Floki lounged on a floating boulder, tossing small orbs of Chi into the air.
Kaleb sat cross-legged nearby, his Chi swirling faintly as he absorbed energy from the ambient space.
"You're improving, kid," Floki said, smirking. "But you're still slower than a one-legged duck on dry land."
Kaleb's brow furrowed, focusing harder. "At least I'm not wasting time throwing rocks."
A faint shimmer rippled across the air, and Kaleb's head jerked up.
Floki's eyes narrowed, his grin fading. "What was that?"
Kaleb scanned the horizon, his senses on edge. The shimmering grew brighter, forming faint streaks of light.
"Dimensional quirk," Floki muttered, waving dismissively. "Happens all the time in places like this."
Kaleb wasn't convinced. The streaks coalesced, forming a ghostly figure hovering just beyond them.
"Floki," Kaleb said, his voice low. "That doesn't feel random."
The figure drifted closer, its features becoming clearer. It was humanoid, clad in spectral armor etched with ancient symbols.
Floki's grin returned, but it was strained. "Great. Another ghost with a superiority complex."
The figure's voice echoed, soft yet commanding. "Kaleb Bjorn, heir to a broken lineage. I've been watching you."
Kaleb tensed, his Chi sparking faintly. "Who are you?"
The figure tilted its head, the edges of its form flickering like dying embers. "A remnant of the Tideborn. A warrior forgotten by time."
Floki rolled his eyes. "Oh, fantastic. Another relic claiming relevance. What do you want, specter?"
The figure ignored him, its gaze fixed on Kaleb. "Your journey mirrors the Tideborn's fall. The shadow cult seeks to twist you as they did us."
Kaleb's jaw tightened, his fists clenching. "You know about them?"
"I know their methods," the figure said, its tone heavy with sorrow. "And I know how to fight them."
Floki floated closer, his smile sharp. "Let me guess: you've got some cryptic advice and a shiny trinket to dangle in front of him?"
The figure's form rippled, its voice growing colder. "The cult will exploit your weaknesses. They will sever your bond with this… entity."
Kaleb glanced at Floki, his chest tightening. "What are you saying?"
The figure extended a ghostly hand, its light dimming. "I offer you a chance to strengthen your spirit. To resist their influence."
Floki crossed his arms, floating upside down. "And what's the catch, oh mighty Tideborn whisperer?"
The figure's gaze flickered to him, its tone clipped. "You do not belong here. Your chaos disrupts his growth."
Kaleb's pulse quickened. "What does that mean?"
"Your connection to this god is both your strength and your vulnerability," the figure said. "Without balance, you will fall."
Floki laughed, the sound sharp. "Balance, huh? That's rich coming from a ghost stuck between realms."
The figure ignored him, turning back to Kaleb. "In this dimension lies an artifact. It holds the key to your advancement."
Kaleb frowned, doubt creeping in. "Why help me? What do you gain from this?"
The figure's form flickered, its edges fraying. "The Tideborn's legacy cannot end with failure. Prove yourself worthy, and you may reclaim what was lost."
Floki's grin widened, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "How noble. Let's not mention how shady that sounds."
The spectral figure pointed to a distant peak, shrouded in swirling mist. "The artifact lies there. Reach it, and your spirit will ascend."
Kaleb glanced at Floki, uncertainty in his eyes. "What do you think?"
Floki floated lazily, inspecting his nails. "Oh, sure. Go ahead. Trust the spooky ghost with glowing armor. What could possibly go wrong?"
Kaleb hesitated, then squared his shoulders. "I have to try."
Floki's smirk faded, replaced by a rare seriousness. "Fine. But I'm not letting you go alone."
The figure's voice turned sharp. "He cannot follow. This is your trial, Kaleb Bjorn."
Floki's laugh echoed, low and dangerous. "Try and stop me."
The air crackled with tension, the figure's form wavering. "Your interference will doom him."
Kaleb stepped between them, his voice firm. "Enough. I'll go. But Floki stays close."
The figure hesitated, then nodded once. "So be it."
They trekked toward the peak, the air growing colder with each step.
Floki floated beside Kaleb, muttering. "This whole thing smells fishy. If it stinks, it's probably rotten."
Kaleb ignored him, his focus narrowing on the swirling mist ahead.
As they reached the summit, a massive stone pedestal came into view, glowing faintly.
The artifact hovered above it, a crystalline shard pulsing with inner light.
Kaleb approached cautiously, his hand outstretched.
The ground trembled as shadowy tendrils erupted, wrapping around the pedestal.
Floki cursed, his Chi flaring. "Told you!"
The spectral figure appeared, its form twisting. "Prove your strength, Kaleb. Face the storm!"
Shadowy constructs materialized, their shapes monstrous and shifting.
Kaleb's Chi surged, fire and wind spiraling around him. "Let's end this."
Floki grinned, flipping midair. "Now you're talking!"
The battle raged, Kaleb's attacks slicing through the constructs.
Floki hovered nearby, throwing out sarcastic commentary. "Duck! Dodge! Try not to die!"
The constructs pressed harder, their strikes growing more precise.
Kaleb's movements faltered, the weight of the battle wearing him down.
The spectral figure's voice boomed. "You must endure!"
Floki's grin disappeared as he blasted a construct apart. "Endure? He's one kid against an army!"
Kaleb gritted his teeth, summoning a surge of lightning.
The constructs reeled, their forms flickering.
Floki floated beside him, his tone low. "You're better than this, kid. Prove it."
Kaleb's resolve hardened, his Chi roaring to life.
He unleashed a devastating wave of fire and wind, scattering the constructs.
The shadows dissipated, leaving only the spectral figure.
It bowed its head, its tone somber. "You've passed. The artifact is yours."
Kaleb approached the shard, his breath steadying.
Floki hovered beside him, his smirk returning. "See? Told you we'd make it."
The artifact glowed brighter as Kaleb reached for it.Kaleb's fingers brushed the artifact, its glow pulsing like a heartbeat.
The ground beneath him trembled violently, cracks spidering outward from the pedestal.
Jagged streaks of light erupted, cutting through the air like lightning.
The artifact's glow intensified, its pulse quickening, desperate, alive.
"Uh, kid?" Floki's voice sliced through the chaos, his usual smirk absent.
He hovered midair, eyes darting to the cracking ground. "You might've poked something you shouldn't have."
Kaleb staggered back as the pedestal began sinking, its edges crumbling into oblivion.
A deafening roar split the air, shaking the entire dimension to its core.
The sky fractured, spilling glowing mist that twisted unnaturally in the wind.
A powerful gust slammed into Kaleb, dragging him toward the widening fissures.
He planted his feet, his Chi roaring as he fought against the pull.
"Floki!" he shouted, desperation sharpening his voice.
Floki darted closer, his grin replaced by a rare flicker of worry.
"Hold on, kid!" he called, his hands glowing faintly with energy.
The artifact surged, spiraling energy tearing through the air like a living storm.
Kaleb's grip slipped as the ground beneath him dissolved into glowing mist.
The vortex dragged him closer, its pull unrelenting, swallowing all in its path.
Floki lunged, his expression tightening as he reached out for Kaleb.
The wind howled louder, drowning out their voices as the dimension buckled.
The artifact's light expanded, consuming the scene in a blinding, chaotic brilliance.
Kaleb's hand stretched toward Floki's, their fingers inches apart.
The vortex exploded in light, leaving nothing but silence and fractured mist.