Chapter 299: The Floating Platforms
(Time-stilled world, Edge of the Canyon, Day 14, Late Afternoon)
As the team finally reached the very edge of the canyon, they came to a halt without Raiden needing to give the order, as the sight before them felt like something carved at the end of the world.
The canyon stretched so far across that the opposite side was barely visible, and so deep that nothing but pure blackness stared back from below, swallowing everything in sight like a void that had never known light.
There were no birds, no trees, no rustling leaves in sight.
Only wind.
Constant, heavy wind that howled up from the abyss without rest, sweeping across the cliffside like a warning that refused to fade.
It wasn’t strong enough to push them back, but it was loud enough to drown out words, as it carried with it the dry scent of old stone and the faint, metallic taste of something long decayed.
They stood there for a moment, eyes locked on the shifting formations ahead, while the wind screamed around them without pause.
Then, beneath the howl, something else began to rise.
A sound.
Faint at first, almost like a whisper trapped between the cliffs, but unmistakably real, growing clearer with every passing second.
It began as a low hum, but slowly unfolded into something more— a distant tune drifting up from the abyss, as though a thousand forgotten instruments were playing from far below, blending together in a melody that didn’t follow any rhythm, yet refused to stop.
The music had no pattern, no beat, no clear source, yet it wasn’t unpleasant either.
It simply lingered, floating through the air like it had always been there, playing for no one in particular, as if the canyon itself was remembering something.
None of them spoke.
They remained at the ledge in silence, eyes scanning the sky ahead, where floating platforms drifted slowly through the open air.
Each platform moved at its own pace, rising and falling, rotating slightly, or sliding forward with no visible cause.
At that moment, seven platforms hovered within reach, each one different in size and altitude.
The first was small and close, but barely large enough to land on. The second was wider, but moved erratically with sudden shifts.
The third looked solid— broad, even, and smooth in its motion, while the fourth was cracked along the edges and tilted dangerously to one side.
The fifth was angled too far to land safely, while the sixth and seventh moved in overlapping circles that made timing uncertain.
The team studied all seven in silence.
They evaluated not just which one to leap onto first, but also which one offered the best path forward, for if the second jump looked impossible, there was no point in choosing the first step.
And hence, after a short deliberation, they all came to the same conclusion.
The third platform from the left was the best starting point.
It was wide and stable, and moved slower than the others, with its position also offering a clean connection to three more islands beyond it, each spaced evenly, with minimal vertical shift.
"That one," Leo finally said, pointing toward it, as Raiden nodded without a word, while the others adjusted their stance and tightened their grips.
They began calculating the rhythm.
How long the platform hovered.
How far it dipped and how fast it climbed.
How wide the jump would be.
How long they would need to wait if they missed.
One by one, they gathered the courage to move.
And as the wind surged again, the team prepared to leap, knowing full well that the moment they left solid ground behind, they would be forced to enter a constant cycle of dangerous jumps to eventually reach the other side.
*Jump*
Raiden led the way without hesitation.
He stepped forward and launched off the edge, his body cutting clean through the wind before his boots struck the third platform with a solid thud.
—tilt—
The platform dipped beneath him, not much, but enough to tilt forward and rock gently to the side, as though it were swaying like a pendulum.
Raiden lowered his stance instinctively and stayed near the center, adjusting his weight as the platform swayed beneath him for a few seconds before gradually evening out.
The others took note.
Bob narrowed his eyes, adjusted his run-up, and aimed straight for the center, mindful of how Raiden’s landing had shifted the stone.
*Thud*
His boots landed slightly off, but close enough to avoid triggering too much sway, as although the platform still shifted beneath him, it was not as much as before.
Karl was next. He did not rush.
He waited for the platform to rise again into its fifteen-second hover, then leapt with precision, angling for the middle.
*Step*
His landing was cleaner than Bob’s, and this time, the platform barely tilted. Just a slight dip, then stillness.
While Leo went last.
He watched all of it, the arc, the angle, the reactions, and jumped only once the hover peak was fully reset.
*Land*
He landed firm and balanced, barely making a sound, as he crouched low with his hands ready in case of sudden movement.
However, the platform only gave a gentle sway beneath him before stabilizing, as it seemed to be able to hold their weights without any trouble.
The wind still screamed around them, pulling at their clothes and biting at their exposed skin, while the strange music below continued to hum in the background.
No one spoke.
They remained on the platform for five minutes, just enough time to get into the optimal window for the next jump, as when it was time, they leapt once again without needing Raiden’s command.
*Land*
Once again, they all landed without too much hassle, however, this time around, the platform they landed on, suddenly changed its speed of ascent and descent, as after they landed, it suddenly hastened it’s descent and slowed down it’s ascent, as a new variable was introduced.