As the sensation of fear seized his heart, a sudden tingling sensation stirred in the bottomless pit of his stomach—the kind of feeling that came not from what one sees but from what one doesn't. A sixth sense that Kael had forged through many life-and-death battles in the forsaken world began to whisper in his ear. It told him it was dangerous, it said. Be cautious and watch your steps closely.
As his senses whispered in his ear, he halted his march toward the peak of the mountain and began to scan his surroundings. His environment was fully immersed in a sea of silence, the depth of which was unknown. It resembled a perfect sea of nothingness.
In his sight, there was not a single monster. Not even the faintest trace of life. Just the endless cold and the crunch of snow beneath his feet, which made the mountain appear as if it were covered by a white blanket.
On the snowy expanse, there were no claw marks, no scattered bones, no unnatural shrieks carried on the wind, and not even any stone or boulder. There was just nothing.
As if the entire Cloud Touching mountain range were being scrubbed clean by someone, purged of all breathtaking and moving things.
Under his narrowed eyes, Kael muttered, "Why is it so empty? So desolate? Even if it's freezing here, why is there not a single creature? No monster, no signs of life. Why does it make me feel like there is nothing?"
His voice was like the sound of a small broken speaker—annoying and barely audible over the howling snowy wind. His words did not echo in the mountain's belly; they simply fell into the air and were swallowed, devoured by the sea of silence and the howling wind like a sacrament.
As the thought of being alone here in this Cloud Touching mountain range lingered in his mind, growing heavier, he did not remain halted; instead, he began to march toward the mountain with each step.
The landscape in front of him remained the same—bleak, cold, a snowy blanket that was becoming increasingly deadly to his life. Kael's thoughts spiraled with questions, questioning the very essence of this place. Is it a trap? A test? Or something worse—let's not think about that?
As Kael marched toward the peak of the mountain, a ripple suddenly appeared in the sea of silence of this Cloud Touching mountain. He heard a word—his name, "Kael," which was being called out by a soft feminine voice.
Shhhh…
…
Meanwhile in the real world, the colossal mothership of the Divine House of Storm hovered above the Awakening Center's Outer Sanctum in sector 4. The obsidian glimmer of the mothership resembled an artificial moon in the night, but in reality, it was as if there were nothing. It was invisible against the dark night.
VMMMMMMM…
With a deep mechanical hum, it descended slowly onto the terrace of the Awakening Center while releasing the screaming winds of the engines against the terrace, pushing against gravity and stirring clouds of dust into a spiral.
WHRRRRRRR… FWWWWOOOOOSH…
As the ship touched down atop the sanctum's terrace with a low metallic thud,
THUUUUUMM…
a ramp extended from its underbelly like the tongue of a dog descending from its mouth.
HISSSSSSSSS…
With a hiss, the gate of the mothership opened.
From within the mothership, Lady Elina Darksky stepped forward in her skin-tight black mask and intricate dark cloak, which glimmered with a three-eyed raven. Behind her stood the four elite Cloudpiercer Knights, clad in obsidian black armor etched with the sigils of the Divine House of Storm, flanking her in a perfect reverse diamond formation. Their every motion radiated core discipline; their weapons were sealed in their sheaths, and their expressions were cold and unreadable behind mirrored helms.
They descended the ramp.
CLACK. CLACK. CLACK.
Their boots clicked against the metal surface, and they stepped onto the stone terrace.
THUNK…
There, the Old Enforcer was waiting below, kneeling on one knee, his head bowed. His right fist rested firmly against the left side of his chest—a gesture humming with deep respect.
Fwoomp…
Behind him stood six Knights of the Alliance of the Shrines, each clad in white armor that resembled ceremonial attire with black cloaks draping over their left shoulders.
They too knelt, but not mirroring the Enforcer's pose. Instead, their longswords pointed downward, tips touching the ground of the terrace to show their reverence,
Clink…
their gauntleted hands resting solemnly on the hilts.
They did not revere Lady Elina.
Matriarch of the Great House of Darksky.
The master of Ravens.
The Secret Keeper.
But the one they revered was the authority of the Divine Houses of Storm, which was now represented by Lady Elina Darksky.
As the cold wind of the Outer Sanctum howled, Whooooooooosh…
the world seemed to hold its breath—as if no one dared to speak in the presence of the Divine House.
But this halt of breath didn't last long; instead, it was broken in a few seconds by none other than the Old Enforcer, who was kneeling.
"Your Lordship, everything has been arranged and done according to your instructions, and the security of the center has been raised by level two."
As these words fell into the ears of Lady Elina, she said in a low and deep voice, "Good job, Darvin. Now stand up and raise the security level to level one."
FWWWWMP
Darvin, the Old Enforcer, stood up in a respectful manner and said, "As you order, Your Lordship. Please follow me this way."
He extended his hand in a formal gesture, indicating the path ahead. Then, with a slight bow of his head, he stepped aside with the knights—waiting patiently for Lady Elina to take the lead.
Only after Lady Elina moved did Darvin, the Old Enforcer begin walking, and show them the way.
Click… clack… click… clack…
…
In the trial of misery,
In the forsaken world,
Kael's mind was in turmoil because the surroundings in front of him, which had once been like a snowy blanket on a mountain with a greyish sky, were now…
Ffffwooshhh… hush… silence cracks…