The northern plateau lay shrouded in a thin mist as dawn broke, the jagged cliffs glowing softly under the pale light. Ethan Sixx moved carefully along the winding ledges, each step deliberate, each motion attuned to the subtle vibrations of stone beneath his feet. The crystal fragment in his pocket pulsed faintly, warmth radiating through his fingers, a quiet reminder of the connection he felt to the plateau and its hidden energies.
Kael Veylan followed at a measured distance, his expression taut with unease. "You've been coming here every day," he muttered, "and for what? Another scratch of curiosity? Another whisper from the cliffs?"
Ethan did not turn. "The cliffs speak to those willing to hear," he replied softly. "Strength alone will not answer questions here. Observation, patience, and understanding—these are the keys."
Kael shook his head, muttering under his breath. He had trained under rigid discipline his entire life, following the structured path of Mortal Body cultivation, yet Ethan's movements defied simple explanation. There was a rhythm, an instinct, a silent dialogue with the world around him that no amount of training could replicate.
As they approached the far end of the plateau, the mist thickened, curling around the stone like living threads. Ethan's attention was drawn to a faint glimmer—scarlet light pulsing softly from a narrow fissure he had passed before. The crystal fragment warmed in his hand, responding to the resonance of the light.
Kael frowned. "You're staring at a rock again?" he asked.
Ethan's lips curved faintly. "It is not just a rock. It is a doorway—a place where something waits, something patient, testing those who approach."
Kael's unease deepened. Even he could sense the subtle vibration in the air, a faint hum that resonated through his bones.
Suddenly, a shadow emerged from the mist. A cloaked figure, silent and precise, moved along the cliffs with unnatural grace. Kael stepped in front of Ethan, energy blade igniting in a soft blue glow.
"Who are you?" Kael demanded.
The figure did not answer. Its eyes, faintly glowing, were fixed on Ethan, unblinking. The mountain seemed to still, as if holding its breath, watching the encounter with patient curiosity.
Ethan remained calm. He sensed a subtle pulse emanating from the figure, a rhythm that matched faintly with the crystal fragment in his pocket. Whatever this presence was, it was aware of him—and perhaps more importantly, it recognized something within him that even he did not fully understand.
The figure moved suddenly, swift as the wind, then disappeared into the mist, leaving only a faint scarlet glow. Kael exhaled shakily. "I… I don't understand how you—"
Ethan shook his head. "Do not try to understand yet. Observe. Learn. Wait. That is what the mountain is teaching."
By the time they returned to the Iron Mountain Sect, the sun had dipped behind the peaks, casting long shadows across the training halls. Whispers followed their path—tales of Ethan Sixx and the strange red shimmer in the fissures, the boy who moved as though the cliffs themselves obeyed him.
Master Korrath observed from the shadows, his expression unreadable. Ethan's growth was unusual, even remarkable. The mountain had awakened something within him, something beyond what the elders had predicted for a Mortal Body disciple.
Ethan returned to his quarters, sitting quietly beside the crystal fragment. Its warmth pulsed gently, a companion in the cool night air. Outside, the wind carried the faint whispers of the cliffs and fissures, the subtle hint of forces that lay hidden, waiting, watching.
He did not yet understand the full significance of the stirrings he felt, nor the ancient power subtly responding to his presence. Yet he knew this: the path ahead would not be ordinary. The world was stirring in response to him, ancient eyes observing, unseen forces shifting quietly, and somewhere in the distance, a scarlet shimmer pulsed—a promise of trials, awakenings, and mysteries waiting beyond the stone cliffs he had come to know so well.