Chapter Seven: The Glass Bridge
Zephyra landed on a narrow glass bridge suspended high above the void, the neon glow from the city below refracting through the cracked panels. Every step sent tremors shivering across the surface, and shards of broken glass jutted upward like jagged teeth. She crouched low, daggers ready, heart hammering in sync with the pulse of the stolen artifact beneath her feet.
The thief was ahead, moving with unnerving grace, cloak fluttering like liquid starlight. Zephyra hesitated for only a heartbeat before sprinting, boots sparking as she navigated the precarious bridge. One slip would mean a fall into the endless black beneath Aurelia—a plunge from which no one returned.
Suddenly, a new figure emerged from the shadows beneath a fractured archway: a humanoid with translucent skin, veins glowing faintly with blue energy. Their hair floated as if underwater, eyes reflecting fractured neon from the city. "Stop!" they called, voice melodic yet commanding. "The bridge will not hold both of you. It will collapse!"
Zephyra froze mid-step, scanning the bridge. The glass trembled under the thief's weight, fissures spiderwebbing across panels she hadn't noticed. Sparks flew as the artifact pulsed wildly. She realized the bridge wasn't just fragile—it had been booby-trapped, tuned to the energy of the Heart itself.
The thief glanced back, grinning, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Afraid?" they teased, leaping forward effortlessly. Zephyra lunged after them, daggers slicing through the neon haze. The translucent figure raised their hands, releasing a wave of blue energy that solidified sections of the glass beneath her feet just enough to support her leaps.
A sudden crack echoed through the bridge. One of the panels shattered completely, sending the thief sliding precariously toward the void. Zephyra's reflexes took over—she launched herself, catching the edge of the broken panel with one dagger while stabbing the other into the side of the thief's cloak, halting their slide.
The thief laughed breathlessly, their hands gripping the edge as Zephyra pulled them upright. "Impressive," they said, eyes gleaming with excitement rather than fear. "I didn't think you'd follow me here."
Zephyra's gaze swept the ruins around them. The glass bridge stretched precariously across the chasm, broken platforms and neon shards rising from the void below. "Neither am I," she admitted, voice tight with adrenaline. "But the Heart won't wait, and neither will I."
The translucent figure floated closer, eyes piercing hers. "You are bold," they said softly. "But the city does not favor boldness alone. Every step you take triggers the ruins' memory—they remember those who pass and those who fail."
The thief stood, brushing off shards of glass from their cloak. "Then let's see which of us the city favors," they said, eyes glinting dangerously. With a sudden leap, they vaulted toward a series of floating terraces above, and Zephyra followed, heart pounding, daggers ignited with starlight.
The bridge trembled violently behind them, shards of glass falling into the void like meteors. Zephyra's pulse raced; every leap, every landing, every movement felt like a gamble with death. But something deep inside her surged—a mixture of exhilaration and determination. She would not fall. Not tonight, not here. The Heart of the Sky was close, and she would see it before anyone else.