POV: KAELIS
Timeline: One hour after Kieran's capture
Location: Edge of the Tidelands → Storm Paths
---
The entrance to the Storm Paths is terrifying.
We stand at the highest point of the Tidelands—a cliff that shouldn't exist underwater but does because magic—and stare at the tear in reality before us.
It's not a portal.
It's a wound.
The sky itself is ripped open, showing swirling chaos beyond. Lightning crackles. Wind howls from nowhere. The air tastes like ozone and death.
"This is insane," I say.
"Completely," Nyx agrees.
"We're doing it anyway," Ravion adds.
---
We're all armed.
Ravion in full shadow armor, weapons strapped everywhere.
Nyx with his water constructs already forming around him.
Me with—well, I have my chaos magic and a desperate need to save my twin.
"The paths shift," Nyx explains. "We'll need to move fast. No stopping. No hesitation. One wrong step—"
"We fall into void space and die horribly," I finish. "You mentioned that. Several times."
"I want you prepared."
"I'm prepared to save my brother. Everything else is secondary."
---
Ravion moves beside me.
"When we enter, stay close. The paths will try to separate us. Resist. Hold on to each other if you have to."
"Literally or metaphorically?"
"Both."
"Great. Love that."
Nyx takes my hand.
Ravion takes the other.
"Together," Nyx says.
"Together," we agree.
---
We step through the tear.
Reality breaks.
That's the only way to describe it.
One moment we're standing on solid ground.
The next we're falling—flying—running through something that's not quite sky, not quite water, not quite anything.
The Storm Paths are made of solidified lightning and crystallized wind and the screams of forgotten gods.
Or at least that's what it feels like.
"Keep moving!" Nyx shouts over the roar.
---
We're running on a path that's barely there—flickering between existence and nothing.
On either side, void space yawns.
I can see things moving in it.
Things that shouldn't exist.
"Don't look!" Ravion commands.
Too late.
I looked.
One of the void creatures notices.
Starts moving toward us.
"FUCK!"
"What did I just say?!"
"I PANICKED!"
---
The creature is getting closer.
It's made of teeth and hunger and wrong.
Nyx throws a water spear at it.
The creature eats it.
Keeps coming.
"Suggestions?!" I yell.
"RUN FASTER!"
We do.
---
The path ahead splits.
Three directions.
"Which way?!" I gasp.
"Left!" Ravion shouts.
"Right!" Nyx yells at the same time.
They look at each other.
"Left takes us through the Screaming Winds—" Ravion starts.
"Right goes past the Temporal Rifts—" Nyx interrupts.
"MIDDLE!" I shout. "We go middle!"
"There is no middle path—"
---
I blast the center with water magic.
The path appears.
Unstable.
Flickering.
But there.
"THERE IS NOW! MOVE!"
We take the middle path I just created.
It's crumbling behind us as we run.
The void creature is still chasing.
"Ideas?!" Ravion shouts.
"I'm fresh out!" I admit.
"Typical!"
"GUYS! FOCUS!"
---
We burst through another tear.
The path stabilizes slightly.
The creature can't follow—it slams into some invisible barrier and falls shrieking into the void.
We collapse onto the relatively solid path, gasping.
"That was too close," Nyx pants.
"How much further?" I ask.
"Halfway. Maybe."
"MAYBE?!"
"The paths shift! I can't be exact!"
---
Ravion stands, pulling us up.
"We need to keep moving. Resting makes us targets."
"What else is out here?" I ask, looking around nervously.
"Things best not mentioned."
"THAT'S NOT REASSURING!"
"It's not meant to be. Come on."
---
We run again.