The world was not always fractured.
Once, the ladders stretched higher than the eye could follow, bridges of light connecting heaven and earth. They were symbols of unity, of promise, of humanity daring to reach beyond its limits.
But promises break. Light shatters. And ladders fall.
Now, their echoes haunt the land—woven into every stone, every whisper of wind, every trembling hand that dares to grasp for power. The air itself hums with their remnants: blessings to some, curses to others.
Generations have grown beneath the shadows of these ruins, calling them myths, miracles, or nightmares. Yet all know the same truth: the world was broken, and in its breaking, so were they.
And somewhere, in the quiet heart of a forgotten village, a boy opens his eyes to the first stirrings of that echo.
A sound faint as breath.
A weight heavy as destiny.
The ladders may have fallen, but their story has only begun.