The cold was the first thing Lian felt upon waking.
Unlike the previous environment, where the oppressive heat of darkness surrounded him like a suffocating cloak, now the air was sharp and dry. His body felt heavier, as if invisible forces were trying to pin him to the ground.
He opened his eyes slowly, feeling the strange pressure of that world against his skin. Everything around him seemed displaced, as if reality itself was fragmented.
The ground beneath him was rough and uneven. Jagged black rocks stretched across the landscape, creating a hostile terrain. The sky above was an ocean of living darkness, writhing like an endless storm. There were no stars, no light, only shadows that moved as if they had a will of their own.
Lian forced himself to rise, feeling his muscles ache. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but something told him that this place did not obey the normal flow of time.
And then, he saw it.
