’A maze, this place is a god damn maze.’ Aether groaned, falling down next to a campfire he had lit before starting his search for the Highlands, but after searching for a way up for so long, and going up and down so many hills, he was still where he had left, back at the campfire.

Every direction he took, he got back to the same spot; it was as if he was cursed to never figure out this maze. Even when he asked the shadows, even when following their instructions perfectly, he didn’t reach the Highlands.

It made him question if they were even real.

He sighed, as with Eden, he saw four armed figures trying to slowly attack him. ’Again?’ He thought in his mind, as he quickly got up, preparing to throw his Voidpiercer in the head of one of the bandits, but as the first appeared from the shadow to attack him, he realized they were beast humans, just like those that he had helped back when the war happened.

Aether dodges the attack of the first, trying to calm him down. "Wait, I’m not a bad guy." He raised quickly, raising his arms and showing him his bracelet, the same bracelet he had gotten from the King of the Beast Human Civilization. It was a symbol of trust from beast humans to humans, it was good enough to even make him even civilization.

The beast human froze as he saw it, stopping completely to look at it, before stopping the others. "How... how do you have that?"

Aether chuckled. "I got it from a Lion, specifically, a King, one that ruled over a civilization inside a forest, one that I and some of my friends helped in a great war."

The eyes of the beast-human widened as he heard his story. "So then you are one of the three that helped us defeat the orcs?" Aether then quickly nodded. He wanted to convince the beast humans, not only because he was tired of fighting, but maybe they would know the place better than him.

"I see..." He bowed, the other following him. "Thank you for your help... but what are you doing alone?"

Aether’s smile fell the moment he heard him ask of Kade and Lucien. "We... separated... but never mind that, I am not comfortable getting deep in the subject. I wanted to ask if you and your group know how to get to the Highlands.

The beast-human put his hand on his chin. "You want to get to that place? For what reason?"

"There is something I want there,

The beast human chuckled. "Really? I expected you to say that you just wanted to cross the sea."

Aether tilted his head. "To... cross the sea?" he looked confused at the beast-human. Aether then pulled out the compass, showing it to the beast-human. "Look, this thing is pointing to the thing I need to get to. If I have to guess, it’s inside the Highlands, right?"

The beast shook its head. "Not really, it’s a very low chance, as the Highlands well... let’s just say lack a lot of personality."

Aether squinted his eyes, not happy with the beast hint. He then sighed. "Either way, could you get me to the Highlands... please?" He added the last bit just in case.

The beast nodded. "Of course, we beast humans are grateful to you and your friends, you saved one of our civilization, alongside killing an Orc King. It’s the littlest we can do."

Aether sighed in relief, not even minding that he had said an Orc King, implying there was more than one. But at the same time, he wasn’t their enemy, the beast humans were, so he really didn’t care... or maybe he might have become one of their enemies after helping the beast humans... well, still, he didn’t care. It wasn’t like he was going to stay for long; he got the shard, and he was out, then he was going inside the Tides, so there was no reason for him to meet up with some orcs.

But enough of that, with the guide of the beast humans, he was finally going to reach the Highlands.

...

...

...

Expected, yet unexpected at the same time. He knew that the Highlands were probably up in the sky, but they had been going up for so long; just how big was this hill? I mean, it just didn’t stop.

’At least the mist is gone here... the sky is really nice.’ The view was great, so at least you had something to stare at while you climbed, but still, his legs were not having the best of days. Well, he had been walking nonstop the whole day, and the worst part was that most of the time he had spent walking had been for nothing; if he had just stayed in place, he would have still found the beast humans, and he would still have found himself in the same place.

"Do we have a while left?" Aether groaned.

The beast human looked back at him, amused yet disappointed. "How fast humans lose their stamina... we’re close, we’ll get there before you know it. So hang on in there."

Aether sighed, dragging his body up the hill. "Just a bit more, huh, huh? Come on, body..."

...

And luckily for him, the finish line was close... but what was there he did not expect ever.

The hill ended abruptly, to the point that he had almost stepped off the hill, which, looking down, he would have probably died, even if there was water.

Not with a cliff, nor a mountain peak, but with open sky, just the big blue.

Aether froze mid-step as the world suddenly expanded before him. Endless blue stretched beneath the clouds; the sea so far below it looked more like a painted surface than real water. ’What the heck?’

Massive islands floated above it, suspended in the heavens like fragments of a broken world abandoned by the gods. Some were small, barely large enough to hold a few trees, while others were vast enough to resemble entire forests drifting through the sky.

Bridges connected them.

It reminded him a bit of Veyr, but these islands were smaller, but at the same time, there were a lot more than Veyr had, probably three times as many islands as that place. Which was who knew for how long the Highlands went on, for each side.

Not man-made bridges built from stone or rope, but ancient paths of twisted roots, hanging vines, and pale rock arches worn smooth by time and wind. Some swayed softly in the air, creaking with every gust. Others were broken halfway through, leading nowhere but the clouds below.

The Highlands.

The name suddenly made sense.

Aether slowly stepped closer to the edge, staring at the impossible wilderness before him. Forests covered the floating islands completely, thick and untouched, their trees bending gently beneath cold sky winds. Waterfalls spilled from the edges of certain islands, streams pouring endlessly into the empty air before vanishing into mist far below. Birds circled between the floating lands, their cries echoing across the open sky.

And there was silence.

No cities. No smoke. No voices.

Only wind.

It wasn’t like anything he had seen, and he had seen floating islands before; these were special, untouched by humanity, yet at the same time so beautiful, if he had to say, they were the most pleasing to the eyes he had seen so far. Expect the garden inside the City in the Sky, that one was gorgeous.

It felt ancient in a way he couldn’t explain, like the world had forgotten this place existed long ago. Even the air felt different here, cleaner, lighter, colder. The mist that haunted the lower lands could not reach this high.

Aether tightened his grip around the compass as its needle remained untouched, not moving one bit, even now that he had reached the top.

Far away, beyond dozens of floating lands, stood a single enormous island towering above all the others.

And wrapped around it, like chains placed upon the sky itself, were the roots of a tree so massive it made entire forests look insignificant.

"That’s the center right?"

The beast nodded. "That’s right, the thing you’re wanting is either on that island, or beyond it, as the Lowlands continue after it."

Aether turned to the beast. "There’s more of that cursed place?"

He laughed. "Of course, actually, the Lowlands are the biggest region in all of Storfell.

Aether chuckled awkwardly, even if he did not find it funny at all. He hated the Lowlands; it was probably the most annoying place he had been in for all of his Reader progression, so he really thought that the island was the one to hold the relic, that way he could leave and not cross to the other side.

...

But at the same time, with the luck he has had until now, he didn’t doubt that he was going to have to cross the Highlands.

And find the shard on the other side of the Lowlands.

’Let’s just see what fate has to say.’