Kael experimented with phase-shifting, slipping through dimensional folds. One world was frozen in winter, snow suspended midair. Another bled reds and oranges, skies like molten metal.
In one mirror world, Kael glimpsed himself—but older, scarred, corrupted. It spoke: "You'll fail. The shadow will take everything. You're weak."
Kael recoiled, staggering back into his own world. The shadow within hissed, delighted.
Veyra appeared silently. "Every world is a lesson. Every version of you is a warning. Fail and the Nexus punishes not just you, but every universe you touch."
Kael's resolve hardened. He would master this power, or die trying.