Chapter 4: Into the Abyss

Kael and Renn journeyed deeper into the remnants of the Iron Reach, the ruins stretching before them like the skeletal remains of a long-dead titan. Towering spires, cracked and hollow, cast jagged shadows beneath the fractured sky. The air was thick with the scent of rust and old Ether, a lingering reminder of the countless battles fought on these lands.

They had been walking for hours, guided only by the distant glow of a waygate—their first step toward Elderspire. Yet something about the ruins unsettled Kael. It wasn't just the silence or the eerie glow of the remnants of past battles—it was the sensation that something, or someone, was watching them.

Renn, always perceptive, seemed to sense it too. "We should pick up the pace," he muttered. "This place doesn't like visitors."

Kael nodded, but before they could take another step, a deep, guttural growl echoed from the ruins ahead. They froze. From the darkness of a collapsed archway, a pair of glowing eyes emerged. Then another. And another.

The creatures that slithered forth were unlike anything Kael had ever seen—twisted, gaunt forms with elongated limbs and jagged, bone-like protrusions along their backs. Their bodies shimmered unnaturally, as though they were partially formed from Ether itself.

"Etherborn Wraiths," Renn hissed, already drawing his daggers. "This just got a lot worse."

Kael readied his Etherblade, its crackling energy illuminating the oncoming beasts. "They don't seem friendly."

"They aren't." Renn shifted into a defensive stance. "They're remnants of warriors who've lost themselves to the Ether. If they touch you, they can drain your very essence."

Kael exhaled, steadying himself. "Then let's make sure they don't."

The first wraith lunged, its movement unnatural, as if it flickered between moments. Kael barely had time to react, raising his blade to meet the attack. The moment his weapon connected, a surge of cold rushed through his arm, as though the wraith had tried to siphon his life force. Gritting his teeth, he pushed forward, driving his blade through the creature's chest. It let out a bone-chilling screech before dissolving into tendrils of dark Ether.

Renn moved like a phantom, ducking and weaving between the wraiths, his daggers flashing with bursts of Etherflow as he struck. But for every wraith they cut down, another seemed to emerge from the ruins, their numbers endless.

"We can't keep this up!" Renn shouted as he sidestepped a swipe from a wraith's claw. "We need an exit—now!"

Kael scanned the battlefield, his mind racing. That's when he saw it—an old stone bridge leading to the waygate, partially collapsed but still intact. It was their only chance.

"There!" Kael called, slashing through another wraith. "Get to the bridge!"

They sprinted, dodging and striking as the wraiths pursued them with inhuman shrieks. The ground trembled beneath their feet, the very air rippling with Etheric distortion as the creatures surged forward.

Kael reached the bridge first, turning to cover Renn's escape. The rogue leapt onto the stone path just as a wraith lunged at him. Without thinking, Kael reached out, grabbing Renn's arm and pulling him forward. The wraith's claws barely missed, carving deep grooves into the bridge's surface.

"Move!" Kael shouted, and together they raced toward the waygate.

The moment they reached the glowing portal, Kael turned back to face the horde of wraiths still clawing toward them. He clenched his fist, summoning the last reserves of his Etherflow. With a final slash, he sent a wave of energy surging forward, carving a barrier between them and the creatures.

Then, without hesitation, they stepped through the waygate—into the unknown.

The world shifted. A sensation like falling through endless sky consumed them, Ether wrapping around their bodies in spirals of light and shadow. And then—solid ground.

They landed in a new world, far from the ruins of the Iron Reach. The sky above was a brilliant shade of violet, the land sprawling with ancient trees and rivers that shimmered with golden light.

Renn let out a slow breath. "Well… that was something."

Kael didn't respond. He was too busy staring at what lay before them.

In the distance, looming over the horizon like a god's throne, was the towering silhouette of Elderspire.

Their journey was only beginning.