In the vast Anchored veil, where aspiring striders flock to the established Paths—, power is gained through following laid-down paths. Nox Rhinyx was destined for this comfortable route.Born into the respected Rhinyx family, he possessed decent talent and dreamed of rising through the paths. His future seemed secure: a stable loving family path, gradual advancement, and a life of quiet strength.
That illusion shattered on the night of the Grand Selection Ceremony.Nox watched helplessly as rival striders—slaughtered his parents and sister in a ruthless bid for control. until he himself was crushed beneath the foot of a powerful strider, sealing his fate. Left for dead in a pool of his family's blood, crippled and body shattered, Nox Rhinyx faced the brutal truth: the "standard paths" were closed to him forever. The safe, predictable roads paths had never been meant for someone like him—they belonged to the powerful, the connected, the unchanging.
a forgotten Path Diagram etched with glowing, fraying threads call out to him In his final moments of agony and rage, Nox Rhinyx made the choice that would redefine existence itself. He dragged his broken body across the diagram bleeding, reciting fragmented words that echoed in his soul. He walked away—not just from his family, his home, or his pain, but from the very fate the world had written for him.
Thus began the First Footfall.
But power extracted from departure carries a heavy price. Each breakthrough demands greater sacrifices: cherished memories, lingering attachments, even the origin world that birthed him. As Nox leaves fragment after fragment of himself behind, he must confront whether true freedom lies in eternal wandering… or if some threads of the heart can never be fully severed.