The mountain wind was stronger at this height.
Cold.
Thin.
Alive.
Shura froze the moment he saw Lior and Luna standing with the group.
His excitement instantly shifted to awareness.
He grabbed Adrian's head and forced both of them to bow.
"We're sorry!"
Adrian struggled.
"Why am I bowing?!"
"You ran off too!"
"You followed me!"
Lior and Luna said nothing.
They just looked at them.
Not angry.
Not disappointed.
Just relieved.
That warmth hit harder than scolding.
Adrian felt it too.
He clicked his tongue and pushed Shura's hand away.
"Don't pretend like we're friends."
Shura blinked.
"…You were laughing five minutes ago."
"That was tactical laughter."
Yura suddenly rushed forward and jumped toward both of them.
"Where did you go?! I was worried!"
She hit them harder than expected.
Adrian stumbled slightly.
For a moment, his expression changed.
Surprise.
Then something softer.
"…We handled it," he muttered.
Shura grinned.
"See? He cares."
Adrian glared.
The rest of the students started laughing.
Even Clara clapped slowly.
"Drama. Adventure. Apologies. This expedition has everything."
Lior crossed his arms.
"If everyone is done performing, we move."
The First Sight
They climbed the final ridge.
And then—
They saw it.
Xyrrhal.
Not broken.
Not crumbled.
Standing.
A massive stone structure carved into the mountainside itself.
Spiraled towers.
Jagged walls.
Ancient bridges connecting separate stone masses suspended over empty air.
It did not look abandoned.
It looked… paused.
Every student went silent.
Even Adrian.
Even Shura.
"Is… is this real?" Clara whispered.
Luna exhaled slowly.
"Is this a dream?"
Lior stepped beside her.
Placed his hand gently over her head.
"That's why I usually come here."
His voice was softer than usual.
Too still.
The wind howled across the mountain pass.
Not violently.
Just steadily.
They stood before two bridges.
The first—
A heavy chain suspension bridge.
Old.
Worn.
But complete.
The second—
Beyond it.
Connected to the far cliff.
But on their side?
Nothing.
No connection.
No planks reaching them.
Just chains hanging from the opposite mountain… stopping in midair.
A bridge that existed only halfway.
Clara blinked.
"…Sir."
Yura narrowed her eyes.
"The first one is fine."
Adrian stepped closer to inspect.
"The second one isn't."
Lior nodded once.
"Correct."
Students stared at him.
"That's not comforting."
The First Bridge
They crossed the chain bridge easily.
It creaked under their weight.
Metal groaned.
Wind pushed against them.
But it was stable.
Solid.
Real.
Shura bounced slightly on one plank.
"Feels normal."
"Stop that," Adrian muttered.
They reached the middle platform between cliffs.
Safe.
Stable.
From here—
The second bridge was clearly visible.
Or rather—
Half of it was.
The far side had chains anchored into stone.
Planks extended toward them.
But stopped several meters short.
Between their platform and the start of the second bridge—
Nothing.
Just open air.
Below—
Mist.
Deep.
Quiet.
Clara stared.
"That's not broken."
Luna nodded slowly.
"It was built that way."
Shura leaned forward, fascinated.
"It's incomplete by design."
Lior stepped to the edge calmly.
"Or it isn't."
Students froze.
The Second Bridge
He didn't explain.
He stepped forward—
Off the platform.
Gasps exploded behind him.
But he didn't fall.
His foot landed midair.
On something unseen.
Then another step.
He walked forward until he reached the visible planks of the second bridge.
Turned.
"It connects."
Silence.
Yura whispered,
"I can't see anything."
Luna spoke gently.
"It's a resonance layer. The missing section exists on a different Viora frequency."
Clara swallowed.
"So we just… walk?"
"Yes."
Adrian stepped forward first.
Testing.
His foot moved into empty space—
Then met resistance.
Solid.
He exhaled slowly.
"Great. Invisible architecture."
One by one they followed.
Careful.
Measured.
Trusting the unseen.
Then—
Shura stepped forward.
Eyes scanning.
Mind racing.
He shifted his weight slightly sideways.
Testing the boundary.
The surface didn't respond.
His foot slipped past the resonance line.
For a split second—
Nothing held him.
Then—
He dropped.
"SHURA!"
Yura screamed.
Adrian lunged instinctively—
But Lior had already moved.
He stepped forward—
Then dove.
Straight into the mist below.
The Fall
Wind roared upward.
Shura flailed.
Then—
A hand grabbed his collar midair.
Lior.
Calm.
"Stop moving."
"…Okay."
Below—
The mist split.
Revealing a raging underground river cutting through the mountain's core.
Lior adjusted mid-fall.
Angled his body.
Pulled Shura tight.
They hit the water hard.
The surface erupted.
Above—
Luna's voice cut sharply.
"Do not stop walking!"
The students forced themselves forward.
Step.
Step.
Across the invisible section.
Then onto the visible planks of the second bridge.
Safe.
Breathing hard.
Adrian reached the end first.
He turned.
Searching through mist.
Below—
Lior surfaced.
Dragging Shura with him.
Alive.
Adrian exhaled.
"…Idiot."
Relief obvious.
Aftermath
Minutes later—
Lior and Shura climbed a carved emergency staircase built into the mountain wall.
They emerged onto the far side platform.
Wet.
Calm.
Alive.
Clara stared.
"You jumped immediately."
Lior shrugged.
"He's my responsibility."
Shura looked unusually quiet.
Lior faced the group.
"The second bridge is not broken."
He looked at Shura.
"It filters."
"Those who rush without control fall."
Then he looked at everyone.
"But those who hesitate in crisis lose more."
Silence.
The massive gates of Xyrrhal loomed behind them now.
Closer.
Watching.
"Welcome," Lior said quietly,
"To the real threshold."