3 The Gate Between Worlds
The Fold Gate stood like a monument to a civilization that had died before history began.
Three days of hard travel through the Ashwood Forest had brought Vex and Kira to the edge of a massive clearing, and there it waited—a ring of black stone fifty feet tall, carved with symbols that hurt to look at directly. The air around it shimmered and twisted, reality bending in on itself like water circling a drain.
Through the gate's center, instead of seeing the other side of the clearing, Vex saw something else entirely: a glimpse of towers and lights, of a city that sprawled beneath a different sky.
Merzhan. The Merchant's Paradise.
"First time seeing a Fold Gate?" Kira asked, smirking at his expression.
"Yes." Vex didn't bother hiding his fascination. The gate was magnificent—a scar in reality itself, connecting two continents that floated thousands of miles apart through the void. "How does it work?"
"Nobody knows. The Ancestors built them ten thousand years ago, back when they ruled all the Fold Realms. Then they vanished, and we've been picking through their leftovers ever since." She started walking toward the gate. "Come on. The crossing feels weird the first time, but you get used to it."
A guard station sat beside the gate, a small fortified building where two bored-looking soldiers in mismatched armor watched travelers come and go. One was reading a book. The other was eating an apple.
"Toll," the apple-eater said without looking up. "Two silver crescents per person."
"I've got it." Kira pulled out four silver coins and dropped them on the counter. The guard counted them with one hand, still eating his apple with the other, then waved them through without a word.
"That's it?" Vex asked as they approached the gate. "No questions? No inspection?"
"Merzhan is a free port. They don't care who comes or why, as long as you pay the toll." Kira stopped at the edge of the gate's shimmer. "Now, when we step through, you're going to feel like you're being turned inside out. Don't fight it. Don't panic. Just keep walking forward. If you stop in the middle, you'll get stuck between dimensions, and that's a really unpleasant way to die."
"Noted."
"Also, time moves differently in the fold between worlds. It'll feel like you're walking for hours, but only a few seconds will pass. Just keep following me."
Vex nodded, studying the shimmer. Up close, he could see colors that shouldn't exist—shades that his eyes couldn't quite process, that made his brain itch trying to interpret them.
"Ready?" Kira asked.
"Always."
She smiled at that and stepped forward into the shimmer.
She vanished instantly, there one moment and gone the next, as if she'd never existed.
Vex took a breath, then followed.
The world folded.
That was the only way to describe it. Reality bent around him, through him, inside him. He felt his body stretch impossibly thin, felt every atom of his being pulled in different directions at once. Colors exploded behind his eyes—impossible colors, terrible colors, beautiful colors.
Sound became taste became touch became something without a name.
He was walking, but his feet touched nothing. He was breathing, but there was no air. He was thinking, but his thoughts scattered across a thousand possible versions of himself, each one walking through a different nightmare reflection of the corridor between worlds.
In one reflection, he was older, scarred and powerful, standing atop a mountain of corpses wearing crimson robes. In another, he was dead, his body rotting in the Ashwood Forest, food for the gray trees. In a third, he was something else entirely—something that wasn't quite human anymore, with eyes that burned like stars and a smile that could freeze souls.
Keep walking, he told himself, or maybe Kira told him, or maybe the universe itself whispered the command. Don't stop. Don't look too closely. Don't think too hard.
Time stretched. Compressed. Became meaningless.
And then—
Pop.
Reality snapped back into place like a rubber band, and Vex stumbled forward onto solid ground, gasping.
"First time's always rough," Kira said. She stood a few feet away, completely composed, as if she'd just taken a pleasant stroll. "But you did better than most. Some people vomit. Some scream. One guy I traveled with shit himself."
Vex straightened slowly, his head still spinning. The visions were fading already, slipping away like dreams upon waking, but fragments remained. The mountain of corpses. His own rotting body. Those burning eyes.
"What were those things?" he asked. "The reflections?"
"Possible futures. Possible pasts. Possible yous that exist in timelines that never happened." Kira shrugged. "The space between gates is weird. It's all the possibilities collapsing into one actuality. Some people think it's how the Ancestors saw the universe—not as a single timeline, but as infinite branching paths."
"That's…" Vex searched for the word. "Terrifying."
"Yeah. But also kind of beautiful, right?" Kira grinned. "Come on. Welcome to Merzhan."
Vex looked up, and his breath caught.
They stood on a platform of white stone at the edge of a city that defied belief. Merzhan sprawled before them like something out of a fever dream—a maze of towers and bridges, markets and alleyways, colors and lights that made the Ashwood Forest's perpetual gloom seem like a distant memory.
The sky here was a vibrant blue, the sun actually bright and warm. Hundreds of different architectural styles clashed and merged—some buildings looked ancient, carved from a single piece of stone, while others were clearly new, built from materials that gleamed like metal and glass.
And the people. Gods, the people.
They came in every shape, size, and color imaginable. Humans mingled with things that were decidedly not human—tall figures with gray skin and too many joints, short stocky creatures with beards that dragged on the ground, elegant beings that seemed to be made of living crystal.
