The golden light swallowed them whole. For a moment, they were weightless, drifting through brilliance that hummed like a living heartbeat. Then, as suddenly as it began, the radiance broke apart, and their feet found solid ground.
Carlos blinked, hand tightening on the Blade of Ascension. His breath caught in his throat.
Before them stretched a world unlike any they had seen.
A New Horizon
Rolling fields of emerald grass swayed under skies of shifting color — not blue, but a living canvas of gold, violet, and silver, as if dawn and dusk mingled eternally. Towering trees with crystalline leaves rose high, their branches reflecting light like prisms. Rivers of luminous water carved paths through the valleys, glowing softly in the twilight.
But it wasn't just beautiful. It was alive.
The air vibrated with energy, every breath tasting of power, as though the world itself was watching them. Insects glimmered like stars as they flitted past. Massive creatures grazed in the distance, their hides patterned with constellations. The ground pulsed faintly underfoot, like the heartbeat of a giant slumbering beneath the soil.
"This…" Maren whispered, her voice trembling. "This is no Dominion. This is creation itself."
The Great Tree
Far on the horizon stood a tree so vast it dwarfed mountains. Its trunk shimmered with veins of gold, its canopy stretching wide enough to touch the sky's shifting hues. Even at a distance, they could feel its pull, like gravity itself bent toward it.
Thalor's voice was hushed, reverent. "The Heartwood. I've only heard whispers of such a place, in tales so old they were thought to be dreams."
"Dream or not," Rina muttered, her eyes narrowing, "I'd bet every step closer gets more dangerous."
The Whisper of the Helm
The Helm of Realms pulsed on Carlos's head, and the voice — calmer now, yet still vast — spoke:
"The Dominion tested your unity. The Verdant Expanse will test your purpose. The tree waits at the center. Within it lies truth… or ruin."
The light of the Helm dimmed, leaving only silence.
The First Sign of Danger
A low rumble rippled across the plains. The luminous grass bent, though no wind stirred. From the ground ahead, fissures split open, releasing tendrils of shadow that did not belong to this vibrant world.
Lys drew her bow in an instant, eyes sharp. "Corruption. It's already here."
Maren gripped the broken halves of her staff, energy flickering wildly at her fingertips. "If this place falls like the others…"
Carlos raised the Blade of Ascension. Its glow reflected off his companions' determined faces.
"Then we don't let it fall."
They moved forward, step by step, the gateway vanishing behind them, leaving only the vast expanse and the promise — or threat — of the Heartwood ahead.
The next chapter of their journey had begun.