Chapter 7: THE FISSURES OF TIME
The wind howled as Kaito stepped forward, the Shard of Eternity pulsing steadily in his palm, its eerie glow illuminating the path ahead.
The Threshold, the strange, ethereal realm between worlds, had begun to fade behind him. In its place, a new landscape stretched out—one that felt like it had been torn apart by some unimaginable force.
Before him, the Fissures of Time yawned like vast, jagged scars in the very fabric of existence. These rifts were not just cracks in space—they were wounds, gaping holes that tore through the timeline itself.
The air shimmered around the edges, distorting the view as if the very laws of reality were unsure of their place here. Each rift pulsed with an energy Kaito could feel deep within his chest—a hum that resonated with the beat of his heart.
Kaito Ren, you have entered the Fissures, the Guardian's voice echoed in his mind, its tone strangely distant now, like the last whisper of a dream.
You have chosen the path of no return. Here, in the Fissures, time bends and breaks. The trials you face will test your very essence.
The weight of those words pressed down on him, but Kaito pushed it aside. He had made his choice.
He could feel the Shard of Eternity growing warmer in his hand, almost as if reacting to the Fissures themselves. There was no turning back now.
The first rift before him shimmered, its edges bleeding golden light that flickered and twisted like flames. Voices, faint but insistent, whispered from within the rift—voices that seemed familiar, yet distant.
Kaito's breath hitched as he approached, his steps hesitant at first. The whispers grew louder, more insistent.
Kaito... they murmured, soft at first, then louder, repeating his name like a chant. Kaito... help me...