There was no wind.
No sun.
No stars we recognized.
Just a sky like dull iron—cloudless, yet sunless. The color of mourning.
Sand stretched in every direction, pale grey and glassy. Not warm, not cold. Still.
And beneath our feet… nothing but echoes.
---
The World Beyond
Kaela drew her sword, the steel dim in this unnatural light. "What is this place?"
Neriya crouched, pressing her palm into the ground. "Not a realm. Not even a dead world. This is… something else."
Solin turned in slow circles. "No ley lines. No flame roots. No pull from the Rift. It's not just lifeless—it's outside of life."
And yet, I was breathing.
My heart beat.
My flame burned—but barely.
"I don't think we're meant to be here," I muttered.
Kaela glanced at me. "Then why were we brought?"
The answer came not in words.
But in a sound.
A pulse.
Boom.
From deep below.
---
The Underground Gate
