The morning mist clung to Crestfall like a living veil, curling around jagged rocks and narrow ledges. Ethan Sixx's boots crunched lightly on loose gravel as he made his way to the northern plateau once more. The sun had barely risen, painting the horizon in muted shades of gold and grey, yet he felt no need to hurry. The plateau demanded patience, balance, and awareness; rushing it would invite failure.
Even Kael Veylan, who followed at a distance with a cautious scowl, understood the challenge, though he would never admit it. Most disciples avoided the cliffs entirely, preferring the controlled drills of the courtyard, but Ethan seemed to thrive here, where the mountain itself tested the body and spirit.
Reaching the plateau, Ethan paused and surveyed the terrain. Jagged spires of stone jutted into the mist, fissures splitting the ground unpredictably. The crystal fragment in his pocket pulsed faintly, a soft warmth that urged him forward.
He extended his senses subtly, feeling the rhythm of the stones beneath his feet and the whispers of wind brushing against the cliffside. For the first time, he sensed a small anomaly—a faint pulse, unlike the natural flow of the mountain. It was slight, almost imperceptible, yet enough to make his pulse quicken.
Kael, watching from a distance, narrowed his eyes. "You feel that too?" he called, though he sounded uncertain.
Ethan did not reply. He did not need to. The mountain spoke, and instinct guided him. Crouching on the edge of a jagged outcrop, Ethan placed his palms against the cold stone. He let the pulse of the crystal fragment merge with the subtle vibrations of the plateau. Slowly, imperceptibly at first, a warmth spread through his hands, climbing his arms, and radiating through his chest.
The ground beneath him shifted faintly, a ripple across the stone as if acknowledging his presence. It was subtle—a minor tremor, imperceptible to anyone not attuned to the mountain—but to Ethan, it was a revelation.
He stood and took a cautious leap across a narrow fissure. Normally, such a jump would have required careful calculation, but this time, his landing was effortless, the stones beneath him responding as though aware of his movement. For the first time, he sensed a connection deeper than simple balance—a subtle harmony between his body, the plateau, and the energy of the crystal.
Kael's lips parted in disbelief. "How…?"
Ethan only smiled faintly. He did not fully understand it himself, but he felt the first taste of a power beyond ordinary Mortal Body training.
As they moved further along the plateau, a faint red glimmer appeared from a narrow fissure far ahead. The crystal fragment pulsed in resonance, its warmth intensifying as Ethan approached. He crouched and peered into the crack, seeing a faint glow that shifted like embers in a distant fire.
"It's a fragment," he whispered, though he was unsure if he spoke aloud or only to himself. "Something from the Forbidden Zones."
Kael, sensing his hesitation, stepped closer, eyes narrowed. "Dangerous. Don't… get carried away by myths, Sixx."
Ethan's gaze did not leave the glimmer. "Some myths are real. Some wait for the right person to find them."
A sudden gust of wind whipped through the plateau, carrying with it a strange vibration that made the rocks tremble slightly underfoot. From the fissure, a faint hum began, low and resonant, echoing across the cliffs. Ethan felt it in his chest—a call, almost, to test himself against something unknown.
Kael readied his stance, energy blade faintly glowing. "What is it?"
Ethan did not answer. He leapt forward, moving instinctively, the crystal fragment pulsing in tandem with his heartbeat. As he approached the fissure, a sudden surge of energy burst from within the rock, forcing him to react instantly. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a strike of force that could have shattered bone.
When he looked up, the glimmer had shifted, retreating deeper into the fissure as if observing him, testing him.
By the time the sun had dipped behind the peaks, Ethan and Kael returned to the main hall. The other disciples were already gathering, preparing for evening drills, but whispers followed them through the stone corridors. Even those who had never seen the cliffs spoke in hushed tones of the boy who moved as if the mountain obeyed him.
Ethan sat quietly in his room, hands still tingling from the morning's trial. The crystal fragment lay on the table beside him, its faint glow pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. Somewhere within the depths of the northern plateau, a fragment of Forbidden power stirred, acknowledging him.
And though he could not yet understand it, he felt a stirring in the wind, a subtle whisper that promised challenges far beyond the walls of the sect. The world outside Crestfall was vast, dangerous, and ancient, and somewhere, something had begun to take notice of him.
Ethan closed his eyes, letting the pulse of the crystal and the mountain flow through him. This was only the beginning.