the rocks, up the trees, and through the air.
Closing his eyes, Storm thought back to Ronin’s Inner Depths. He felt as if he was still there, and the outside commotion grew silent. Floating chunks of blackened rock sifted across a tempest sky littered with falling meteors. The only creatures were pure white crows and enormous titans that rose up from bubbling lava. The whole time he was within the old man’s world, it felt like strife and despair were ripping at his very being. The glowing moon of broken crystal was equally confusing; full, yet cracked down the middle, as if it had been pierced by a colossal spear of the Gods. Had the moon always been broken? Storm felt a shiver go down his spine. If Inner Depths was a reflection of your past, emotions, and fears, then why was their grandfather’s world so full of sorrow and agony?
Storm looked at Ronin chasing Caim and stared closely at the tattoo’s that covered the left side of his body. The symbols were unlike anything he had ever seen anywhere, and even when he had asked, the old man never spoke once about them. I wonder what they mean , thought Storm. He stared at the circular tattoo on Ronin’s chest that looked of a white and black crow circling one another. The white crow sat above with wings outstretched, staring down at the black crow whom looked the same, yet gazing up.
For a second, Storm unwillingly remembered the first time he entered his own Inner Depths, so many rings before. He didn’t understand why, but his own world was vast and filled with nothing but endless black valleys, and a lone withered tree that stood before a deep, ominous cave. Upon the tree were a few white leaves that diminished in number the more he saw it, and protruding from its grey trunk was a long black spear, engraved with curved lines. The skies were dark and always raining in his world, blanketing the ground in a thick layer of water and ice. The only light came from two deathly moons that seemed to glare down on him, one glowing of emerald and the other of crimson. They reminded him of evil eyes in the sky, always gazing, watching over him. They had left him with nothing but nightmares. Ever since, he wondered if he had no feelings or maybe that some part of him was missing. Caim had told him that his own Inner Depths was filled with food, huge creatures and luscious green forests that grew on floating islands. It sounded just like their home of Soria.
“Old man!” called Storm abruptly, interrupting his pursuit of Caim. “You told us that each of our worlds within reflected our inner personality, emotions and experiences… .”
Their grandfather came to a stop, his expression changing, as if he knew what Storm was going to ask. “You’re wondering why my world is … how it is, I imagine.” His voice had changed once again, revealing to Storm that he had touched onto something hidden.
What happened to you? Storm wanted to ask, but couldn’t.
Storm nodded, unsure of what to say. It wasn’t often they learned secrets of their grandfather. In fact, they had very little idea of what he had done before he had found them that day, so many cycles before. Storm’s teeth clenched as the thought passed.
Behind them, Caim had drawn his Fallblade and was pointing it towards the ground where a tiny spider looked up his glistening blade.
“It just seemed so …” began Storm. He knew what he wanted to say. What he had felt every time he was there, yet he couldn’t bring himself to confront the old man. He suddenly wished he hadn’t brought it up.
Ronin placed his hands on his hips and started laughing. “When you’re as strong as I am, you have the ability to make the world look and feel however you want!”
“DIE, SPIDER!” screamed Caim, slashing his sword towards the ground. The spider crawled leisurely into the bushes .
“I see,” said Storm. He couldn’t tell if his grandfather was joking or not, but for some reason he couldn’t help but feel like he
Closing his eyes, Storm thought back to Ronin’s Inner Depths. He felt as if he was still there, and the outside commotion grew silent. Floating chunks of blackened rock sifted across a tempest sky littered with falling meteors. The only creatures were pure white crows and enormous titans that rose up from bubbling lava. The whole time he was within the old man’s world, it felt like strife and despair were ripping at his very being. The glowing moon of broken crystal was equally confusing; full, yet cracked down the middle, as if it had been pierced by a colossal spear of the Gods. Had the moon always been broken? Storm felt a shiver go down his spine. If Inner Depths was a reflection of your past, emotions, and fears, then why was their grandfather’s world so full of sorrow and agony?
Storm looked at Ronin chasing Caim and stared closely at the tattoo’s that covered the left side of his body. The symbols were unlike anything he had ever seen anywhere, and even when he had asked, the old man never spoke once about them. I wonder what they mean , thought Storm. He stared at the circular tattoo on Ronin’s chest that looked of a white and black crow circling one another. The white crow sat above with wings outstretched, staring down at the black crow whom looked the same, yet gazing up.
For a second, Storm unwillingly remembered the first time he entered his own Inner Depths, so many rings before. He didn’t understand why, but his own world was vast and filled with nothing but endless black valleys, and a lone withered tree that stood before a deep, ominous cave. Upon the tree were a few white leaves that diminished in number the more he saw it, and protruding from its grey trunk was a long black spear, engraved with curved lines. The skies were dark and always raining in his world, blanketing the ground in a thick layer of water and ice. The only light came from two deathly moons that seemed to glare down on him, one glowing of emerald and the other of crimson. They reminded him of evil eyes in the sky, always gazing, watching over him. They had left him with nothing but nightmares. Ever since, he wondered if he had no feelings or maybe that some part of him was missing. Caim had told him that his own Inner Depths was filled with food, huge creatures and luscious green forests that grew on floating islands. It sounded just like their home of Soria.
“Old man!” called Storm abruptly, interrupting his pursuit of Caim. “You told us that each of our worlds within reflected our inner personality, emotions and experiences… .”
Their grandfather came to a stop, his expression changing, as if he knew what Storm was going to ask. “You’re wondering why my world is … how it is, I imagine.” His voice had changed once again, revealing to Storm that he had touched onto something hidden.
What happened to you? Storm wanted to ask, but couldn’t.
Storm nodded, unsure of what to say. It wasn’t often they learned secrets of their grandfather. In fact, they had very little idea of what he had done before he had found them that day, so many cycles before. Storm’s teeth clenched as the thought passed.
Behind them, Caim had drawn his Fallblade and was pointing it towards the ground where a tiny spider looked up his glistening blade.
“It just seemed so …” began Storm. He knew what he wanted to say. What he had felt every time he was there, yet he couldn’t bring himself to confront the old man. He suddenly wished he hadn’t brought it up.
Ronin placed his hands on his hips and started laughing. “When you’re as strong as I am, you have the ability to make the world look and feel however you want!”
“DIE, SPIDER!” screamed Caim, slashing his sword towards the ground. The spider crawled leisurely into the bushes .
“I see,” said Storm. He couldn’t tell if his grandfather was joking or not, but for some reason he couldn’t help but feel like he
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