Traveling alone, Orson no longer held anything back.
Amid jagged peaks he swung the Chaos Blade, carving razor lines of force into the stone.
He moved fast, but he moved with purpose, one step at a time.
Like an ancient sage from old legends, he split mountains and opened the road, cutting a skyward stair for those who would come after in The Sunforge World. He didn't believe the outside would automatically be some promised paradise. But the people of this world deserved to see it for themselves. Whether the air out there was blood and smoke or birdsong and blossom was beside the point. Choice was their birthright.
"This layer is empty."
He stepped out of the Eighty-first Heaven with a small shake of the head. No one remained inside. Outside lay only scorched earth. A battle had raged here, but the scars said the fight hadn't ended on this level.
It had gone higher.
Orson climbed without fear.
