His father's silhouette was already lost to the abyss. Eldrin let out a ragged, held breath, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. He didn't dare think further, he simply surrendered to the drop, taking a final step into the nothingness.
The sensation of the fall hit him like a physical blow, a sickening, weightless lurch that made his stomach turn. The air rushed past his ears, cold and smelling of crushed leaves and damp earth. He clawed at the air, his mana flaring, trying to stabilize himself, but his power felt dampened, muffled by the sheer, oppressive vitality surrounding them. Panic clawed at his throat, his heart drumming a frantic rhythm.
Then, out of the roaring silence, his father's voice drifted up, serene and resonant, as if he were standing on solid ground just a few feet away.
