The colossal eye in the tree trunk blinked, The bark around it crinkled.
GROTTO-SPRITE: "A human child? Here? And a monkey, you say? The last time a monkey got in here, it tried to replace my eternal spring with... banana juice. Explain yourself."
Kael's brain finally caught up to his mouth. He took a staggering step back, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs.
The glowing grass beneath his feet felt both real and impossible. Pip, the actual monkey, was still hiding in his shirt, trembling like a leaf.
KAEL: "Wait, I didn't mean a literal monkey brought me here! I mean...I don't know! One minute I was in a temple, I touched a weird stone, and then...zap... I'm here.
Where is here? And what are you?"
The Grotto-Sprite let out a sound like the groaning of ancient wood. A sigh.
GROTTO-SPRITE: "You mortals and your 'zapping.' No respect for the delicate tapestry of spatial transference.
You are in the Starfall Sanctum. A private little pocket of reality, tucked away from the noise of the world.
As for me... you may call me Elder Morn. I am the guardian spirit of this place. And you, boy, are its new, and currently only, resident."
KAEL: "Resident? No, no, no. I have to go back! My dad...he's... he'll be worried. How do I leave?"
ELDER MORN: "Leaving?" The eye blinked slowly. "Leaving is not so simple. The master of this place, Orion Vael, brought you here for a reason.
He chose you as his successor. You cannot leave until you have proven you are worthy of his legacy."
Kael's fists clenched. It was just like his father. Another old man telling him what he could and couldn't do.
KAEL: "Worthy how? By reading books and being quiet?"
A low chuckle rumbled from the tree, shaking the branches above.
ELDER MORN: "Hardly. Orion Vael was no scholar. He was a warrior. To leave, you must conquer The Gauntlet."
He gestured with a twisting root that sprouted from the ground.
In the distance, four distinct structures floated on their own islands. One, a dark, imposing tower, pulsed with a faint, menacing light.
KAEL: "The Gauntlet? That tower?"
ELDER MORN: "Correct. Reach the fifth floor and tame the Nexus Stele. Only then will the path back to your world open. But as you are now... you wouldn't survive the first step."
KAEL: "But that spirit, Orion, he gave me something! The Aetherium Core, he called it.
And the Starfall Codex. It's... knowledge. About fighting." He clutched his chest, feeling the warm pulse of the core and the echo of sword forms in his mind.
ELDER MORN: "Ah, the gifts. The Core is an engine, child. A vessel for power. The Codex is the blueprint. But an engine without fuel is a useless lump of metal. You need to cultivate."
KAEL: "Cultivate? You mean like a garden?"
Elder Morn's giant eye rolled so far back Kael thought it might fall out.
ELDER MORN: "By the swirling cosmos, you truly know nothing. This realm is saturated with Primordial Aether. The pure energy of creation. You must draw it in, absorb it into your Core, and temper your body and soul. That is cultivation. It is the path to strength. The very strength your father forbade you from seeking."
The mention of his father struck a nerve.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Fine. How do I do it? Tell me."
ELDER MORN: "The Starfall Codex in your mind has two parts. The Starfall Mantra will teach you to absorb the Aether and strengthen your soul.
The Starfall Swordsmanship will teach you how to wield that power.
The other buildings will aid you. To the west, the Hall of Echoes, filled with treasures that sleep.
To the north, the Crucible, where one can forge elixirs.
To the south... the south is forbidden. Do not go there."
KAEL: "Forbidden? Why?"
ELDER MORN: "Because I said so. Now, stop asking questions and begin. Time here flows differently. For every two days that pass in your world, only one will pass within this Sanctum. You are losing precious time."
That lit a fire under him. Two days for one. He couldn't waste a second.
With a final, determined nod, Kael sat cross-legged on the glowing grass, closed his eyes, and focused on the Mantra swirling in his mind.
He followed its guidance, reaching out with his senses. At first, nothing.
Then, he felt it. A warm, tingling energy in the air all around him. He pulled.
It trickled in at first, then flooded. The Primordial Aether surged into him, a rushing river of power that filled his Aetherium Core.
It was exhilarating. He spent days, which felt like weeks, doing nothing but absorbing the energy.
He felt his body change, growing stronger, lighter. His senses sharpened. He could hear the whisper of cosmic winds and see the faint glow of distant nebulae.
After what felt like an eternity of training, he decided to explore.
The Hall of Echoes was a vast, silent chamber filled with pedestals.
On them rested weapons and armor, all dormant.
He felt drawn to a simple, unadorned longsword. As his fingers brushed against the hilt, a voice snapped in his head.
VOICE 1: "Hey! Paws off, you little thief! This is a high-class establishment, not a flea market for grubby children!"
Kael jumped back. "Who said that?"
VOICE 1: "Me, genius! The sword! The name's Nico. And unless you've got the spirit of a true warrior, you're not worthy to even breathe on my steel."
Before Kael could retort, a softer, melodic voice flowed into his mind from a nearby jade seal.
VOICE 2: "Hush, Nico. Can't you see he is the Inheritor? Forgive him, young master. He has been asleep for a long time and his manners have rusted. I am Liora."
NICO: "Don't you 'hush' me, you glowing paperweight! I'm just saying, this kid looks like he'd have trouble fighting his way out of a wet sack."
Kael scowled. "I'm stronger than I look."
For two months, Kael dedicated every waking moment to his training. He practiced the first move of the Starfall Swordsmanship, the Unification Move, until his arms burned and his mind was numb.
He meditated with the Starfall Mantra, his Aetherium Core growing brighter and more potent.
He progressed at a shocking rate, quickly reaching what Elder Morn called the "Early Aether Weaving" stage.
But then, he hit a wall. A solid, unbreachable wall.
No matter how much Aether he absorbed, his cultivation wouldn't budge.
The energy would flow in and then dissipate, unable to raise him to the next level.
Frustration mounted, turning into a familiar, bitter rage.
KAEL: "It's not working! I'm stuck!" he yelled, throwing a rock across the glowing field.
Elder Morn's voice was placid.
ELDER MORN: "A bottleneck. Every cultivator faces them. Your foundation is stable, but your spirit lacks the edge of true combat. Knowledge is not the same as experience."
Kael stared at the dark tower in the distance. The Gauntlet.
KAEL: "Experience... you mean fighting." A slow, dangerous grin spread across his face.
"You said I couldn't survive the first step. Let's find out."
He ignored Elder Morn's sigh of weary resignation.
He turned and strode toward the tower, his heart pounding not with fear, but with the thrilling promise of a real fight.