The Binder

Chapter Ten: The Thin Veil

Chapter Ten: The Thin Veil

The mountains loomed high around Lin Ran, their jagged peaks cutting into the misty sky. He had been walking for hours, following the shimmering threads that guided him toward the hidden temple. Yet the deeper he ventured, the more the lines between reality and illusion seemed to blur.

As the last of the sunlight disappeared, the landscape around him grew unsettling. Shadows stretched longer than they should have, twisting unnaturally, and the ground beneath his feet felt soft like it might give way at any moment. The air itself was thick, heavy with a strange presence that Lin could sense but not quite place.

The threads of fate, which had been a constant guide since he left the tomb, now flickered in and out of his vision, as though the very world was unraveling. Lin stopped in his tracks, his breath shallow as he tried to steady his mind. The sensations overwhelmed him, and he could feel the creeping touch of fear. Was this the temple’s influence, or something else?

He reached out, trying to grasp a thread, but it slipped through his fingers like water. It shimmered, then vanished, only to reappear a few paces away, dancing just out of reach.

“This is a test,” Lin murmured to himself, trying to stay calm. “The temple’s power is playing with my senses.”

The figure he had encountered before—the one cloaked in darkness—had warned him that the temple was no ordinary place. It was a nexus of power, where the threads of fate tangled, bending reality around it. Lin clenched his fists, reminding himself of the purpose of his journey. He could not afford to lose himself in illusions.

But as he pressed on, the landscape around him shifted again. The path twisted unexpectedly, leading him in circles. Rocks and trees appeared, disappeared, and reappeared in different places as if the mountain itself were alive, toying with him. Lin’s mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. Each time he focused on a landmark or a thread, it would dissolve or twist into something else.

Suddenly, he found himself at the edge of a cliff, staring down into a bottomless abyss. The wind howled, and the ground beneath him seemed to tremble, threatening to pull him down. He stepped back, his heart pounding in his chest. When had he reached the cliff? He hadn’t seen it before.

Lin looked around, but nothing seemed familiar anymore. The trees bent and swayed as if they were alive, and the sky above had turned a deep, unnatural shade of red. The threads, once so clear, now danced wildly, leading in all directions, as if mocking his inability to discern the way forward.

Panic welled up inside him. What if he was trapped in this place forever, wandering in circles, lost in the illusions of the temple? His thoughts grew frantic, and for the first time, doubt crept into his mind. Was he really capable of finding the temple? Or was this journey beyond him?

“Focus, Lin,” he whispered, shaking his head. “This is what they warned you about. It’s all part of the test.”

He closed his eyes, grounding himself. The mountain, the sky, the threads—they were all shifting, but they couldn’t be real. Somewhere, beneath the illusions, the true path lay hidden. He just had to find it.

Slowly, he steadied his breathing and opened his eyes. The cliff was still there, but this time, he noticed something different. Just beyond the edge of the cliff, hovering in the air, was a faint glow—a thread. It pulsed softly, waiting for him.

His instincts told him it was the way forward, but his mind rebelled. To follow that thread meant stepping into the abyss, trusting that the illusion would break before he fell. Could he do it? Was his mind strong enough to push past the fear, past the veil that distorted his perception?

With a deep breath, Lin made his decision. He couldn’t stay here, trapped in this illusion forever. If the temple was testing him, then he had to prove he was worthy of reaching it.

He stepped forward, his foot hovering over the edge of the cliff. The wind whipped at his face, and for a brief moment, he felt the terror of falling. But then, something clicked. The thread glowed brighter, pulling him forward, and he took the step.

Instead of falling, Lin felt solid ground beneath his feet. The illusion shattered, and the world around him dissolved into mist. The cliff, the twisting trees, the unnatural sky—all of it vanished, leaving him standing on a narrow mountain path. The air was clear again, and the threads of fate reappeared, glowing softly, leading him forward.

Lin exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. The illusion had been powerful, but he had pushed through it. Still, a part of him wondered how much more the temple would throw at him before he reached its gates.

As he continued along the path, the temple finally came into view, nestled in the shadow of the mountains. It was ancient, its walls crumbling, but there was no mistaking the power that radiated from it. The threads that Lin had been following all converged here, pulsing with energy, as if the temple itself were alive.

He had made it. But he knew that this was only the beginning.

The real challenge lay inside, where the Lifebinders’ secrets awaited him.

Lin squared his shoulders and stepped toward the temple, ready to face whatever lay ahead, determined to uncover the truths hidden within.