The World of Binding
Chapter 3: The Path of Chains
The journey to the Spire of Binding was far from easy. Jin Yue's steps were slow and deliberate, his body weighed down by exhaustion and the growing burden of the Binding Mark on his palm. Every few hours, it pulsed faintly, as though whispering a warning he couldn't yet comprehend.
The land itself seemed alive, shifting subtly as he moved. What looked like a flat stretch of ash and stone would suddenly reveal deep fissures or jagged outcrops of crystal. Strange, twisted creatures lurked at the edges of his vision, their forms obscured by the thick, gray mist that clung to the ground.
Jin Yue gritted his teeth. He couldn't afford to waste energy fighting every shadow that crossed his path.
Hours passed, or perhaps days—time felt meaningless here. The red sky never changed, and the world remained locked in an endless twilight. Jin Yue's only markers were the Spire, its faint shimmer ever-present on the horizon, and the growing ache in his body.
Finally, he came upon a strange sight: a ruined village, its buildings little more than crumbling stone and rotting wood. The air here was heavier, thick with the scent of decay.
He approached cautiously, his hand hovering over the Binding Mark. The village was eerily silent, the only sound the faint creak of wood swaying in the wind.
In the center of the ruins stood a fountain, its once-pristine marble now cracked and stained. At its base lay a pile of shattered crystal shards, their faint glow barely visible beneath layers of dust.
Jin Yue knelt beside the shards, brushing them with his fingers. The moment he touched them, a rush of images flooded his mind.
A woman, her face obscured, stood before the fountain. Her voice was calm, almost soothing, as she spoke to a gathering crowd. *"The Binding Spire is not salvation. It is a prison."*
The memory ended as quickly as it began, leaving Jin Yue gasping for air. He clutched his chest, his heart racing.
*Who was she?*
Before he could dwell on the thought, a noise shattered the silence. Footsteps—slow and deliberate—echoed through the village. Jin Yue spun around, his body tensing.
From the shadows of a crumbling building, a figure emerged. It was a man, tall and wiry, dressed in tattered robes. His face was obscured by a mask carved from bone, its surface etched with runes that glowed faintly in the dim light.
"Another wanderer," the man said, his voice low and gravelly. "You won't last long here."
Jin Yue's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
The man tilted his head, studying him. "I could ask the same. But it doesn't matter. None of us matter, not in this place."
The Binding Mark on Jin Yue's palm began to glow faintly, reacting to the stranger's presence. The man's gaze dropped to it, and he let out a dry laugh.
"A Warden," he said, his tone dripping with disdain. "Or what's left of one."
Jin Yue stepped forward, his voice firm. "You know what this is?"
"I know more than you," the man replied. "But knowledge won't save you here. The Void hungers, and the Spire offers nothing but lies."
Before Jin Yue could respond, the man turned and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Jin Yue called out. "What do you mean? What lies?"
The man stopped but didn't turn around. "If you want answers, you'll have to find them yourself. But be warned: the closer you get to the Spire, the more it will take from you."
With that, he vanished into the mist, leaving Jin Yue alone once more.
Jin Yue clenched his fists, the Binding Mark pulsing in response. He didn't fully understand the man's words, but he couldn't turn back now.
The Spire awaited, and with it, the truth.