Aric's legs trembled as he stood, unsteady, on the soft, mossy ground. The floating islands stretched endlessly in every direction, each one more surreal than the last. He blinked, trying to make sense of the pale green sky and the drifting shards of land.
"You shouldn't wander alone," a voice said from behind him.
He spun around to see a young woman emerging from the shadows of a twisted, glowing tree. Her cloak swirled as she moved, revealing the faint shimmer of magic running along her sleeves. Her eyes were sharp and steady, calm in a world that made no sense.
"I… I don't even know where I am," Aric admitted, swallowing hard. His voice sounded small even to him. "One moment I was at the village… and now…" He gestured helplessly at the fractured sky above.
The woman studied him carefully, as though weighing whether he was friend or threat. Finally, she spoke, softer this time. "You're far from home. This is one of the Wandering Realms. Not many humans survive here on their own."
The woman studied him carefully, as though weighing whether he was friend or threat. Finally, she spoke, softer this time. "You're far from home. This is one of the Wandering Realms. Not many humans survive here on their own."
I survive?" Aric's stomach twisted. "Then… what is this place?"
"It's a world broken into pieces," she explained, gesturing to the floating islands. "A cataclysm shattered everything. Each realm drifts on its own, and the borders between them are unstable. Some are dangerous. Some… hold wonders beyond imagining." She paused. Her gaze softened slightly. "I'm Lyra. And you, clearly, need guidance."
Aric hesitated. "I'm… Aric. But why me? How did I get here?"
Lyra shook her head. "That, even I don't know. The Shattered Realms pull some people in. Only time will tell why. But for now… we need to move. Some of the creatures here don't wait for introductions."
Before Aric could ask what she meant, a low growl echoed through the forest. Shadows shifted unnaturally among the glowing trees. Aric's pulse quickened. His hands itched to defend himself, though he had nothing—no sword, no magic, no plan.
Lyra drew a slender staff from her cloak, the tip sparking with faint light. "Stay close to me," she instructed. Her tone brooked no argument. "If you run off now, you won't last five minutes."
Aric nodded, his fear mingling with awe. She moved gracefully, almost gliding, and he struggled to keep up. Every step they took revealed glimpses of this new world—floating waterfalls, luminous vines, and shadows that seemed to twist and watch them.
As they reached the edge of a cliff overlooking another realm, Lyra finally glanced at him. "You have power," she said quietly, almost to herself. "I can feel it."
Aric froze. "Power? Me? I don't know what you mean."
"You will," she said, eyes narrowing toward the horizon. "But not here. Not yet. First… you need to survive the Wandering Realm."
A sudden crash behind them made them spin around. A dark, serpentine creature with glowing eyes lunged from the underbrush. Aric's heart leapt into his throat.
Lyra raised her staff, and a shield of shimmering light erupted between them and the creature. "Aric!" she shouted. "Now, run toward the edge!"
"You will," she said, eyes narrowing toward the horizon. "But not here. Not yet. First… you need to survive the Wandering Realm."
A sudden crash behind them made them spin around. A dark, serpentine creature with glowing eyes lunged from the underbrush. Aric's heart leapt into his throat.
Lyra raised her staff, and a shield of shimmering light erupted between them and the creature. "Aric!" she shouted. "Now, run toward the edge!"
Cliffhanger:
The creature hissed, its glowing eyes fixed on them. Aric's mind raced. How could he possibly survive here? And what did Lyra mean when she said he had "power"?