The sun had barely crested the ridge when they set out. Dazhra led, Kaelen followed, and Surya moved in silence, the golden parchment tucked safely in his satchel. The trail bent eastward, narrow and steep, with the wind picking up as if trying to push them back.
"The Rift doesn't stay open long," Dazhra said. "Not even for the Sanctum."
Kaelen glanced at Surya. "Keep your flame steady. Any surge now could rupture the passage."
Surya nodded, keeping his breathing slow, his focus inward. His core pulsed—still unstable, but steadier than it had ever been. The resonance trial was not over, but it was shifting.
They crested the final incline before the drop. What lay beyond took Surya's breath away.
The Rift.
It was not a gate in the traditional sense. It was a tear in reality itself—an opening in the world's weave. Suspended above a lake of silver fog, the Rift shimmered like molten glass, its surface rippling with prismatic fire. Floating shards of crystal formed a loose spiral around it, each engraved with runes too ancient to name.
"The gate's anchor points," Kaelen whispered. "One for each elemental path."
Dazhra raised her hand. Her spiral token glowed, and a path of light extended from the cliff's edge toward the Rift.
"We go now," she said.
They stepped onto the path. Every step burned slightly, not from heat—but from resistance. The world was pushing back.
Surya stumbled halfway across. His flame flared. A wave of pressure hit him—his resonance core shuddering under the Rift's scrutiny.
Kaelen reached back, steadying him. "It's testing your alignment. Keep walking."
With effort, Surya moved forward. Each footfall was a vow. He could feel the flame in his chest pulse in time with each step, steady and sharp.
At the center of the Rift's spiral, Dazhra stopped. She traced a rune in the air. The shimmer pulsed.
"Gate opening," she said. "Hurry. I'll hold the passage."
Kaelen motioned to Surya. "You first."
Surya stepped forward—just as a shriek split the air.
From the valley below, black shapes rose. Three. No—five. Veiled agents.
Kaelen cursed. "They followed the trail."
Dazhra's eyes glowed. "I'll hold the Rift. You cover the boy."
Kaelen turned, emberlight exploding around him. "Surya—GO."
The platform shook as the agents ascended. A flash of dark steel clashed with a burst of red flame. Kaelen met the attackers head-on.
But they were stronger this time—organized. Coordinated. One struck low while another vaulted over Dazhra's barrier.
A blade caught Dazhra across the shoulder. She staggered.
Kaelen shouted something Surya didn't catch. He whirled, heart hammering, torn between running and staying.
Then the sky pulsed.
A flare of light erupted far above, followed by a piercing whistle.