The World is my Playground

The wind howled through the skeletal remains of the forest, twisting through the dead branches like a whisper of ghosts in torment. Kaelin pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders, his breath vapored in the cold night air. Beside him, Eira walked with silent determination, her gaze switching between the worn parchment of the map and the shard fragment clutched tightly in her free hand. The artifact pulsed faintly, its glow barely perceptible beneath her fingers.

They had been walking for hours, guided only by the map and the fragment's pull. The Joker Mage's castle was far behind them now, yet a lingering unease pressed against Aethon's senses. It wasn't exhaustion or the relentless cold. It was the feeling of being watched, a lot of forces were now down against Kaelins journey

"We should rest soon," Eira murmured, scanning the dense valley ahead.

Kaelin nodded absently but said nothing. His focus remained fixed on the unease of the atmosphere, the twisting trees, the shifting shadows. Something wasn't right. He felt it in his bones. "Do you feel it?" he asked finally. Eira frowned. "Feel what?"

In a pause, he muttered "We're not alone."

Eira didn't argue. Instead, she pressed her palm against the grass and closed her eyes.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Eira's eyes snapped open, her expression tightening. "You're right," she whispered. " something is following us."

Far behind them, concealed by the thick embrace of night, Lyrex watched.

A slow smirk curled her lips. They were exactly where she wanted them.

Her orders had been clear. The Architect had no interest in Kaelin's death. No—death would be too easy. The boy was a vessel to something far greater than his fragile human mind could comprehend. The Architect didn't need him dead. He needed him to break and Lyrex? She was more than happy to make that happen.

The moment sleep claimed Kaelin, his mind was pulled into a world that was not the present, but something far older. He stood in the middle of a great stone chamber, Hooded figures surrounded him, their hands raised, their voices merging into a single, unbroken chant. At the center of the room, a massive glowing sphere hovered above an altar—the Orb of Eternity, alive with impossible light.

Then he saw him.

A lone figure stood before the altar, his dark robes shifting unnaturally, as if the fabric itself was part of the void. The Architect.

His face was obscured, but Aethon could feel the weight of his gaze pressing against his soul, a force too vast for mortal comprehension.

The seal will not hold forever. The words were not spoken aloud. They carve themselves directly into Kaelin's mind. "The Orb is both salvation and doom. Choose wisely."

The scene shattered.

Kaelin woke with a gasp, his body drenched in cold sweat.

Eira was already awake, her gaze sharp. "What happened?" she asked. He hesitated. How could he explain something that felt more like a memory than a dream? By midday, they reached the ruins, the next place on the map, where a fragment of the orb was to be.

Eira ran her fingers over one of the inscriptions, muttering an incantation under her breath, the language of the ancients whispering into existence.

"He who bears the shard carries the Architect's shadow… Beware the path unseen."

The words sent a chill through Aethon's bones. He looked down at the fragment in his possession, His reaction like be was looking at a ghost. He turned to Eira, but before he could speak, The attack came. Lyrex moved like a shadow, her blade singing as it cut through the air. Eira barely had time to react, throwing up a barrier of shimmering blue light just as the dagger struck. The force of the impact sent her skidding backward. Kaelin summoned Gaiadon, an Earth Elemental Beast, it's figure dragon like, mountain sized and with Hill like spikes on its back, he climbed into its back summoning a flame sword and dashing towards Lyrex with literal hate in his eyes.

She grinned, her crimson eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.

Their blades met in a clash of steel and sparks. But Lyrex wasn't fighting to kill—she was testing him, forcing him to react, pushing him closer and closer toward something unseen.

Then, as if responding to the battle, the shard fragment in Kaelin's pocket began to glow—brighter than before, pulsing in time with his heartbeat.

Lyrex's grin widened. "That's it," she whispered. "Let him in."

Kaelin's vision blurred. A second heartbeat pounded in his skull. For a split second, he wasn't standing in the ruins. He was somewhere else, a place where the sky was nothing but shifting darkness, where an unseen force loomed over him with infinite hunger.

A voice, deeper than the void itself, echoed in his mind.

"You're still lost"

Then reality snapped back, and Kaelin staggered, his breathing ragged.

Lyrex chuckled. "You can fight it all you want," she said, flipping her dagger effortlessly in her grip. "But you already belong to him."

Kaelin was stuck trying to find meaning in her words, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt like he was losing himself.

From the Author:

I sincerely apologize for the long pause in updates. Life got in the way, and I had to step away from writing for a while. But I haven't forgotten this story or your support, and I'm excited to return with new chapters soon. Thank you for your patience and for sticking with me, I truly appreciate it!

Stay tuned for more updates!