The wind whipped against the four Luminaires as they ascended the rugged path. The ground beneath them was no longer solid ground but a treacherous terrain of loose stones and jagged rock fragments. Each step was a struggle, every movement requiring careful balance to avoid slipping on the unstable surface.
The trees around them stood tall and unyielding, their presence still commanding, but their crowns had thinned, and deep scars marked their bark, carved by years of relentless wind and rain.
There was no avoiding the debris. Sharp fragments of stone whipped through the air, carried by fierce gusts, slicing into every inch of exposed skin like tiny blades.
Kael exhaled softly.
"How bothersome..." he muttered under his breath, brushing a fleck of blood from his cheek without slowing his pace.
The incline had grown so steep that walking alone no longer sufficed. They had to brace themselves with their hands, gripping jagged rocks and exposed roots to keep moving upward.
"Persist. We will soon reach the summit. From there, the path will ease."
Torin's voice was steady, low, yet it carried cleanly through the howling wind. It wasn't much of a motivational speech, but it did the job, both Malric and Selene's eyes gleamed with a flicker of renewed resolve.
Kael, however, remained unmoved.
The last few days had been wearing, even for him. The higher they climbed, the more brutal the wind became. What had started as scattered gusts at the mountain's base had grown into ceaseless, punishing currents, hammering them in relentless waves.
Everyone except Torin raised an arm to shield their face from the wind.
'I didn't think the winds would be this bad.'
Kael's thoughts drifted as they climbed. There were plenty of books written about the Titanwoods, but very few mentioned anything about the summit. That, in itself, said a lot. Few ever reached this high, and even fewer bothered to try. These days, most trade routes were carved through the forest floor or skirted around the mountain chains at lower points, anything to avoid the summit's vicious winds and whatever predators called it home.
They were all Luminaires, so this storm wasn't going to kill them. But it didn't need to. The wind didn't let up, wearing them down little by little. Fatigue was setting in. None of them were at full strength anymore.
Kael, however, had a different struggle. It wasn't the wind. It was keeping up the act.
His body, like any Luminaire's, was more than capable of handling this. He could've powered through the wind with ease if he wanted to. But he couldn't afford that. Not while they still believed he was a mortal.
So he let himself look vulnerable. He timed every slip, every stumble, just right. He let his hand fall too early, allowed the wind to land a clean hit. A sharp piece of debris caught his cheek, slicing a thin line of red. The pain was real, but necessary.
He had to look like he was struggling. Like he didn't belong here.
Every cut, every bruise, it kept the illusion alive.
"God, I hate this," Selene muttered as a rock gave way beneath her foot. She caught herself, barely, frustration written all over her face.
Kael said nothing, just kept walking, letting the storm speak for all of them.
Hours passed. Kael's muscles ached as he hauled himself over another ledge, his fingers tightening around cold, brittle stone. Every movement felt heavier, and even breathing had become something he had to remind himself to do.
Caught in the rhythm of his performance, he barely noticed the incline softening beneath him. The unstable rubble slowly gave way to more solid footing, stone that didn't shift beneath each step.
He lowered his arm from his face and looked ahead.
The climb behind them had opened into a wide plateau that stretched nearly half a kilometer across. The terrain was flat in most places, but scattered boulders littered the expanse like fallen pieces of a forgotten monument. Jagged rock formations jutted up like frozen spears, reaching toward the clouds, stark against the horizon.
Among the stone, towering trees stood tall and resolute, their trunks thick with age. Their branches swayed gently, resisting the wind that had battered them moments before. And in contrast, fallen giants lay cracked and colorless, across the open space.
There was a strange quiet here. Not silence, but stillnes, like the world was holding its breath.
Torin came to a stop, and the others instinctively did the same. Their attention shifted to him, waiting.
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the group, lingering on Kael for the briefest, almost imperceptible moment before shifting away.
"We'll rest here for an hour before continuing."
Malric and Selene let out quiet sighs of relief. They could've kept going if they had to, but the break was welcome. Kael exhaled as well, allowing himself to sink into the moment. He could endure more, just like they could. But a mortal? Not likely. If he was going to keep up the act, he'd have to make full use of every pause they got.
Kael glanced over his shoulder, eyes settling on a suitable rock nearby. He made his way over and let himself slide down, resting his back against its weathered surface. The others followed his lead, one by one settling into place beside him.
Kael's breaths came slow but heavy, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
Malric let out a quiet groan as he stretched his legs, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension. Selene leaned back against the stone, head tilted slightly, eyes closed as she allowed the silence to wrap around her. The wind still whispered through the open space, but its earlier bite had softened.
Torin, as always, remained standing.
Not a trace of fatigue showed on him. He flipped open his notebook and began to read, eyes calm and focused. The wind brushed through his hair, tugging gently, but he paid it no mind. His attention was fixed entirely on the page, like the climb hadn't happened at all.
There was no firewood, nothing but stone and wind. So they rested as they were, without warmth and a light source, surrounded only by the quiet hum of the mountain.
Until a voice cut through it.
"How much further do we have to walk today?"
Malric's tone was casual, the question thrown out without expectation. But Torin answered almost instantly.
"Not much longer. A few more hours after we've rested."
Selene glanced at him with an incredulous look.
'We?'
He stood there perfectly composed, like the grueling climb hadn't affected him at all. No tension in his shoulders, no heavy breathing. Just as if he'd taken a stroll through a garden, not clawed his way up a wind-swept mountain.
'Is he even human?'
The thought came before she could stop it.
Faster than they would have liked, the hour slipped by. The short rest had done its work, each of them felt lighter, the weight of exhaustion easing from their limbs. Muscles no longer burned as sharply, and their breaths had steadied. They were ready to move again.
Just as they began to rise, Torin's calm voice cut through the quiet.
"Wait a little longer."
The group exchanged brief glances, but no one argued. A few more minutes of rest wasn't something any of them would turn down. They eased back down without a word.
Not long after, Torin lifted his arm.
In the distance, a small black dot appeared against the sky, growing steadily larger as it approached. Soon, a raven glided into view, wings outstretched as it rode the wind. It descended gracefully, landing on Torin's outstretched arm. Its talons shifted once, settling its grip, then it went still.
Torin met its gaze.
And then… nothing.
He stood there, silent, unmoving. The wind tugged at his cloak, whistling past the stones and trees around them, but Torin didn't blink. The raven stared back, its beady eyes reflecting his own, dark and unblinking.
A long moment passed in silence.
Malric shifted his weight slightly, casting a glance at Selene. She said nothing, but her fingers curled subtly against the rock at her side. Even Kael, who had been watching with detached interest, sharpened his gaze. His deep green eyes lingered on Torin, studying him carefully.
Then, slowly, Torin's expression darkened.
Just slightly. A faint hardening of his gaze, a barely visible clench in his jaw.
'There's always something, isn't there…'
Kael closed his eyes briefly and waited. When Torin showed emotion, it was never meaningless.
The change was subtle, but it caught everyone's attention.
Torin and the raven held each other's gaze for a moment longer before the bird flapped its wings and disappeared into the sky. As soon as it was gone, Torin turned to face the three Luminaires, his expression unusually firm.
"Daire, stay here. Do not move under any circumstances unless your life is in danger. Malric, Selene, you're coming with me."
Without another word, he turned and began walking toward a direction only he seemed to know. Malric and Selene exchanged glances, their expressions sharpening with understanding before quickly following him.
Kael remained where he was, his gaze deep as he watched them go, his expression unreadable. Thoughts and speculations raced through his mind, piecing together possibilities, searching for the reason behind Torin's sudden shift.