Some wore elaborate robes, others practical leather, and a few wore nothing but paint and jewels.
The noise was overwhelming—a thousand conversations in a hundred languages, merchants hawking their wares, street performers singing and juggling, the clang of metal from forge districts, the hum of Relic Technology powering lights and machines.
"Big, isn't it?" Kira said, watching his reaction. "Merzhan is the largest free port in the Fold Realms. Sixteen million people from a thousand different continents, all here to trade, fight, fuck, or disappear. Everything is for sale here. Everything. Skills, powers, memories, souls. If you can dream it, someone in Merzhan sells it."
"It's incredible," Vex breathed.
"It's dangerous. Stay close, don't make eye contact with anyone who looks too interested, and for the love of the Ancestors, don't accept any food or drink from strangers. Half the people here would sell you to the flesh markets without blinking."
They descended from the platform into the city proper, joining the river of humanity flowing through wide streets paved with colored stones.
Vex kept his head down but his eyes alert, absorbing everything. Weapon shops displayed blades that hummed with power. Alchemy stores had windows filled with bubbling potions in impossible colors. A tattoo parlor advertised "Permanent Power Marks—Guaranteed Results or Your Money Back!"
A street preacher stood on a box, screaming about the return of the Ancestors. A group of children played dice in an alley, betting copper coins. Two men in expensive suits argued in a language Vex didn't recognize while a woman in armor watched them with predatory patience.
"The Gray Blades headquarters is in the Rust Quarter," Kira explained as they walked. "It's not the nicest part of Merzhan, but it's not the worst either. Mercenary companies cluster there because the rent is cheap and the city guard doesn't ask too many questions."
"How long have you been with them?"
"I'm not with them yet. I was supposed to join three months ago, but I got sidetracked." She smiled grimly. "Had to handle some personal business. But they'll still take me. Commander Velk always needs fresh meat."
They turned down a narrower street, and the atmosphere changed immediately. The buildings here were older, more worn, made of rusted metal and crumbling stone. The people looked harder, more dangerous.
Vex saw scars on every face, weapons on every hip. This was where warriors lived—the kind of warriors who killed for money and didn't lose sleep over it.
The Gray Blades headquarters was a three-story building that looked like it had survived at least two wars and a major fire. A sign above the door showed a crossed pair of swords, both painted gray and dripping with what might have been blood or rust.
Men and women lounged outside, some drinking, some sharpening weapons, all watching the street with the casual alertness of professional killers.
"Wait here," Kira said, stopping a few buildings away. "Let me talk to Velk first. If I just show up with a twelve-year-old, she'll kick both our asses out. But if I explain the situation, frame it right, she might be interested."
"What are you going to tell her?"
"That you're my thirteen-year-old cousin from the outer continents, you've got combat training, and you're looking to join up." Kira studied him critically. "Can you fight at all?"
"I had a combat instructor for two years before he quit."
"Why did he quit?"
"He said teaching me made him uncomfortable."
"Of course it did." Kira sighed. "Okay, if she asks you to demonstrate, just show the basics. Stance, blocks, strikes. Nothing fancy. Try to look competent but not threatening. Can you do that?"
Vex smiled his pleasant smile. "I can pretend to be anything you need."
"That's what worries me." She paused, then added, "Look, Velk is smart. Really smart. If she figures out you're lying about your age, or if she senses something off about you, she'll kick us out. So just… be normal. Can you do normal?"
"I'll try my best."
"That's a no, then. Great." Kira rubbed her face. "Okay. Fuck it. Wait here. If this goes wrong, run. The Rust Quarter isn't safe for lone kids."
She walked toward the Gray Blades headquarters, her hand resting casually on one of her daggers. The mercenaries outside watched her approach, some nodding in recognition. One said something Vex couldn't hear, and Kira laughed, replying with easy familiarity. Then she disappeared inside.
Vex waited in the shadows of a nearby building, watching the street. A drunk stumbled past, singing off-key. Two women argued about money in a doorway. A cart rumbled by, pulled by something that looked like a horse but had six legs and scales instead of fur.
His feet still hurt, despite Kira's wraps. His stomach was empty—they'd finished the last of their food yesterday. His nightclothes were filthy and torn. By all rights, he should be miserable.
Instead, he felt alive.
This was it. The beginning of his path. The Gray Blades would teach him to kill professionally. He'd learn discipline, technique, strategy. He'd make connections, gather information, understand how the power structures of the Fold Realms worked.
And someday, when he was ready, he'd use all of it to destroy the Crimson Spire.
The door to the headquarters opened, and Kira emerged. She jerked her head in a "come here" gesture.
Vex pushed off the wall and walked toward her, keeping his expression neutral.
"Good news or bad news first?" Kira asked quietly.
"Bad news."
"Velk sees right through bullshit, including my story about you being thirteen. She took one look at me and knew I was lying."
"And the good news?"
