Nyric approached the edge of the Palm—a vast gorge sunken into the heart of the mountain. Thick, colossal fingers jutted upward in the distance, clawing at the sky.
Mist pooled along the edge, thick and roiling, pressing against invisible walls that held it in place. It almost looked alive, shivering against some unseen barrier.
Nyric stopped at the cliff, the cold mist licking at his boots. His expression tightened.
He considered turning back—the thought of escape gnawed at him—but one glance at the tattoo on his wrist burned away any such cowardice.
He shifted Kael higher onto his shoulder. The boy's body was warmer than before, fever radiating off him.
Nyric sighed once, then leapt into the mist.
---
The fog swallowed him whole.
Instantly, a foul stench slammed into him—damp and metallic, like blood rotting in stagnant water. It clung to the back of his throat, thick enough to taste.
Beneath it, a sweeter scent lurked—the smell of crushed flowers turning to rot, like overripe fruit left too long in the sun. It twisted around the rot, wrong in a way he couldn't explain.
He fought the urge to gag.
He fell for five seconds—not long, but enough to lurch his stomach—before hitting the ground with a solid thud. He landed in a crouch, absorbing the force. Even with his veinfire sealed, his vein-bound body could endure far more than this.
Rising to his feet, Nyric narrowed his eyes.
The mist here clung like wet cloth. He could barely see a meter ahead.
And yet, when he glanced down, the compass in his hand gleamed clearly—untouched by the mist's blindness.
He didn't understand how.
He didn't care.
The compass had guided him out once before, twisting away from unseen dangers and leading him through the fog without fail.
At this point, he trusted it more than his own instincts.
---
Nyric moved swiftly, following the compass as it jerked and twitched, steering him through the thick, unseen terrain.
Kael shifted weakly on his shoulder, his breathing ragged, his body growing hotter with every step.
The ground beneath Nyric's boots felt unnatural—impossibly smooth, like polished obsidian.
He remembered testing it earlier, curiosity getting the better of him. He'd punched it with all his strength. The memory made his knuckles throb.
It had been like striking an iron cliff; all he'd earned was shattered bones and a bruised ego.
---
The compass veered sharply to the right.
Nyric followed without hesitation.
Ahead, a jagged hole gaped through the Palm's surface—raw, as if something massive and mindless had torn it open.
"I'll be glad to never meet whatever made that," he muttered, adjusting Kael's weight.
Without slowing, he dove into the rupture.
---
He dropped again, a rough fall through darkness, lasting only seconds.
He hit the ground with a grunt, crouching to absorb the impact, then sprang upright.
Before him stretched a corridor—a perfectly square tunnel carved into the stone. The walls were unnaturally smooth, unmarred by age or wear.
Kael groaned softly, his fever spiking.
No time to waste.
Nyric sprinted forward, compass in hand, chasing its unseen pull deeper into the unknown.
---
Nyric slammed Kael onto the bed. Heat burst from the boy's body, warping the air in shimmering waves. Kael groaned, limbs spasming.
Nyric spun around, dropped the gauntlet to the floor with a clang, scanning for the man.
The figure appeared in the doorway. This time, he blurred forward—straight to Kael.
"Hold him still," he said, voice low.
Nyric didn't argue. He vaulted onto the bed and pinned Kael's arms. The heat stung through his clothes.
The man snatched a vial from a crate, popped it open, forced Kael's mouth wide, and poured the contents down his throat.
For a moment, nothing.
Then Kael's body erupted in steam.
It hissed into the room—scalding and alive, curling like a sentient thing. Nyric cursed and leapt back, feeling the heat singe through his tunic. Small burn marks flared where the steam grazed him. His palms reddened and blistered.
He glanced at the bed—and blinked.
The sheets shimmered but didn't burn. No smoke. No fire. Not even a scorch mark.
How the hell's the bed not melting?
Kael lay still now, breathing deep—peaceful.
Nyric grimaced. "How is he surviving that much heat?"
The man shrugged. "It's nothing. Just a rebound. And he's nothing like you. That small heat?" He scoffed. "Can't even make him sweat."
Nyric's jaw tightened.
Small heat?
I'm veinbound and it nearly cooked me.
He glanced at Kael again, resentment flickering beneath the pain. The boy looked like he was napping after a long day's work.
Somehow, that hurts worse than the burns.
Nyric smiled bitterly. "What did you give him?"
"Just a portion," the man said, almost lazily.
He pressed his palms together, prayer-like, and closed his eyes.
Nyric narrowed his gaze.
Praying? No… he's about to pull some other weird shit.
Sure enough, green spectral mist bled from the vials in the crate. The liquids inside turned clear, drained of all color. The mist drifted toward Kael, swirling in graceful spirals, clinging to his body like a second skin.
Nyric watched, uneasy, as the mist melted into Kael.
The man exhaled and lowered his hands.
Silence.
"Let me guess," Nyric said dryly. "That's to heal him?"
The man arched an eyebrow, expression unreadable.
Nyric resisted the urge to swear. "Why not let him drink it? Seems faster."
The man sighed, disappointed. "I could. But then he wouldn't absorb everything." He smiled faintly. "Efficiency, not speed. But you wouldn't understand."
Nyric's fist twitched.
"Pardon me for thinking like a normal person," he muttered.
"You're pardoned," the man replied smoothly.
Nyric considered punching him. Instead, he turned to Kael, now calm, the glow fading.
Half-distracted, he muttered, "By the way... the deal's done."
He caught a crystal tossed his way mid-sentence, fingers curling around it. His eyes glinted.
Clenching his hand, he summoned a faint red glow—confirming the restriction was lifted. "Feels better," he said, satisfied.
But his smile faded fast.
The tattoo still burned on his wrist. Different now. Twisted into something unfamiliar.
Nyric's grip tightened on the crystal.
"What's this?" he growled, eyes narrowing.
The man only smiled.