Toddy and the Current-Master of the First Paths – The World of Red Lanterns

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The first star-path opened silently before the star-boat. No gate appeared. No massive portal. Instead, the stream of red light wound like an endless river through the darkness between the worlds. The silver waters of the Star Chamber vanished behind them as the small boat slowly glided out onto the forgotten path. Toddy held the ancient letter pressed tightly against his chest. The red seal now pulsed in the same rhythm as the red lanterns that glowed somewhere deep ahead of them in the gloom. Salam Ander stood at the bow, gazing forward. Even his fire—usually so vibrant—shimmered more dimly than usual. Ahead of them lay a darkness that did not feel threatening. It felt, rather, sorrowful—as if an entire world had been waiting for millennia. Behind them, the First Station fell away; its golden spires were by now mere specks of light. Yet the voice of the Current-Master continued to echo in their thoughts: "Every path remembers what has been lost." Hours passed. Perhaps even days. On the star-paths, time could no longer be measured. Finally, Kaelen was the first to notice a change. Red lights appeared on the horizon. First one. Then ten. Then hundreds. They hovered like stars above a black landscape. Varaan lifted his head. His reptilian eyes narrowed. "There is something there," he murmured. Slowly, the star-boat approached the alien world. Now they could make out the lanterns more clearly. They stood atop towers. On bridges. On the walls of houses. Along the streets. Everywhere. An entire city spread out beneath them. Yet not a single window glowed. No voice could be heard. No movement. Only the red lanterns burned. The star-boat finally docked at an old quay. The wood was weathered. Yet no trace of decay was to be seen. It seemed as though the inhabitants had abandoned the place only yesterday. Toddy sprang cautiously ashore. Immediately, the letter in his hands began to glow more intensely. The red seal opened of its own accord. No one had touched it. Slowly, the ancient missive unfolded. Silver letters appeared upon the paper. But before Toddy could read them, a bell rang out somewhere within the city. A single note. Deep. Slow. Sorrowful. The lanterns lining the streets suddenly flared brighter. A second bell followed. Then a third. Suddenly, something stirred amidst the houses. Shadows. Dozens of shadows.They glided silently through the alleys—not like ghosts, not like people, but like memories. Waldemar reached for the Compendium. Its pages fluttered wildly.