In the silence of the night, at the edge of the empire's borderlands, two guards sat by a flickering fire, its warmth barely shielding them from the biting cold. The only sounds were the whispering winds brushing against their metal armor. The night dragged on in boredom—nothing had moved near this sector for many days.
One of them sighed and muttered in frustration,
"Ugh… Isn't this job getting unbearably dull? What time is it?"
The other glanced up at the sky before replying,
"One past midnight."
The first stomped the ground and groaned,
"Damn it! Why are we even out here? No one's come close for days! We're not even allowed to use our powers for fun."
The second shrugged indifferently,
"Orders are orders. The general gave us this post—and you know what happens to anyone who wastes energy foolishly."
Still grumbling, the first said,
"But seriously… Don't you think the Empire of Might has grown powerful enough by now? Who would dare breach its borders?"
The other remained silent for a moment, then tossed a stick into the fire. A flicker of curiosity crossed the first guard's face as he asked,
"Hey, aren't you some kind of priest or something?"
The second chuckled softly,
"What? No… I just studied a bit—religious texts, ancient legends, that kind of stuff."
"Then tell me one of your fantasy tales, scholar."
"They're not fantasy," he replied firmly, "They're documented. With teachers. And sources."
The first waved a hand dismissively,
"Whatever. I don't believe in that stuff. I only believe the Emperor gave us powers no human ever had. But hey… we've got time to kill. Tell me a story."
The scholar took a deep breath, and began speaking as if drawing words from an ancient tome:
"It is said the Creator didn't limit Himself to the world of men. He crafted another world—one far greater in scale and wonder. A realm ruled by celestial beings known as the Sovereigns. Each governed an element: Ice, Light, Weather, Beasts, Spirits... and even the Sovereign of the Underworld."
His companion leaned in slightly, intrigued.
"This world was teeming with strange creatures—massive, dangerous beasts under the Beast Sovereign's command… wandering spirits under the Spirit Sovereign… angels and elves sheltered by the Light Sovereign. But then… everything changed. The Creator decided to synchronize this realm with ours."
"And what happened then?" asked the first, now clearly captivated.
"Conflict. War. Invasions by creatures we had no name for. Especially the beasts—they ravaged our lands without mercy."
The scholar's tone deepened, gaining rhythm and intensity, as if something ancient spoke through him.
"Humanity suffered like never before. Strange powers defied understanding. Weapons failed to pierce or protect. Cities burned. Kingdoms crumbled. Millions perished. Entire civilizations were enslaved or erased."
The first guard lowered his gaze, as if imagining the horror.
"Hope died. Order collapsed. People no longer knew if they were dreaming… or trapped in hell. But… humanity doesn't die so easily."
The scholar looked toward the horizon, his voice steady,
"In their darkest hour, the people united. Petty differences fell away. Warring kingdoms forged alliances. Because survival had only one path: unity."
"They created semi-effective weapons. Then came the first miracle: a creature from the other world fell. A massive, monstrous corpse like nothing seen before."
"Scholars rushed to dissect it. They studied it obsessively—testing, experimenting—until they discovered a formula. A breakthrough… and a spark of hope."
"A new weapon, crafted from the enemy's remains. And that… was the turning point."
The first guard's eyes widened.
"Armies rose from the ashes. Regiments formed again. War drums beat louder than ever—not in defense this time, but in vengeance. Humanity didn't just endure… it struck back."
"The tide turned. One battle at a time. The beasts fell. New weapons carved through even the strongest of them. Kingdoms reclaimed their land. Some creatures once thought legendary… were annihilated."
"And among the nations that led the resistance… was our empire—what was once called Nusephira."
He paused, then frowned slightly.
"But not all regions were so lucky. Only a handful of nations survived. One of them was an ancient empire called Zvaldar… the very ground we're standing on now."
The first guard leaned in, whispering:
"But tell me… how the hell did those creatures even show up?"
The scholar gave him a cryptic smile, then answered:
"That… is the question that changed everything."
"Do you know the answer?" the first asked.
The scholar nodded and continued,
"Before any clear explanation emerged, theories spread. Some philosophers said the creatures were divine tests—punishments cloaked in predatory forms. Scientists rejected that outright. To them, nothing appears without cause, especially not something this massive."
"Then came the first signs of truth."
He rested his spear across his knee, his voice softening:
"In remote villages, unregistered zones… strange reports started pouring in. People said their family members vanished—no trace left behind. At first, authorities thought it was mere runaway cases or accidents. But the numbers kept rising. No corpses, no blood, no signs of struggle… just disappearance."
"Then came the stranger claims. Some people said their friends vanished right before their eyes. One second there, the next—gone. No sound. No light. No scream. Just… emptiness."
"Others reported seeing hazy ripples in the air, like the world itself was shivering. Faint distortions—barely visible—but anyone who got too close… disappeared."
The first guard raised a brow,
"Ripples? What are those supposed to be?"
"Mysterious things," replied the scholar, "based on what those villagers described. But the authorities? They dismissed it as nonsense."
