The air on the eastern cliffs had grown thick with mist, the rising sun barely piercing the veil of white that wrapped the jagged rocks like a shroud. Ethan Sixx stood at the edge of the fissure, the crystal fragment in his pocket pulsing warmly, almost as if it were alive. Beatrice Tracy's presence beside him was quiet, steady—a calm anchor in the swirling uncertainty of the Forbidden Zone before them.
Kael Veylan, trailing a few steps behind, muttered darkly, "I still don't understand why we're here. And I definitely don't understand why I'm the one carrying the rope."
Ethan inclined his head slightly without looking back. "Because this is not merely a test of strength, Kael. This is a test of perception, instinct, and understanding."
Kael groaned, but said nothing more. He had learned, the hard way, that arguing with Ethan during moments like this was pointless.
The fissure yawned before them, a jagged crack in the stone cliffs, scarlet light pulsing faintly from within. It was narrow, twisting downward like a hidden vein in the mountain. The air was charged, electric and heavy with an energy that seemed older than time itself.
Beatrice approached cautiously, her hand hovering just above the glowing stone as if it might spring to life at any moment. "Do you feel that?" she whispered. "It's… watching us."
Ethan nodded, his eyes narrowing. The warmth of the crystal fragment spread through his chest, and for the first time, he noticed a subtle vibration in the stone beneath his feet—a rhythm almost like a heartbeat. "It is patient," he said. "Observing. Testing. Not attacking. We proceed carefully, and we will learn more than we expect."
Kael muttered under his breath, "Yeah, patient… until it kills us. Got it."
They descended into the fissure slowly, the walls narrowing around them, forcing them to move single file. The scarlet glow pulsed faintly, illuminating ancient runes etched into the stone—symbols Ethan did not recognize, yet felt strangely familiar, like echoes from the back of his mind.
Beatrice glanced at the carvings, her eyes tracing the lines of the runes. "These markings… they're not from any sect I've known. This is older than even the elders here. Perhaps much older than the Iron Mountain Sect itself."
Ethan reached out and lightly touched one of the runes. A faint warmth spread up his arm, and a soft vibration thrummed in the crystal fragment. He could feel the fissure reacting to him, as if acknowledging his presence. "It's alive," he murmured. "Not in the way we understand life… but in a deeper sense. A force embedded into the stone itself."
Kael shivered. "Alive? Is it alive? Are you trying to scare me? Because it's working."
Ethan ignored him, focusing instead on the subtle rhythm of energy flowing through the walls. There was a pattern here—a hidden message or perhaps a mechanism waiting to be awakened.
As they delved deeper, the passage opened into a wider cavern. The scarlet light grew stronger, casting long, flickering shadows across the jagged rock formations. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of minerals and an underlying, almost intoxicating, energy.
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed through the chamber. Stones shifted beneath their feet, and a faint, ghostly whisper seemed to echo along the walls. Ethan felt the crystal fragment pulse violently, and instinctively he moved in front of Beatrice, his senses heightened.
"What now?" Kael asked nervously.
Ethan's eyes scanned the chamber, noting the subtle movement of shadows. "This place is testing us," he said. "It responds to presence, to intent, to awareness. We cannot act recklessly."
Beatrice's eyes gleamed with interest rather than fear. "Then we move carefully… and learn."
A fissure in the far wall suddenly opened, revealing a pool of faintly glowing liquid. Its surface shimmered with a subtle scarlet light, rippling as if disturbed by unseen hands. Ethan felt the energy radiating from the pool, resonating with the crystal fragment, and he knew instinctively that it was a resource of extraordinary power—a rare cultivation stone or perhaps something far more profound.
Kael watched nervously as Ethan and Beatrice stepped toward the pool. "I don't think we're supposed to touch it," he muttered.
Beatrice's gaze met Ethan's. "It will test us," she said softly, "but perhaps we are ready."
Ethan inclined his head. "Together."
The moment they touched the edge of the pool, a surge of energy shot through the cavern. The walls pulsed with scarlet light, and a faint echoing voice filled the chamber—not words, but impressions, impressions that spoke directly to their minds.
Beatrice gasped softly. "It's… teaching us."
Ethan felt his body react instinctively. His Mortal Body movements adapted without conscious thought, responding to the energy patterns of the pool, aligning with Beatrice's own subtle adjustments. It was as if the cavern itself demanded coordination, focus, and harmony—testing them not just individually, but as a unit.
Kael, meanwhile, clutched his rope tightly, muttering, "I hate this. I'm too old for psychic pools and whispering walls."
The crystal fragment pulsed in unison with the pool, warmth spreading through Ethan's body. He could feel a faint shift in his perception—a subtle awareness of flow, balance, and resonance. Beatrice mirrored his stance, her movements instinctive, her breathing synchronized with his. Together, they became a single entity in motion, responding to the pool's hidden currents.
The whispering impressions grew stronger, guiding their steps, teaching them a rhythm of energy manipulation that neither sect had ever recorded. It was subtle, faint—but unmistakably a unique cultivation technique, perhaps lost to history, buried in this Forbidden Zone.
Beatrice's voice was soft but certain. "This… this could change everything. Not just our technique, but how we perceive energy itself."
Ethan nodded, sensing the same truth. "And it begins with patience, observation… and synchronization."
After what felt like hours—but could have been mere minutes—the pool's light dimmed, settling into a calm glow. Ethan and Beatrice stepped back, breathing steady, eyes meeting with a quiet acknowledgment.
Kael blinked, utterly bewildered. "Did… did we survive some kind of mystical energy storm? And did I just watch two people synchronize with a glowing pool like it's a dance recital?"
Ethan allowed a faint smile. "We learned… something rare. Something that cannot be taught in the usual sects. But it is only the beginning. There are forces here older and deeper than we yet comprehend."
Beatrice nodded. "And we will face them together. This bond… this understanding… it is stronger than the trials outside."
The scarlet light of the pool faded to a subtle shimmer, leaving only the faint echo of its energy behind. Yet in that echo, Ethan felt the unmistakable pulse of potential—the first step into forbidden cultivation techniques that could alter everything about Mortal Body discipleship, and perhaps even beyond.
As they exited the cavern, the mist of the cliffs seemed lighter, the air fresher. The world beyond the fissure awaited—dangerous, mysterious, and full of untapped potential.
Ethan glanced at Beatrice, a quiet determination in his eyes. "This is only the beginning," he said.
Beatrice's lips curved into a small, confident smile. "And we will walk it together."
Kael sighed, resigned. "I am going to be the oldest, grumpiest, and possibly most traumatized disciple in the Iron Mountain Sect by the time this is over."
Ethan laughed quietly, the warmth of the crystal fragment pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. Somewhere in the northern plateau, hidden forces stirred, patient and watchful. And for the first time, Ethan understood with certainty that the journey ahead would not be defined by simple strength, but by perception, instinct, trust—and the bonds formed in the crucible of challenges only the Forbidden Zones could provide.
The path forward was perilous. The scarlet fissures whispered. The ancient energies waited. And Ethan Sixx, with Beatrice Tracy by his side, was ready to defy every expectation.