I exhaled slowly and tried to steady my mind. Then I knelt and placed my hand on the chain beneath me. It was solid. Extending my perception as far as I could, I found nothing but endless darkness and more chains stretching in every direction. There was no trace of anyone else.
I stood and began walking, one careful step at a time, keeping my senses sharp. Ten minutes passed. Nothing happened. No presence, no distortion, no sound, just the faint hum of the chain beneath my feet.
Finally, impatience took over.
I rose into the air and shot forward along the same chain, flying faster and faster until the links blurred beneath me. Yet, even after several minutes, I realized I wasn't actually getting anywhere. The scenery refused to change, and the distance ahead remained exactly the same.
I stopped and dropped back onto the chain. I looked around, still the same. Endless darkness. Endless chains.
