Kale and Alden were running up the slope of the mountain, their footsteps uneven as they scrambled over loose rocks and jagged terrain. The silver light of the moon illuminated their path, casting long shadows that danced eerily across the ground. The air was cold, biting at their skin, and the mist clung heavily to everything, muffling sound and distorting distance.
Alden occasionally glanced behind them, his face pale with fear. Fenric was there—close enough that Alden could make out the malicious glint in his eyes—and farther back, what looked like a silhouette moved through the mist. It wasn't human, not entirely. Its form shifted unnaturally, as though it existed between worlds, neither fully present nor absent.
Upon seeing the silhouette, cold sweat began to pour down Alden's back. "What the hell is that?" Alden asked, his voice trembling as he slowed slightly, risking a longer look.
Fenric, on the other hand, was annoyed. He sneered inwardly, his lips curling into a snarl. This chubby guy and that trash Kale, he thought bitterly, how perfect—two trash of the sect are together. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his weapon, knuckles whitening. If those two got themselves killed, so be it. As long as he survived, nothing else mattered.
•---•
Kale meanwhile kept his active seeking state fully open. Golden threads and motes of light filled his vision, pulsing faintly as they guided him forward. Each thread represented a potential path, each mote a fragment of knowledge waiting to be gleaned. His intention was clear: find a way out. Threads and motes served as his guide, weaving through the chaos like a lifeline. He followed them closely, trusting the Ocean of Knowledge to lead him toward safety.
But time was running out. That damned Fenric would surely draw the monster's attention onto Kale and Alden, using both of them as bait. Kale knew this—he could feel it in the tension of the moment, in the way the threads seemed to twist and fray under the weight of impending danger. They needed to hide, and fast.
Just when Kale was about to reach the top of the mountain, where some flat land awaited, he felt a sudden premonition. Threads and motes of golden light pulsed erratically, warning him—something was wrong. Ahead, the ground seemed stable, but the threads flickered faintly near the edge of the natural road they were climbing, almost as if cautioning him not to proceed further.
Then, without warning, a scream-like sound erupted from behind them.
It was deafening, a noise so sharp and piercing that it seemed to shake the very fabric of reality. Kale's ears rang painfully, his body trembling uncontrollably. For a brief moment, his connection to the Ocean faltered, the golden threads fading from view. Panic surged through him as his knees buckled, sending him stumbling forward.
His foot landed awkwardly on soft, unstable ground near the edge of the slope. Before he could react, the earth gave way beneath him.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as Kale fell, the world spinning chaotically around him. Rocks tumbled after him, dislodged by his descent, and the distant howls of the monster echoed mockingly in his ears. He hit a narrow ledge several feet down, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. Pain shot through his side, and for a moment, darkness threatened to take him.
Above, Alden skidded to a halt at the edge of the collapse, peering over cautiously. "Kale!" he shouted, his voice tinged with panic. Below, Kale lay sprawled on the narrow ledge, unmoving.
For a split second, Alden hesitated, torn between helping Kale and saving himself. Then, without warning, Fenric appeared beside him, grabbing him roughly by the arm.
"Leave him," Fenric snarled, his tone leaving no room for argument. "He's dead weight now. We need to keep moving."
Alden swallowed hard, glancing once more at Kale's motionless form. Guilt gnawed at him, but he forced himself to nod. "Y-yeah… you're right."
As they turned to flee, the faint glow of the moonlight illuminated Kale's still figure one last time before they disappeared into the mist.
•---•
Below, Kale's consciousness flickered weakly. Pain radiated through his body, every breath a struggle. His vision blurred, the golden threads of the Ocean fading completely from sight. The whispers that had once guided him were silent now, replaced by an overwhelming sense of heaviness.
His eyelids drooped, and the world around him dimmed. The cold stone beneath him pressed against his cheek, grounding him briefly to reality. But even that sensation began to fade.
As his body went limp, his vision darkened completely, consumed by the void.
The mountain was quiet once more, save for the distant echo of the monster's howl carried by the wind.