The path was not what Elias had expected.
He had traveled through mountains before, through deserts, through the frozen wastelands of the Arctic. But this was different. The landscape seemed to shift around him, the rocks and trees rearranging themselves as if they were alive. The sky above was a swirling mass of colors—purples and blues and greens that didn't belong to any natural spectrum.
He had been walking for three days. Three days since he had left the sanctuary, following the passage in the ancient book. The Heart of Creation was hidden, sealed, waiting for one who was worthy to find it. And Elias had been following the signs, the symbols that appeared on rocks and trees, guiding him forward.
But now, he was lost.
You are not lost, the shadow said. You are exactly where you nee
