The forest and all its sounds had faded to nothing but memory. At the base of the towering cliff, the boy stood still, staring up at the impossible height before him. Jagged rocks jutted out like broken teeth, disappearing into a mist that pulsed with a faint golden glow.
The air was alive here, charged with energy that made the chains in his chest hum violently. It wasn't pain, but it was pressure—like something unseen pressed against him, testing his resolve.
The master's voice cut through the silence. "This is the first step. The heavens left cracks when they bound this world—places where their arrogance slipped. This cliff is one of them."
Sylra, standing just behind him, placed a hand on his shoulder. Her voice was calm, steady. "The Veil awaits at the peak, boy. It's a scar in the sky—a tear where their world bleeds into ours."
The boy's fists tightened, his fingers brushing the rusted blade strapped to his back. "And when I reach it?"
The master smirked faintly, his eyes sharp as glass. "They'll try to stop you. The heavens don't forgive rebellion."
The boy swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on the cliff. Every fiber of his being told him this was madness. But deep in his chest, the chains thrummed in agreement, as though urging him forward.
"Then let's go," he said.
---
The Climb Began.
The cliff was merciless. Its face was slick and sharp, the rock biting into his hands with every pull upward. The wind howled around him, cold and unrelenting, threatening to tear him from the wall.
The master climbed ahead, his movements effortless, like a shadow flowing against the stone. Sylra stayed close behind, quiet but ever watchful.
The boy gritted his teeth, forcing himself upward, inch by inch. His muscles burned. His fingers bled. And still, the hum of the chains grew louder—like a heartbeat pulsing through the stone itself.
Then the whispers began.
Faint at first, curling around the edges of his mind like smoke.
"Turn back."
"You do not belong."
"The sky is not for you."
The boy's grip faltered. For a moment, he hung suspended, his heart pounding. He squeezed his eyes shut, the whispers seeping deeper, louder.
"Fall. Fall. Fall."
"Ignore them," Sylra's voice called, steady despite the wind. "They want you to listen. Don't give them power."
The boy forced his breath steady, pushing the whispers back. He moved again, dragging himself higher.
---
Time lost meaning. The mist thickened, swallowing the world below. When the boy glanced down, he saw nothing but a void—gray, endless, hungry.
"Don't look back," Sylra said softly, her voice closer now. "There's nothing for you there."
Higher. Higher. His hands were torn and bloodied, the wind cutting through his skin like ice. The hum of the chains now reverberated through him, vibrating his bones. It wasn't just pressure anymore—it was calling him.
Suddenly, the air shifted. The rock beneath his hand trembled, and a pulse of energy exploded through the cliffside. The golden glow beneath his skin blazed violently.
The boy cried out, his grip slipping as the stone cracked and splintered.
"It's resisting you," Sylra shouted, her voice sharp. "Anchor yourself! Fight through it!"
The whispers grew deafening now, a chorus of voices pounding into his skull.
"You are not enough."
"You will fall."
"You are weak."
The boy screamed back, his voice raw. "I am enough!"
Golden light flared around him, and the whispers shattered like glass. With one final pull, he hauled himself onto the narrow ledge at the top.
---
The world at the summit was silent.
The boy collapsed onto the stone, his breath ragged. The mist drifted thinly here, revealing a sky that was no longer whole. Above him, the heavens were broken—a fissure stretched across the expanse, pulsing with golden light.
Threads of energy flowed from it like veins of fire, curling downward and vanishing into the air. The tear in the sky shimmered, vast and unnatural, as though it were alive.
Sylra knelt beside him, her hand resting lightly on his back. "This is the Veil. It's where their chains are strongest—and where they're weakest."
The boy pushed himself up, his eyes wide. The hum in his chest resonated with the tear, vibrating stronger than ever before. "It's calling to me."
The master stepped forward, his cloak rustling against the stone. "Because it knows you've come to break it."
The boy stared at the fracture, its golden glow reflecting in his eyes. "And what's waiting for me?"
The master's voice was grave. "Their first defense. The heavens don't tolerate rebellion, boy. They've sent something to stop you."
The boy's fingers curled around the hilt of his blade, the rusted metal humming in response.
---
The Veil pulsed once—twice. Then the air split apart, and the light erupted outward.
From within the tear, something moved. Chains poured from the fissure, twisting together into a massive figure wreathed in golden fire. Its form was featureless, its face empty and hollow, but its presence pressed down like a weight against the boy's chest.
The chains inside him screamed in response, blazing beneath his skin.
"You dare touch the sky?" the figure's voice thundered, deep and inhuman.
Golden chains snapped out like whips, lashing toward him with a crack that split the air.
The boy leapt back, his blade blazing with golden fire as he swung. The impact shook the earth, light and chain colliding with a sound like shattering glass.
"You do not belong."
The boy staggered, his muscles trembling. The glow inside him flared brighter, wild and untamed.
"I'm not turning back," he growled, his voice steady despite the pain.
The figure's chains writhed, its hollow voice ringing out. "You will fall."
The boy raised his blade again, golden light pouring from its rusted edge. "We'll see."
With a roar, he charged forward. The heavens shook as fire and chains collided, and the battle began.