"She doesn't care. She says if you can survive the initiation trial, she'll take you regardless of age." Kira smiled grimly. "Which brings us to the second piece of bad news: the initiation trial for the Gray Blades is brutal. As in, people die brutal. As in, last batch of recruits, three out of twelve died brutal."
"What is it?"
"You'll find out. Velk wants to see you now. Remember—be respectful, don't lie unless you absolutely have to, and whatever happens, don't show fear. She respects strength and hates weakness."
Vex nodded and followed her inside.
The interior of the Gray Blades headquarters was surprisingly organized. Weapon racks lined the walls, each blade perfectly maintained. Training dummies stood in rows, their surfaces scarred from countless strikes.
A board covered in papers and maps dominated one wall—contracts, Vex realized. Jobs. Targets.
Commander Velk sat behind a desk at the far end of the room, and Vex understood immediately why Kira had warned him.
She was enormous—not tall, but broad, with shoulders like a bull and arms thick with muscle. Scars covered every visible inch of her skin, creating a tapestry of past violence. One eye was milky white, clearly blind. The other was a vivid green and focused on Vex with predatory intensity.
She wore simple leather armor and had a greatsword propped against her desk that looked like it weighed more than Vex did.
"So," Velk said, her voice a low rumble. "Kira tells me you want to join my company."
"Yes, ma'am."
"She also tells me you're thirteen, which is the most obvious lie I've heard all week. You're twelve. Maybe eleven."
No point lying. "Twelve."
"Honest. Good." Velk leaned back in her chair, which creaked under her weight. "Kira says your family was killed by the Crimson Spire. That true?"
"Yes."
"And you want revenge."
It wasn't a question, but Vex answered anyway. "Yes."
"Kid, do you have any idea how many orphans come to me wanting revenge? How many broken children think learning to stab people will make them feel whole again?" Velk's green eye bored into him. "Revenge is a shitty motivation. It makes you reckless. Makes you stupid. Makes you dead."
"I understand."
"Do you?" She stood up, and Vex had to tilt his head back to meet her eye. She was at least seven feet tall. "Let me tell you what happens to revenge-seekers. They train hard. They get strong. They take on jobs that are too dangerous because they're trying to prove something. And then they die in some shitty alley with their guts spilling out, wondering why their tragic backstory didn't make them invincible."
"I won't be like that."
"They all say that." Velk walked around the desk, circling him like a predator. "But you know what? I'm going to give you a chance anyway. Know why?"
"No."
"Because Kira vouched for you, and Kira has good instincts. And because you've got something in your eyes—something cold and calculating. You're not here for revenge, not really. You're here because you want power, and revenge is just a convenient excuse."
She stopped in front of him. "Am I wrong?"
Vex met her gaze steadily. Lying would be pointless. This woman had seen through thousands of liars, killers, and broken souls. She'd know.
"You're not wrong," he admitted.
Velk's scarred face split into a grin. "There it is. Honesty. I like you, kid. You're a little psychopath, but at least you're self-aware about it."
She turned back to her desk. "Here's the deal. You pass the initiation trial, you're in. You fail, you're out. You die, well, you're dead. The trial happens in three days. Until then, Kira is responsible for you. She vouched for you, so your fuckups are her fuckups. Clear?"
"Clear."
"Good. Kira, get him some proper clothes, shoes, and food. He looks like he crawled out of a grave." Velk sat back down, already dismissing them. "And kid? One more thing."
"Yes?"
"The Crimson Spire is one of the Seven Great Powers. They have resources, soldiers, and powers you can't even imagine. If you really want to bring them down, you're going to need more than just skill with a blade. You're going to need to become something exceptional. Something terrifying."
She smiled, showing teeth. "Think you can do that?"
Vex smiled back, and for just a moment, he let the mask slip completely. Let her see the cold, empty thing behind his eyes. The thing that had smiled at his family's burning estate. The thing that would someday stand atop a mountain of corpses wearing crimson robes.
"Yes," he said simply. "I can."
Velk held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded. "Get out of my office. I've got work to do."
Kira grabbed Vex's shoulder and steered him toward the door. As they left, Vex heard Velk mutter, "Either that kid's going to be legendary, or he's going to get everyone around him killed. Maybe both."
Outside, in the warm Merzhan sun, Kira let out a breath she'd been holding. "Well, that went better than expected. She usually makes recruits beg."
"She liked me."
"She's terrified of you, which for Velk, is basically the same thing." Kira started walking down the street. "Come on. Let's get you set up. You've got three days to prepare for whatever nightmare she's got planned, and trust me, you're going to need every second."
Vex followed, his mind already racing. Three days. Then the trial. Then training. Then power.
The path forward was clear.
And somewhere in the Crimson Spire, an old Executor who smelled of ozone and blood was probably eating dinner, completely unaware that his death had just started walking toward him.
Vex whistled his cheerful tune as they disappeared into the crowded streets of Merzhan, and somewhere in the distance, thunder rumbled across a clear sky.
[End of Chapter 3]