The violet sky stretched endlessly above, painted with streaks of storm-laden clouds and hints of gold that shimmered like molten metal. I could feel the tremor of energy underfoot as Dante and I cautiously stepped onto the strange, uneven terrain. Every breath seemed charged, each gust of wind carrying whispers I couldn’t yet make sense of. My hand found Dante’s instinctively, and he gripped mine, fingers tight and grounding.

“Stay close,” he murmured, voice low, resonant, almost vibrating with the tension in the air. His eyes scanned the horizon, alert and piercing, always searching for the unseen, for the threats that lingered just beyond sight.

I nodded, pressing closer, my...