The Iron Mountain Sect's eastern cliffs were quiet that morning, bathed in the soft light of dawn. Mist curled along the jagged stones, thickening around fissures and crevices, hiding secrets that had lain dormant for centuries. Ethan Sixx moved steadily, his crystal fragment pulsing faintly in rhythm with the subtle energies around him.
Kael Veylan trailed reluctantly, muttering under his breath. "I swear, every time we come here, you find something dangerous. I don't want to die because you're chasing glowing rocks again."
Ethan allowed a faint smile. "It is not the rocks themselves, Kael. It is what they signify. Understanding the world requires seeing what others cannot, sensing what others ignore."
Kael groaned. "You really need to stop sounding like some ancient sect legend."
Beatrice Tracy appeared from the mist, her azure robes fluttering softly as she approached. Her eyes were sharp, focused, and for the first time, there was a flicker of something else—curiosity mingled with caution.
"You've led us far enough, Ethan," she said softly, though her tone carried no reprimand. "Whatever lies ahead is not ordinary."
He nodded. "I know. But sometimes, the extraordinary is exactly what we need to see."
They approached a narrow fissure at the edge of the cliffs, barely visible through the swirling mist. A faint scarlet light pulsed from deep within, subtle yet undeniable. The crystal fragment in Ethan's pocket vibrated in response, warmth spreading through his chest.
Kael muttered under his breath, "Yep. Dangerous glowing rocks. Definitely what I wanted this morning."
Ethan and Beatrice stepped carefully over jagged stones, moving toward the fissure. The air shifted subtly, charged with an energy neither had encountered before—a presence older than any sect, older than any mortal mind.
"This… this is not ordinary," Beatrice whispered.
Ethan nodded, sensing it too. "I've felt echoes like this before, faintly… but never so strong."
Together, they peered into the fissure. The scarlet glow seemed to stretch into infinity, a tunnel of stone and light, pulsing with quiet energy.
Kael shuffled behind them, hesitating at the edge. "I'm officially scared now. And I don't even know what I'm scared of."
Ethan reached out, his hand brushing against the glowing stone. Warmth spread through him instantly, as though the fissure recognized his presence. The crystal fragment pulsed violently, synchronizing with the heartbeat of the scarlet light.
Beatrice stepped beside him, mirroring his motion. "Whatever this is… it responds to us," she said, awe and fascination mingling in her tone.
A sudden surge of energy rippled through the fissure. Ethan felt his body react instinctively, balance adjusting, senses sharpening. The world seemed to slow—the air, the stone, even Kael's panicked muttering fading into near silence.
Beatrice's eyes widened. "Do you feel that? It's… teaching us something."
Ethan nodded, focusing on the subtle vibrations pulsing through the air and stone. "It's a cultivation resonance… unlike any technique I've seen. Not mortal, not even fully sect-taught."
Kael muttered from behind, voice trembling, "Yeah, I definitely don't want to touch that."
The fissure's scarlet glow seemed to pulse with quiet approval, as if acknowledging Ethan's understanding. There was no fear, no hostility—only patient observation.
As the morning sun broke through the mist, painting the cliffs in gold and scarlet, Ethan and Beatrice stepped back from the fissure. Something had shifted, subtle but undeniable. Their eyes met—a shared recognition of the extraordinary forces they had just glimpsed, and an unspoken agreement that they would face it together.
"You move… instinctively," Beatrice said softly. "I've trained my whole life to anticipate, to react… but beside you, I feel… aligned."
Ethan inclined his head. "And you guide me as much as I guide you. Together, we see things differently—more clearly."
Kael, exasperated as ever, muttered, "I think I'm just a background character in this story now."
Ethan ignored him, focusing instead on the faint pulse of scarlet light still lingering in the fissure. Somewhere in the depths of the cliffs, unseen forces waited, patient and ancient. And somewhere, silently, the first whispers of a Forbidden Zone had begun to test them—teaching, challenging, and awakening something within both Ethan and Beatrice.
As the day stretched onward, the world around them seemed larger, more dangerous, and infinitely more mysterious. And for the first time, Ethan realized that the journey ahead would not just be about survival, strength, or technique—but about discovering the forces hidden in the very fabric of the world itself.