Alex’s stomach dropped as they tumbled through the doorway, the sensation of freefall wrapping around him like an icy grip. He wanted to scream, but the wind tore the sound away from his throat. The glowing doorway above them closed with a sharp, resounding clang, and then everything went still.
They hit the ground hard, landing in a tangle of limbs on what felt like smooth, hard stone. Alex groaned, rolling onto his back as he stared at the sky—or what passed for one. It wasn’t blue or black, but a swirling canvas of iridescent colors, like an oil slick spreading endlessly across the horizon.
“Okay,” he said, wheezing as he sat up. “That was… a lot. Can we talk about how terrible that was?”
Amira pushed herself to her feet, brushing dust from her clothes as she scanned their surroundings. The landscape around them was unlike anything they had ever seen—a jagged expanse of floating islands connected by thin, shimmering bridges of light. Some of the islands were small, barely large enough to hold a single tree or rock, while others were massive, their surfaces dotted with strange, glowing structures.
“It’s beautiful,” Amira murmured, her voice tinged with awe.
“And also terrifying,” Alex added, pointing to one of the bridges. “How are those things even holding together? They look like they could snap if you sneezed on them.”
“Let’s hope we don’t have to find out,” Amira said, taking a cautious step forward.
A faint hum filled the air, growing louder with each passing second. Alex and Amira exchanged a wary glance, their hands moving instinctively to their weapons.
“What now?” Alex muttered.
The hum grew into a deep, resonant vibration, and a figure emerged from the swirling sky above them. It was humanoid in shape but clearly not human. Its body was made of a shimmering, metallic substance that seemed to shift and flow like liquid, and its eyes glowed with an intense, golden light.
“Who dares trespass upon the Fractured World?” the figure boomed, its voice echoing across the landscape.
“Uh, hi,” Alex said, raising a hesitant hand. “We’re just… passing through? No trespassing intended, I promise.”
The figure’s eyes narrowed, and it descended slowly, its feet touching the ground with a sound like a bell ringing. “You bear the mark of the trials,” it said, its gaze sweeping over them. “You seek the heart of the Fractured World.”
Amira stepped forward, her posture confident despite the tension in the air. “We’re here to save our planet,” she said firmly. “If the heart of the Fractured World is what we need to stop the catastrophe, then yes, that’s what we’re seeking.”
The figure tilted its head, as if considering her words. “The heart is not easily won,” it said. “It lies at the center of the Fractured World, guarded by the Echoes of the Rift. Few have faced them and lived.”
“Yeah, we’ve got a great track record with surviving impossible odds,” Alex said, flashing a nervous smile.
The figure ignored him, its glowing eyes fixed on Amira. “The path to the heart is treacherous. Only those with unshakable resolve and unwavering trust in one another can succeed.”
Amira nodded. “We understand the risks. We’re ready.”
Alex snorted. “Speak for yourself.”
The figure raised an arm, and a glowing symbol appeared in the air before them—a series of interlocking circles surrounded by runes. The ground beneath their feet shifted, and a new bridge of light extended from the edge of their island, leading to a larger, more elaborate structure in the distance.
“Follow the path,” the figure said. “Prove your worth. But be warned: the Echoes will test not only your strength, but your hearts.”
With that, the figure dissolved into a cascade of shimmering particles, leaving Alex and Amira alone once more.
The bridge of light felt solid enough beneath their feet, but Alex couldn’t stop glancing down at the endless void below.
“So, let me get this straight,” he said as they walked. “We’re heading to some central heart thing, which is probably booby-trapped, guarded by terrifying Echo monsters, and apparently, it’s going to test our feelings?”
“Something like that,” Amira said, keeping her eyes on the path ahead.
“Great,” Alex muttered. “Because my feelings right now are mainly terror and regret.”
The bridge led them to a sprawling island covered in dense, glowing foliage. The trees shimmered with a faint, bioluminescent light, and strange, bird-like creatures flitted between the branches. The air was thick with the scent of something sweet and unfamiliar.
“It’s… peaceful,” Amira said, frowning. “Too peaceful.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “You’re actually complaining about the lack of immediate death threats?”
“Something’s not right,” she said, her hand hovering near her weapon.
As if on cue, the ground beneath them rumbled, and the trees around them began to shift. Their trunks twisted and stretched, forming grotesque shapes that resembled clawed hands. The bird-like creatures let out sharp, piercing cries and dove toward Alex and Amira, their beaks snapping with unnatural precision.
“Why do I even open my mouth?” Alex shouted, ducking as one of the creatures swooped at him.
Amira fired her weapon, taking down two of the birds as they dove. “Get to cover!” she shouted, sprinting toward a cluster of rocks.
“Cover? From what? Everything here is trying to kill us!”
The trees continued to twist and shift, their claw-like branches reaching for them. Alex slashed at one with his energy blade, but the branch merely split into smaller, more aggressive tendrils.
“This place has some serious anger issues!” he yelled.
Amira ducked behind a rock, her mind racing. The figure’s words echoed in her head: The Echoes will test your hearts. 
“This isn’t random,” she said aloud.
Alex, still fending off the attacking birds, shot her a bewildered look. “What part of this feels planned to you?”
“It’s a test,” she said, her voice firm. “We’re not supposed to fight them. We have to find another way through.”
“Another way?” Alex repeated, dodging another attack. “Like what? Politely asking them to stop?”
Amira ignored him, focusing on the glowing runes that had begun to appear on the trees. They pulsed faintly, as if responding to her presence.
“It’s the runes,” she said. “We have to activate them.”
“Of course we do,” Alex muttered, slashing at another branch. “Because nothing is ever simple.”
As Amira approached the nearest tree, the runes on its surface flared brighter. She placed her hand on the bark, and a wave of energy shot through the island. The attacking creatures froze mid-air, their bodies dissolving into motes of light.
“See?” she said, turning to Alex. “We’re getting the hang of this.”
Before Alex could respond, the ground rumbled again, and a deep, guttural roar echoed through the island. From the shadows emerged a massive, hulking figure made entirely of shifting, black smoke. Its glowing red eyes locked onto them, and it let out another earth-shaking roar.
“Okay,” Alex said, gripping his blade tightly. “Hangover monster number two. This one’s all yours, Amira.”
The creature lunged toward them, its form rippling like a storm cloud.