Soulbound Worlds

Taryn sat alone at the edge of the crumbling wall. The Forgotten City spread out below, a maze of ruined buildings and streets long abandoned. Once, it had been filled with life, people bustling from place to place, but now it was nothing more than broken stones and empty echoes.

Taryn's stomach growled, and they clutched it with one hand, trying to ignore the hunger. They hadn't eaten in two days. Finding food in the Forgotten City was hard. Most of the old shops were looted, and the wild animals that roamed the streets were dangerous. Taryn had learned to hide in the shadows, move quietly, and avoid being seen by the creatures that prowled after dark.

But today, they had found something different. While searching the ruins of an old building, Taryn had stumbled upon a hidden door beneath the floorboards. The door had been covered in dust and dirt, as if it had been sealed for centuries. When they pulled it open, they had discovered a staircase leading down into the darkness.

Curiosity had driven them forward. In a place like this, hidden doors usually meant treasure. At least, that's what the stories said. Taryn had followed the steps down into a small chamber. It was cold and damp, the air thick with the smell of earth. And in the center of the room, on a stone pedestal, sat something strange.

It was a key. But not just any key. It was made of a shimmering, glowing metal that seemed to pulse with energy. Taryn had never seen anything like it before. They reached out, hesitating for just a moment before wrapping their fingers around the cool metal.

The moment they touched it, something happened. The air in the room shifted, like a breeze had blown through even though there were no windows. Taryn's heart raced. They looked around, expecting something terrible to happen—but nothing did. The room remained still.

Shaking their head, Taryn tucked the key into their pocket and climbed back up the stairs. Whatever it was, it had to be valuable. Maybe they could trade it for food or something useful. But as they reached the surface, a strange feeling settled in their chest. The key felt...important. Like it wasn't just a piece of metal but something much more.

That was hours ago. Now, as Taryn sat on the wall, staring out at the setting sun, they couldn't shake the feeling that the key had changed something. The city seemed different. The shadows longer, the air thicker. And then they saw it.

At the far end of the city, near the old palace ruins, a glow appeared. Faint at first, but growing brighter with each passing moment. It pulsed, just like the key had when they touched it. Taryn's heart skipped a beat. They didn't know why, but they knew—whatever was happening, it had something to do with the key.

Without thinking, Taryn jumped down from the wall and began running toward the palace. Their feet pounded against the cracked stone streets as they weaved through the alleyways and broken buildings. The glow grew brighter with every step, pulling them forward.

When they reached the palace, Taryn stopped, gasping for breath. The place was huge, even in ruins. Towers that had once scraped the sky were now toppled, and the grand archways were filled with rubble. But in the middle of the courtyard stood something new.

A gate.

It was like nothing Taryn had ever seen before. Tall and shimmering, made of the same glowing metal as the key. The gate seemed to pulse with energy, a low hum vibrating in the air around it. Taryn took a step forward, their eyes wide with awe.

The key in their pocket grew warm, and they pulled it out, holding it in their palm. The glow of the gate seemed to respond to the key, growing brighter and more intense. Taryn's breath caught in their throat. Was this...a portal?

Taryn had heard stories of the old world, before the Forgotten City had fallen. Stories of magic, of other realms connected to this one by powerful gates. Gates that had been sealed long ago when the world began to collapse. Could this be one of them?

Before they could second-guess themselves, Taryn approached the gate. The key in their hand seemed to pulse faster, matching the rhythm of their heartbeat. They reached out, holding the key up to the gate. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, with a flash of light, the gate opened.

Taryn stumbled back, shielding their eyes from the blinding light. When the glow faded, they saw it—a swirling, shimmering vortex, spinning in the center of the gate. The air around it crackled with energy, and Taryn felt a pull, like the vortex was calling to them.

This was it. The moment they had been waiting for. An escape from the Forgotten City, from the hunger, the danger, the loneliness. Whatever lay beyond that gate, it had to be better than this.

Taking a deep breath, Taryn stepped forward. The moment they passed through the gate, the world around them shifted. The city disappeared, replaced by something entirely new.

Taryn found themselves standing in the middle of a vast, fiery landscape. The sky was dark and filled with ash, the ground cracked and glowing with lava. In the distance, mountains spewed fire and smoke into the air. The heat was intense, nearly unbearable.

Taryn looked around, trying to get their bearings. Where were they? What was this place?

Before they could take another step, a roar echoed across the landscape. Taryn's heart raced as they turned toward the sound. From behind a nearby hill, a massive creature appeared—a beast made entirely of fire and smoke, its eyes glowing like embers.

Taryn froze in place. The creature roared again, its fiery gaze locking onto them. It began to charge, its massive body leaving a trail of burning earth in its wake.

Taryn turned to run, but their legs wouldn't move. Panic surged through them as the beast got closer, its heat washing over them like a wave.

Just as the creature was about to reach them, a figure appeared out of nowhere. A man, tall and strong, with a sword that glowed with a strange light. He stepped between Taryn and the beast, raising his sword high.

With a single, swift motion, the man brought his sword down, slicing through the air. The blade connected with the beast, and with a burst of light, the creature exploded into a cloud of smoke and ash.

Taryn stared in shock, their heart pounding in their chest. The man turned to face them, his expression calm but serious.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice deep and commanding.

Taryn swallowed hard, still trying to catch their breath. "Where...where am I?"

The man sheathed his sword, his gaze never leaving Taryn. "This is the Realm of Flames," he said. "And you're lucky I found you before something worse did."

Taryn's mind raced. The Realm of Flames? Was that where the gate had taken them? And who was this man?

Before they could ask any more questions, the man held out his hand. "Come with me," he said. "There's much you need to know."

Taryn hesitated for a moment but then took his hand. Whoever this man was, he had saved them from the beast. And right now, they didn't have any other options.

As they walked together across the fiery landscape, Taryn couldn't shake the feeling that their life had just changed forever. The key, the gate, the strange new world—it was all connected. And whatever was waiting for them in this realm, they were ready to face it.

But deep down, a single question lingered in Taryn's mind.

Who—or what—had created the gate? And why had it chosen them?