Far beyond the edges of the known world – past the festering Sinlands, around the colossal World Tree, and beneath the shimmering Chromatic Depths – a tower once pierced the sky.
It was the Tower of the End, a monolithic column forged from an unyielding material, a silent testament to enduring strength.
But then, after the forgotten cataclysm of the Golden Hour, the tower vanished, leaving behind only whispers and legends.
**
Under the watchful gaze of a star-dusted night, a boy named Sine lay sprawled on a cliffside.
He watched the celestial bodies in the sky drift, envisioning himself swimming in the infinite void.
The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.
His amber curls pooled on the grass, and his moon-pale eyes drowned in the eternal emptiness. A sigh escaped his lips as he turned, his gaze falling upon the Sinlands below. A sprawling forest of crimson and obsidian stretched out before him, a cacophony of monstrous roars and snarls rising from its depths, quickening his pulse.
Yet, even in its menace, the view was breathtaking, the endless forest illuminated by the distant stars. A smile touched his lips. One day, he would venture into those lands, a knight in shining armor. But for now...
Sine closed his eyes, the rustling leaves and soft grass a comforting lullaby. He was alone with the world, and it was enough. Sleep tugged at his consciousness, an irresistible force.
Rustle...
He dreamed of a knight, a vision of stark beauty. Her armor was dented and stained with blood, her short black hair a striking contrast to her ivory skin, a crimson streak marring her forehead.
A melancholic smile played on her lips.
"I see..."
She whispered, her eyes watery, yet refusing to shed tears.
She placed something beside him, then leaned down, pressing a kiss to his forehead. A sad laugh escaped her lips, a heart-wrenching expression.
"He said..."
She turned away, her voice fading,
"To do better this time,
Sine." And then, she was gone.
**
Sine awoke with a start, rubbing his eyes.
'Was I crying?'
The dream felt strange, unsettling. He stood, stretching the stiffness from his limbs. He should head back, lest he face punishment for his tardiness. He took a step and stubbed his toe on something.
'Ow!'
He looked down to see a pole lying on the ground.
'What the... where did this come from?' He picked it up, his fingers wrapping around the smooth wood. A surge of energy coursed through him, a feeling of rightness as if this was what he was meant to hold.
He could feel the world's energy now, the Aether.
A goofy grin spread across his face as he spun the pole, a natural grace taking over.
'It's like I know how to use it.'
He had practiced with sticks before, but this was different, a dance of power. He twirled the pole, a blur around him, the morning sun casting a dancing shadow. Then, he stopped, his gaze drawn to the camp where he was enslaved. Without a second thought, he turned and leaped into the Sinlands.
**
The wind whipped past him as he plummeted, the pole held tight.
He crashed through the leaves, landing with a thud that should have shattered bones. But Sine now possessed Aether and a natural talent for learning. He channeled the energy into his back and legs, landing with surprising ease.
He stood, scanning the forest. Though the sun painted the canopy above, the forest floor was shrouded in shadows.
'I probably should have thought this through...'
He had plunged into the Sinlands without a plan.
'I'll probably be fine.' He began to jog, experimenting with the Aether, trying to find the most efficient way to use it.
'Minimalistic, that's the key...'
He focused the energy in his legs, lungs, and heart, moving with a newfound speed. Perhaps that was why he immediately drew attention.
A monstrous thing rose from the ground, a tangle of vines and leaves forming a gaping maw filled with jagged teeth. Sine stopped, his heart pounding. He had never faced anything like this before.
He dodged the creature's lunge, swinging The Pole instinctively. It connected with the side of the jaw, knocking the creature off balance.
But it quickly recovered, launching a vine at him. He sidestepped, striking the vine with The Pole, channeling a burst of Aether.
Snap!
The vine broke, and the creature shrieked, charging with blind rage. Sine's eyes widened.
The creature was huge, its jaws a gaping maw.
'S-Shoot!'
He dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack. His muscles coiled, and he spun, swinging The Pole with all his might.
WHAM!
The creature fell, still.
Sine gasped for breath, his heart hammering. A wide smile spread across his face as he nudged the creature with the pole, confirming its death.
'I did it!'
A feeling of strength washed over him, his senses sharpening.
'So I can kill these things to get stronger?'
He grinned as the trees rustled behind him, and two more vine creatures stretched their limbs towards him. With a thud, he closed the distance and swung The Pole.
Crack!
Power surged through him, blood pooling in his hands as he stood over the corpses. He looked up at the sun, barely visible through the leaves.
'Ah...' His eyes glowed with a platinum light. It wasn't the killing that had brought him to this point, it was the learning, the growing stronger.
Step...
Sine's head snapped back, but it was already too late. Something was upon him, putting him in his place.
'Gah!'
His body slammed on the forest floor, Sine quickly brought his knees up and kicked the creature off of him, rolling over and jumping backward to gain distance.
Sine's platinum eyes scanned the situation.
A thorn bush with three monstrous appendages, he could see the muscles visibly rolling under its skin.
About twice the size of him, one of the limbs had a thorn-like knife with a vine attached to it.
With what should have been nine steps, the creature crossed in one, the knife it once held in its hand now flying towards his skull.
With a spin, The Pole blocked the thorn and upheaved the earth, sending the creature off balance.
The creature retracted the thorn and threw it backward.
It wrapped around a tree and the creature tugged on it, quickly dodging the flurry of attacks that Sine launched.
'It's intelligent?'
Sine bit his lip and thought hard.
With a quick exhale, Sine stood tall, The Pole gripped tightly in his right hand as he stood steady.
Then, The Pole slowly started to move, it rotated, spun, and rotated some more.
Sine's platinum eyes radiated against the shadows cast by the trees.
His Cadence had started.