and spirited girl, with hair as dark as midnight and eyes that sparkled with mischief, Isabella was captivated by the legend. While her friends played with dolls and chased butterflies, she would sit under the great oak tree in the village square, dreaming of the world that lay beyond the fabled door. She imagined it as a place where the Fae danced in moonlit glades, and the air was thick with the scent of lilacs and secrets.

The days turned to years, and Isabella grew into a young woman. Her fascination with the Everkey Door never waned. The tales of the Fae whispered to her like a siren's song, and she knew that she could no longer resist the pull of the legend. One night, under the watchful gaze of a crescent moon, she gathered her courage and a small collection of keys she had amassed over the years. With a heart full of hope and trepidation, she ventured deep into the forest in search of the mythical door.

The journey was long, and the forest seemed to shift and change around her, as if the trees themselves sought to keep the door hidden. But Isabella pressed on, guided by an inner voice that seemed to know the way.

At last, she came upon the door - a weathered and ancient thing, with a single keyhole that gleamed like a promise.

Her heart thundered in her chest, but Isabella knew that she had come too far to turn back now. She selected a key from her collection, a small, unassuming thing of iron, adorned with a delicate pattern of flowers. She took a deep breath and, with a trembling hand, inserted the key into the keyhole.

The door opened with a sigh, revealing a world that shimmered with the ethereal beauty of the Fae. The air hummed with ancient magic, and the forest that lay beyond the door seemed to beckon her, inviting her to explore its hidden depths. Isabella, entranced by the enchanting vision before her, stepped through the doorway, her heart pounding with excitement and apprehension.

As she crossed the threshold, her hand still gripping her key, she felt an invisible force violently tug at the key, pulling it from her grasp. The key, once a symbol of promise, now seemed to be a warning of the dangers lurking within.

Isabella's instincts screamed at her that something was wrong, but before she could process her surroundings, she heard the door creak behind her. Panic seized her heart as she realized the door was closing, and she spun around, reaching out in a desperate attempt to stop it.

It was too late. The door closed with a soft click, and Isabella disappeared, leaving her fate unknown within the strange world beyond. That sound was the only trace she left, a fleeting goodbye to the life she knew.

Back in the village of Dunwick, time marched on, and Isabella's fate faded from a devastating truth to an overheard rumor, and finally, to lore and fable shared in furtive whispers amongst children.

One such, a young girl, curious and spirited, with hair as dark as midnight and eyes that sparkled with mischief, found herself drawn to the tale. While she sat under a great oak tree, fingers tracing the delicate flower pattern of her newest prize, her imagination danced with the idea of the hidden world beyond, a realm of secrets and enchantment waiting to be discovered.

And in the forest, the door kept its secrets, known only to those who dared turn a key.

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<Horror>

It was a raining day more gloomy then anything as the rain pattered on the window, as Ashley spent the day wondering what to do. This was a huge house. But she was alone she always has been alone, and looking at the empty rooms that was in this house she always got sadden . Her mother, and father didn't have any other kids. So here she was all alone in this huge house. Sometimes she takes the lampshade off the lamp, and pretend that the shadow was another kid. She decided to step into the living room. Today she was waring a black, and red pocket-dot dress, and her black hair was tied in a red ribbon with black knee high socks and black shoes. The room was quite big with a huge piano in the middle, a huge fireplace with knickknacks on it including; a vulture skull, a rabbit skull, and a horse skull. There family was a big on taxidermy, but it always freaked her out. Seeing the skulls always made her grossed out. There was two big chairs by the fireplace, and a huge bear rug. She didn't like stepping on the bear rug.

"Why does mom, and dad do this stuff? Aren't they...grossed out by it?" She wondered to herself out loud as she looks at the skulls.

She then walks over, and gets on top of the huge chair as she was quite small being on the age of 10. Waving her legs over the edge she looks at the fireplace, before flopping on the chair now looking up the ceiling.

"I'm bored! What should I do?!" Ashley cried out to the ceiling as she then blinks for a moment.

She then got up and got off the chair, looking around she then decided to walk towards the piano, and ran her finger along the wood following the grain. She walks away from the piano, and followed towards the end of the room passing a huge mirror where she stared at herself. Her blue, and brown eyes staring back at her. Mother told her she had Heterochromia. Which means two eyes that were different colors.

"I wish I had normal eyes." She muttered as she walks away. "All the kids make fun of it." Saying that she then walks towards the archway leading out of the living room, and towards the hallway to the kitchen.

But she stopped; looking at the door to her right. A huge door that read "Private Study." she always wondered what was going on there, but she was never allowed in there? Why? She always wondered. Though she knew mom, and dad always kept the key in their room. One day she snuck in, and found the key on accident. Though she knew that they probably hid it somewhere else. But it did make her giggle over how furious they got, but she told herself she wouldn't do it...but she was bored. So she nodded her head in agreement of her own thought, and ran down the hallway past the kitchen, and ran up the stairs. When she got to their door she took a deep breath ,and out. Taking the knob she turns it, and the door opened with a little creak as she stepped in. Her head poked in as she looks around the room. Eyes peering into the room. Their room was quite big too as of all the rooms, and contained; a big bed, dresser, two desks, maps all scattered around, and a traveling trunk at the edge of the bed. They were out today usually on their rounds to look for more dead things. Perfect. She quietly went in, and closed the door.

