Chapter 7: Beyond the Golden Mist
As the key turned, the Great Oak didn't just open; it dissolved into a swirling vortex of golden light. Rohan felt a gentle but firm pull, and before he could say goodbye to the forest, he was swept inside.
For a moment, he felt weightless, as if he were floating in a warm ocean. Then, his feet hit solid ground—but the ground felt like soft velvet. When he opened his eyes, he gasped. He was standing on a floating island high above a sea of pink and orange clouds.
"Welcome home, Guardian," Pip said, shaking his fur to get the golden dust off.
Everything was different here. The sky was a deep indigo, and instead of one sun, there were two small, glowing moons even in the daytime. In the distance, Rohan saw giant waterfalls that didn't fall down, but flowed upward into the sky. Flying creatures with translucent wings hummed like flutes as they passed by.
"Is this Aetheria?" Rohan asked, his voice filled with wonder.
"A small part of it," Pip replied, his expression turning serious. "This is the Sky-Reach Outpost. But look over there."
Pip pointed toward the horizon. Far away, a dark, jagged castle was perched on a black rock. A heavy, purple storm was brewing around it, and lightning flashed in silence.
"That is the Shadow Citadel," Pip whispered. "And the Shadow King knows you have arrived. We must reach the Queen of Light before his Winged Scouts find us."