Chapter 4

Following the instructions etched in my memory, I unraveled the barrier, and Silent Peak finally revealed its true form. From the outside, it appeared shrouded in mist, an otherworldly sanctuary. But as I stepped closer, I realized it was no paradise. The mountain exuded an oppressive darkness, lifeless and heavy. The path ahead twisted upward, littered with brittle, dead leaves and fragments of shattered stones. No living creatures stirred, no signs of vitality remained—not even the faint...