The Gate of Whispers
The wind grew colder with each step Zahra and Kael took. The path of light faded behind them, replaced by ancient stones veined with silver and flickering threads of shadow that curled like smoke across the ground. Overhead, the sky rippled as though it were made of stretched silk, bruised with stormlight.
In the distance stood the Second Gate—tall, arched, and impossibly intricate. It wasn’t made of wood or stone but woven from whispers—tangled voices, memories, secrets. They drifted on the air, brushing against skin and soul like ghostly fingers.
Kael shivered. “It’s alive.”
Zahra nodded slowly. “The Gate of Whispers. The Watchers said it’s a place where truth speaks… whether you want it to or not.”
As they drew near, the whispers grew louder.
Zahra… you let th
