Stepping through the stone veil that rippled like liquid, Khanh and Vy felt their bodies engulfed by a chilling membrane, damp and heavy, as though sliding through a sea of mist. When their feet finally touched solid ground, a vast world unfolded before their eyes—so immense it stole their breath away.
The cavern roof soared endlessly into the dark, while from high cracks above, strange shafts of light poured down, scattering silver trails across the stone. The walls curved in graceful waves, stalactites drooped layer upon layer, glimmering like crystal, reflecting the ceaseless murmur of flowing water. The air carried both weight and sanctity, compelling them into silence.
To the left stood a colossal table carved from green stone. Its surface stretched wide and smooth as a mirror, veined naturally with ripples like flowing waves. Along the edges, ancient patterns had been chiseled deep: dragons coiling, divine birds spreading wings, interwoven with spirals of cloud, all cloaked in the solemn hue of time. Upon the table and scattered around it lay countless scrolls, wooden tablets, and bamboo slips—traces of generations past, turning the place into a secret hall of deliberation for the Heaven's Fracture.
Shifting their gaze to the right, they saw a clear pool nestled against the cliff wall. From above, a waterfall cascaded endlessly, scattering a fine mist that shimmered with the light, painting the air with an ethereal glow.
Beneath that waterfall sat a young man, utterly motionless. Khanh froze. The youth's body was stout and plump, his skin pale as milk—so white it almost gleamed under the spray. His hair trailed long behind his neck, yet the front of his head, from brow upward, was clean-shaven, smooth and bare, exposing a broad forehead. Draped upon him was a robe of noble design, embroidered with intricate patterns fit for aristocracy. The sight struck Khanh as bizarre, yet oddly imposing.
At first glance, he thought the young man a clumsy, overfed boy. But the longer he stared, the more unsettling it became. Though torrents crashed down upon him with deafening force, that rotund frame remained unmoving, rooted like stone, not a tremor, not even a wasted breath. A thought crossed Khanh's mind, unbidden: Perhaps he's no older than me… yet why does he radiate such unfathomable weight?
A sudden gust roared from deeper within the cavern. Dust swirled, garments whipped violently, and the air itself seemed to buckle. Startled, Khanh and Vy turned.
There, a towering man stood, broad as a mountain, wielding a massive wooden greatsword. Each swing he loosed into the empty air thundered like a storm breaking, hurling gusts that slammed against their chests, forcing their lungs to labor. The blade cleaved through nothing yet carved tempests, the stone floor trembling under the sheer force.
Vy stiffened. Her hands clenched into tight fists, knuckles whitening, nails digging hard into her palms. Her eyes fixed upon the giant, trembling with both fear and fierce admiration. Khanh caught her expression, and his own heart pounded as though sharing the same unspoken awe.
Beyond them, the cavern stretched endlessly, bottomless shadows swallowing sight. Stalactites hung like forests of blades, while light slanted through cracks above, scattering upon water and mist. At that moment, both Khanh and Vy realized: they had stepped into the hidden domain of the Heaven's Fracture—an awe-inspiring realm, vast and perilous.