Ren adjusted his stance as the platform slowed above the first outer isle. Shadows extended downward to tether the craft, stabilizing it against sudden gusts. His ring vibrated sharply, pointing toward the strongest pulse ahead. This was where the next Key of another dimension would react first, and the lattice there was already stirring.
He exhaled, letting the wind whip his hair across his face. The storm around Ventara was alive, but unlike Veron, it moved with intelligence. Clouds shaped into jagged funnels and spirals, arcs of electricity twisting toward invisible points. This convergence was younger, raw, chaotic in a different way. The Key of Chaos pulsed in response, but faintly, as though recognizing its distant sibling.
A soft hum came from the platform's mana cores. Veylan's voice returned. "Do not underestimate it. These islands guard the threads fiercely. You will need your full control of shadows. The storms will test both body and mind."
