The northern plateau of Crestfall was bathed in an amber dawn, the mist curling around jagged spires of stone like living threads. Ethan Sixx moved along the cliffs with deliberate care, each step measured, his senses attuned to the mountain's subtle pulse. The wind tugged at his cloak, carrying with it scents of pine, frost, and the faint tang of something unfamiliar, hidden in the depths of the plateau.
It had been several days since he had first touched the crystal fragment buried in the narrow fissure. Its warmth still lingered in his palm, a quiet reminder that he had awakened something that was not entirely his own. He had spent hours testing his movements, leaping across jagged stones and crouching against the wind, learning the language of the mountain. Each trial, each careful breath, made him aware of the mountain in ways ordinary disciples could never perceive.
Kael Veylan trailed behind him, his presence tense, eyes scanning the cliffs with a mixture of irritation and unease. "You're obsessed, Sixx. Even the elders warned you not to wander here alone," Kael said, his voice low and sharp. "You're not ready for what lies beyond these cliffs."
Ethan glanced back at him, calm, his gaze steady. "Perhaps the mountain disagrees," he replied. "It has a way of showing who is ready and who is not."
Kael's jaw tightened. He had trained for years under the strict guidance of the Iron Mountain Sect, mastering Mortal Body exercises that tested strength, endurance, and precision. Yet, watching Ethan move, he could not deny the subtle difference. It was as if the boy's body and mind were not simply following lessons, but responding to the mountain itself, guided by something innate and far older than any manual of training.
Hours passed as they ascended, and the plateau stretched into unfamiliar terrain. Narrow ledges gave way to fissures that plunged into darkness, hidden under layers of mist. Ethan moved with a grace that seemed effortless, his instincts guiding him to the safest paths, while Kael struggled to match his pace. The crystal fragment in Ethan's pocket pulsed faintly, a soft thrum that seemed to echo the rhythm of his heartbeat, as if affirming that the trials of the plateau were being noted by some unseen force.
Near the edge of the plateau, Ethan spotted it again: the scarlet shimmer of a faint light deep within a crevice. His pulse quickened—not from fear, but from anticipation. He crouched, examining the fissure, feeling the subtle vibration of energy resonating within it. It was faint, almost imperceptible, yet it drew him in like a current beneath the earth.
Kael followed, his curiosity mixed with caution. "What is it this time? Another trick of the wind?"
Ethan's lips curved into a faint smile. "Not the wind… something else. Something old."
The shimmer seemed to react to his presence, pulsing brighter for a moment before retreating deeper into the fissure. Ethan rose and stepped closer, his body instinctively balancing on the narrow ledge. He could feel the mountain beneath his feet, sensing its subtle vibrations and the patterns of stone shifting with the day's wind. It was as if the plateau itself were alive, acknowledging him, testing him.
"You really believe it's alive?" Kael asked, voice almost a whisper.
Ethan did not answer. He crouched and touched the crystal fragment, letting its warmth flow into him. The light pulsed again, stronger this time, and a faint hum vibrated through the rocks. A small gust of wind whipped across the ledge, carrying with it a strange resonance that made Kael step back instinctively.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. He sensed the faint tremor of energy beneath the plateau, a pulse that was neither animal nor human. It moved with a purpose, observing him, waiting. And though he could not see it fully, he understood one truth: the plateau was not merely stone and wind. Something older, something patient, had awakened in response to him.
For a long moment, silence fell over the cliffs. Kael shifted uneasily, but Ethan remained still, letting the resonance of the mountain and the crystal fragment wash over him. Every breath, every heartbeat, felt amplified, as though he were connected to the very pulse of Crestfall itself.
Hours passed, and the sun sank low over the horizon. Shadows stretched across the plateau, merging with the mist, and Ethan finally turned to descend. Kael followed reluctantly, his gaze lingering on the fissure as though sensing the invisible eyes that watched them.
Back at the main hall of the Iron Mountain Sect, whispers followed Ethan's return. Disciples spoke quietly of the boy who moved as if the mountain itself obeyed him. Even the elders, seated in their high chairs of stone and oak, exchanged glances that spoke volumes. Master Korrath, watching from the shadows, remained silent, his eyes calculating.
He had seen many prodigies in his long years of teaching, yet Ethan's progress was unusual, even for an extraordinary Mortal Body cultivator. There was something in the boy's awareness, his ability to perceive and adapt, that went beyond simple talent. It was instinct, intuition… and perhaps something more.
Ethan, unaware of the weight of the gazes upon him, settled into his room, the crystal fragment resting beside him. Its glow was faint but steady, a quiet companion in the encroaching night. Somewhere deep within the northern cliffs, a fragment of hidden power pulsed softly, acknowledging him.
And though he could not yet understand it, he felt the stirrings of something far greater, a promise of trials, revelations, and a world beyond the sect's stone walls that waited silently for him to awaken.