The sky above Kael Vyrn was not a sky at all—it was a fractured mosaic of shifting colors and broken light. Through the splintered veil, he could glimpse swirling vortices of alien worlds, each one bleeding faint streaks of energy into the one he now lay on.
The ground beneath him was hard and cold, an unyielding surface of cracked stone veined with faintly glowing lines of blue. The air was heavy with silence, punctuated only by the occasional groan of distant tectonic shifts. His body screamed in pain with every breath, but the agony was secondary to the disorientation flooding his mind.
Where am I? How did I get here?
Kael pressed his palms to the ground and forced himself upright, his limbs trembling under the effort. He coughed, the metallic taste of blood on his tongue sharp and bitter. His memories were fragmented, like shards of glass scattered after a storm. There was one image, however, that burned vividly in his mind: the face of Iridan, his mentor—no, his betrayer.
"Why?" he rasped, his voice raw. But no answer came, only the faint echo of his words carried away on the still air.
The desolate wasteland stretched out around him, barren and lifeless. Blackened spires jutted from the ground like the ribs of a long-dead beast, their surfaces etched with strange symbols he didn't recognize. It was a place that felt forgotten, abandoned by the flow of time itself.
A sudden sound jolted him to attention—a faint rustle of movement. Kael's head whipped around, his instincts flaring to life despite his exhaustion. Shadows flickered in the distance, humanoid forms moving in the broken landscape. He couldn't make out details, but the way they moved sent a chill through him. Purposeful. Relentless.
The whispers began then, faint and unintelligible, brushing against his mind like cold fingers.
Run.
The word wasn't spoken aloud, yet Kael felt it resonate deep within him. Panic surged, and he staggered to his feet, his boots scraping against the cracked stone. His muscles protested every movement, but he forced himself forward, clutching his side as he broke into an uneven run.
The wasteland was an unforgiving maze of jagged terrain. Every step was a gamble—his boots caught on loose stones, and uneven ledges threatened to trip him. The shadowy figures in the distance grew closer, their forms resolving into dark-clad pursuers armed with blades and strange devices that hummed ominously.
Kael's lungs burned as he pushed himself onward, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He glanced back, only to see one of the pursuers raise a hand. A flash of crimson light erupted from their palm, streaking through the air toward him.
Instinctively, Kael dove to the side, tumbling down a small embankment. The energy blast struck the ground where he'd been standing, exploding in a shower of dust and debris.
Pain flared in his shoulder as he landed hard on his side. Groaning, he pushed himself up and scrambled for cover behind a jagged boulder. His breath came in short, ragged gasps, and his vision blurred at the edges.
He peeked out from behind the rock, his mind racing. There were three of them, their movements efficient and coordinated. The pursuers spread out, scanning the terrain with devices that emitted faint, oscillating tones. They weren't just hunting him—they were tracking him.
Why are they after me?
The whispers returned, louder this time.
Turn left. Move now.
Kael froze. The voice wasn't his own, but it felt familiar, like a memory dredged up from deep within. It spoke with a calm authority that cut through his fear, and against all reason, he obeyed.
He darted to the left, weaving between jagged rocks as another blast of crimson energy streaked past him. The voice continued to guide him, urging him forward and offering directions at critical moments.
Jump down. Tuck your body.
Without questioning, Kael leaped off a ledge, landing awkwardly in a shallow ravine. He rolled to absorb the impact, his teeth gritted against the jolt of pain that shot through his legs. The moment he came to a stop, he pressed himself flat against the ground, his chest heaving.
The sound of footsteps echoed above, the pursuers scanning the edge of the ravine.
Kael's heart thundered in his chest as he lay motionless, listening to the muffled voices of his pursuers. They spoke in a language he didn't understand, their tones clipped and precise. For a brief moment, he thought they might move on.
Then he felt it. A pulse in the air, faint but growing stronger, emanating from the direction of his pursuers. It resonated through his body, setting his nerves alight.
His fragmented memories stirred, and suddenly, he saw it—a fleeting vision of the next few seconds. A crimson blade slicing down, severing the ledge and sending debris raining into the ravine. He would be crushed if he stayed where he was.
Kael's eyes snapped open, his breath catching in his throat. The vision faded as quickly as it had come, but it left behind a certainty he couldn't ignore. He had seconds to act.
Gritting his teeth, he rolled to the side just as the crimson blade cleaved through the edge of the ravine. A cascade of rocks tumbled down, missing him by inches. The crash was deafening, and dust filled the air, obscuring his surroundings.
The whispers returned, insistent and firm.
Now. Get up. Run.
Kael didn't hesitate. He pushed himself to his feet, his legs trembling beneath him, and sprinted through the narrow ravine. The terrain shifted as he moved, the ground beneath him sloping downward into a dark and cavernous opening.
He stumbled into the mouth of a ruined structure, its entrance half-buried in rubble. Strange, glowing symbols etched into the walls flickered weakly, casting faint light across the interior. Kael leaned against the cold stone, his breath ragged.
For the first time since his escape began, silence settled over him. He could no longer hear the pursuers.
"What… what is happening to me?" he muttered, his voice barely audible.
The whispers didn't answer this time, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Kael's legs gave out, and he sank to the ground, exhaustion finally overtaking him. His mind buzzed with unanswered questions, but one thought rang louder than the rest:
He couldn't stop moving.