"Alright if I was a key where would I be?" She asked placing her hands on her hips as she confidently looked around the room. "Hmm might try the traveling trunk?" She asked herself as she walks towards it.

But opening the trunk she saw different clothing items as she starts digging around, and nothing. So she decided on the dresser opening the button drawer, then the middle closing the middle she then steps on the button dresser drawer, and looks at the top one.

"Aha! Found you!" She excitedly said as she grabs it, but after she grabbed it she felt the dresser tip over and she quickly got off.

Closing the top dresser she held the key that had a tree with seemed like the limbs making a circle as she examines the key, and held it tightly. She went towards the door, opening it, and closing it behind her. Running down the hall she finally was going to find out what was behind that door. Going down the stairs she then ran past the living room, and stopped at the door. Placing the key in the keyhole she turns it with a click sound, and slowly opened the door. A burst of wind came towards her face moving her hair. She just pocked her head in and saw nothing but darkness as she gulps, and opens the door all the way.

"Woah..." She said holding her hands together as she looks down the stairs.

She then looks at the hallway, then at the key, nodding her head she couldn't back down now. Her hands gripped the key, and took it out. Moving forwards she pressed her hand against the wall, and went down the stairs. Her feet clacking on the stairs as she tried to embrace herself. Finally she reached the last step, and she stepped off. Squinting to find a light or something she presses her hand against the wall finding a light switch she clicks it on, but the light didn't come on. Strange. She then looks around the room. Moving her hand against the darkness until she felt the roughness of a desk which she then uses both hands to move around the desk. She finally found something hard, something...strange that she was now touching. Tapping it a light emitted from it which made Ashely jump, and gasp out of the sudden light. The three what seemed like crystals emitted a purple light as they hovered in the air. Stepping back the light got brighter as the light rays sprung up, and hit the chandler in the middle. Causing the whole room to admit a deep purple color. She looked at the chandler that was now shining.

"What the..." She whispered watching what was going on.

Somewhere in strange lands, a place where the sun is the color violet and the moon is a shade of dusty rose, lies a door with a single keyhole. While the door itself is a simple wooden door with a simple wooden frame, the keyhole is not, for you see the keyhole accepts any key, and the keyhole will change its lock variant dependent on which key is intended to go in it.
The keyhole will become a warden lock when a skeleton key is presented, in the case of a modern-day key a pin tumbler lock will appear, the same will happen for car keys, safe keys, door knob hole keys, the lock will even accept pick locks as an option.

Many have come across this door throughout their travels within these strange lands, some could not understand how to work the door despite it being quite simple, some have worked the door but have decided to stay, and some have worked the door and have gone in with many of their fates being unknown.

The door's next user slowly approaches the door as he has been cautious of these lands since the very beginning, he does not have any recollection of how he got there or what he was doing before he arrived, and because of this, the young man has chosen to take everything around him with either a grain of salt or with the whole shaker.

Moments back he had arranged many mirrors and lenses of varying size so that a ray of light would make contact with a small hole revealing a small jewelry box, however instead of a sparkling necklace or shinning brooch what was instead given to the young man was a key ring complete with five separate keys.

After approaching the strange door the young man pulled out the key ring and went to flip to a pin tumbler key, however for a brief moment, a skeleton key had nearly brushed up against the door lock, and for that instant, the lock went from pin tumbler to a warden lock and then back to pin tumbler.

Taken aback by this the young many took the key that was considered first on the key ring, turning the key and opening the door he is then greeted to stranger lands in which the sky looked as if though it would collapse and the grass was infested dark creatures with nothing but a body and glowing white eyes.

He would quickly and quietly shut the door not wanting their attention, His heart pounding so hard that he swear he could hear it bouncing off of the trees that surround him.
He had tried three more keys after that encounter with one location radiating terrible heat that almost cooked him the second he opened the door, the next location gave the impression of a desert wasteland that blew nearly a bucket of sand onto the ground in mere seconds.

The third location seemed to be on top of a mountain overlooking a beautiful city with clear skies and fresh almost sweet air, he would have almost gone in if it wasn't for the fact he could see that the inhabitants were cannibalistic monsters who were tearing a man to shreds they would have ripped him apart the moment he stepped out of the door.

After closing the door the young man would try the final key on the ring, after he turns the key and twists the knob the door immediately shoots in words pulling the young man through the door he soon starts to fall for nearly three and a half seconds before splashing into a pond at the bottom.

He soon looks up to see the door on the side of a wall 50 feet above the ground, after exiting the pond the young man lays down and decides that he has done enough exploring for one day and has decided to sleep before his heart gives in.