Kael had never thought of "falling" as an action that could be voluntary. In his mind, falling meant losing control, being sucked down, being knocked off course. But now, with the cube in his hand and the wind blowing through the observation deck, he understood: falling is a choice. And sometimes, it's the only way to fly.

He activated the cube.

A pale blue light enveloped his body, surrounded by a force field like the surface of liquid water. For a moment, Kael felt all sound go silent. No wind, no mechanical noise, no heartbeat—just a deep, abysmal silence.

And then he fell.

The sky tore into streaks of light as Kael plunged through the stratosphere. Clouds split as he passed through, his body spinning in an uncontrolled flight. The city of Skyholm was a blur above, and below was the inky black ocean.

What am I doing...? Kael thought, his hand tightening on the pendant.

Below him, the water was no longer flat. A streak of blue light flickered from deep below the surface – Genesis Point. The teleporter seemed to be leading him to the exact coordinates, but how could a mere mortal survive through the ocean?

That question went unanswered. Light exploded around Kael as his body broke through the water – but instead of feeling pressure and cold, he felt himself being swallowed, as if the seawater were opening up a passage, flowing back into a spiralling tunnel.

Then everything stopped.

Kael lay in a dry space, his chest still heaving with the habit of suffocation – but there was no water. All around him was a circular metal chamber, strange engravings that glowed in response to his presence.

A station... under the sea?

In front of Kael was a large, closed gate, with ancient writing above it:

"Project: ARK – Welcome back, bearer of the Blood Mark."

He swallowed.

The gate opened automatically.