Shirei's eyes widened, a bridge stretching before him into the void. He turned to his double to seek an explanation, but the latter had disappeared.

Cragar's son took a deep breath.

There was no point in remaining still, so he walked across the modest wet wooden tiles. He felt positively thrilled at the idea of understanding more about himself and, perhaps, becoming more powerful.

He advanced with a measured step along the suspension bridge over the placid river. The wood creaked beneath his feet, and the air was thick with humidity, a light mist rising from the surface of the water, shrouding the landscape in an ethereal veil.

His violet eyes scanned the horizon, searching for a sign, a clue of what lay ahead. The bridge seemed to stretch on forever, lost in the fog that thickened as it went.

The wind blew through his black hair, carrying with it the damp smell of the river and something more subtle, a bygone but strangely familiar scent. Shirei took a deep breath, letting the aroma fill his lungs and enliven his senses.

This place is just a figment of my mind, yet it seems so real in every sensation.

He could only admit that truth and proceed.

After an interminable period, something caught his attention. In the distance, emerging from the fog like an island in a sea of clouds, a land appeared. Shirei felt his heart speed up in his chest.

Is this the sign I'm looking for? Should I go there?

Without hesitation, he quickened his pace. The bridge swayed beneath him, but Shirei kept his balance with the grace of an assassin. His eyes never left the rocky island that was gradually getting closer. He feared, for some reason, that it might suddenly vanish, like a mirage, if he looked away even for an instant.

Finally, he reached the end of the path and set foot on the ground. The ground was solid, yet it seemed to vibrate under his weight.

Shirei looked around, trying to orient himself in his new surroundings. The fog had cleared, revealing rocks rising into a deep purple sky.

That's when he saw it: a door.

It looked out of place in such a landscape, yet the missing hinges and soft edges made it blend in seamlessly. It was a modest passage, made of a material Shirei couldn't identify. It looked dark as pitch, but shone with an internal light, as if precious stones were locked within it.

The demigod approached with caution and inspected the area in search of other paths, but the desolation seemed to lead back to the door in the void. With a deep breath, Shirei reached out and touched the surface with his fingers, feeling the rough contact with the material and feeling a shiver run through his body. He grabbed the handle and twisted his wrist to open, then froze.

Has there always been a handle?

He tried to collect his thoughts, but his thoughts were becoming increasingly blurry. He wondered if this was not the negative effect of the divine path.

Ada warned me, but I can't stop now. I haven't seen anything yet.

His choice made, Shirei opened the door, revealing an impenetrable darkness beyond it.

A portal…

Without hesitation, Cragar's son crossed the threshold.

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Passing through the door was like diving into a frozen lake. For a moment, he felt disoriented, unable to distinguish up from down. Then, the sensation passed, he began to get used to the movement and found it familiar.

The darkness took tangible form again and Shirei found himself in a vast dark room. The horizon had remained masked by thick fog, however the ground had been replaced by an obsessively smooth floor. The air was different, denser, charged with an energy that made Shirei's divine core tingle.

A soft light illuminated the area near him from above, Shirei followed the tiny rays and moved his eyes towards the hypothetical ceiling of that place, discovering a wall covered in luminous crystals.

The boy took a few cautious steps, his eyes trying to adapt to the dim light.

Now I have to figure out where to go.

It was then that he noticed a second light illuminate his vision. The floor beneath his feet had begun to emit purple sparks, delicate but unmistakable. Shirei managed to recover the memory of his arrival on the path, when he had infused the sphere first with his own mana and then with ether. If the light had pointed him in the right direction, then the sparks, which traced a path before him, would do the same.

He followed the light without hesitation, his steps resonated in the room creating echoes that seemed to want to accompany him on that sort of introspective journey. As he advanced, Shirei felt a sensation growing inside him, an excitement that he couldn't contain.

Why do I feel this way?

Everyone would have loved to get stronger, especially a guy like him. Understanding his powers better would have allowed him to improve and not make the mistakes of the past. None of his companions would die, he would not be alone again.

As he proceeded, the landscape took on a shape more similar to the previous area. The light guided him through winding passages, deeper and deeper into the mountains. The air became colder, denser, so charged with energy that blue particles of mana began to condense freely in the atmosphere.

Shirei continued without forgetting his thoughts. He had a hard time keeping his thoughts alive. He attributed the problem to the divine path, but perhaps there was something else waiting for the right time. A beast ready to take over when least expected.

The excited feeling has diminished, even calmed down. So suddenly… it almost felt like it wasn't mine.

Then, suddenly, the bright path cut away into nothingness, distracting him from his thoughts.

He found himself on a small island suspended in the void, halfway between the art of the human hand and simple nature. The floor remained the same, as did the fog, but a wall of solid and, at least apparently, impenetrable rock rose before him. The purple light stopped right at his feet, as if it had been cut clean off.

Shirei paused, confused.

Was this what Calm Sovereign was waiting for me? To be led only to be faced with an insurmountable obstacle?

He decided to try climbing. He placed his hands on the cold surface of the rock, feeling for any tiny protrusion or indentation he could use as a grip. His violet eyes intensely scanned every inch of the wall, while his sensitive fingers explored the rough surface. In one fluid motion, Shirei lifted his weight off the ground, pressing his feet against the rock and pushing himself upward. For a moment, it looked like his attempt might succeed. His hands found small imperfections in the rock, enough to support his weight for a few moments. But soon, the reality of the situation became apparent. The wall was too smooth, too vertical. There were not enough handholds to allow him to climb more than a few meters. With a sigh of frustration, Shirei let himself fall back to the ground, landing gracefully despite his disappointment.

The demigod ran a hand through his black hair, his mind working frantically to find a solution. He couldn't have come this far only to be stopped by a simple rock wall.

There had to be more behind all that. Improving was the main reason for the existence of divine paths, there would be no point in a dead end.

It was then that an idea popped into his mind. If he couldn't climb it, maybe he could break through it? Shirei knew he possessed superhuman strength, inherited from his divine parent. Maybe it was enough to open a gap in the rock.

Sometimes you don't need to think about things too much. Maybe Havel's approach could work.

Without further hesitation, the boy took a few steps back, preparing for the impact. He focused all of his energy into his right fist, feeling the power flow through his body like an electric current.

The sound of the impact echoed through the area, shaking the wall and causing small stones to rain down from the ceiling. Shirei expected to see the rock shatter under his blow, to see a path open to whatever lay beyond.

Instead, to his surprise, the wall vibrated under the impact, producing a surprisingly hollow sound. Shirei grunted in pain and looked at his blood-stained hand.

This wasn't what I thought was going to happen…

A simple blink of an eye was enough and the wound disappeared. Shirei frowned, confused. Not for the healing, which he imagined had happened because of the divine path.

The wall made a strange noise.