"Everyone who touched them vanished… Are they portals or something?" asked the first.
The scholar gave a half-smile,
"You'll find out soon enough… as the events unfold."
---
"At first, when people began reporting missing loved ones and seeing odd distortions in the air, officials ignored them. No physical evidence was found—no signs, no residue, no traceable energy. So, they brushed it off as mass delusion… or poor people craving attention and compensation."
He shook his head slowly,
"But the scientists… weren't so easily fooled."
"They believed these bizarre phenomena might hold clues to something bigger—a possible connection between the two worlds. But without official support, they couldn't investigate directly."
"So… they leaked the rumors."
The first guard blinked,
"Leaked them?"
"Yes. The scientists seeded the idea of the ripples into certain communities, knowing full well that adventurers couldn't resist the call."
"And sure enough… someone took the bait."
He paused, as if conjuring a memory from another life.
"A young adventurer. Nameless at the time. Obsessed with legends. Brave enough to go where no one else dared."
"Using witness accounts, he pinpointed a suspicious location. A secluded zone, far from government eyes. One moonless night, he set out—lantern in hand."
"Step by step, he crept through the silence, searching the air as if it breathed. The only thought in his mind: the ripples—fog in the wind, invisible to the eye but deadly to the touch."
The first guard asked,
"And? Did he find it?"
The scholar smiled.
"He was lucky. After a short search, he noticed a faint shimmer in the air—a ripple reflecting his lantern's light. Like a sheet of water suspended in the air."
"He stopped, jumped back. It vanished. He stepped forward… and it reappeared. The closer he got, the more it shimmered. Further away… and it vanished."
The first guard, now staring into the dark, asked:
"So… what does that mean? The ripples reflect like a mirror?"
"Exactly," the scholar said, now gazing at the stars.
"The lantern was the key. It let him see what was otherwise invisible. That was his great discovery."
When the adventurer first noticed those mysterious ripples in the air amidst the darkness of night, he didn't hesitate. He carefully placed his lantern in front of them, fixing it firmly into the ground so that its light would reflect on the strange waves—his only guide to distinguish illusion from reality. Then, he ran straight to the nearest police station.
At first, his words weren't taken seriously. The officers thought he was just another pretender, like dozens before him who made baseless claims. But his insistence—and the unmistakable sincerity in his eyes—convinced them to accompany him, albeit with a stern warning: "If you're lying, you'll be fined or imprisoned… severely."
When they returned to the site with him, the lantern was still glowing in its place, casting a beam of light into the cold void. The two officers stopped in front of it, one of them asking skeptically: "Where is this thing? I don't see anything."
The adventurer smiled, then gently lifted the lantern. In an instant, the ripples became clear—as if the air had torn open before them, revealing a glass-like window exposing a fracture in the very fabric of reality.
The officers were stunned, their eyes widening as though they were witnessing a scene from another world. When one of them tried to throw a rock into the ripples, the adventurer shouted: "Stop! We don't know what could happen if it's touched!"
Not long after, reinforcements were called in, along with scientists from various fields. A perimeter was quickly established around the area. Floodlights were set up to keep the phenomenon visible day and night, and civilians were barred from approaching.
The site immediately became a subject of rare scientific research. The experts confirmed what had long been dismissed as myth: the rumors were true. This discovery might be the key to unraveling one of the greatest mysteries of the age—where did those creatures come from?
After several days of analysis and observation, the scientists received official clearance to conduct the first experiment.
They carefully studied the surroundings and took all necessary precautions. Then, one of them quietly tossed a small stone into the ripples. What happened stunned everyone. The moment it touched the surface—it vanished. No sound, no light, no recoil… it was simply gone.
One of the scientists cried out, "It absorbs matter… or transfers it!"
The experiment was repeated, and the second stone vanished as well. With each test, the idea became clearer—these weren't just natural anomalies. They were portals. Gateways connecting their world to another.
But the celebration didn't last long.
Just two days later, the ripples disappeared—vanished as if they had never existed.
The scientists tried everything to replicate the phenomenon. They threw stones, activated sensors, ran simulations—but now, the rocks simply fell to the ground, undisturbed. Nothing invisible remained.
Disappointment loomed over the scientific camp. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had slipped away. Still, they left with an answer—perhaps the closest yet to the greatest question of all:
Where did the creatures come from?
There had to be something… some place… another world that transported those beings here, just as it transported their stones there. And so, the scientific high council gave it a name: The Transition Point.
The first guard nodded thoughtfully, then asked: "So… what they discovered through those ripples is what they later called 'Transition Points,' because anything—or anyone—who touches them is either transported… or disappears."
The second guard replied calmly, "Exactly."
Then the first asked with a quiet, pondering tone, "What about the rest of the world? Did anyone else make progress? I mean… did they find out why these creatures appeared?"
The second guard slowly shook his head and answered, "According to old records, the first empire to uncover a thread of the truth… was Zvaldar. The empire that, as I told you, once stood right where we're standing now."
He continued, "That strange phenomenon that swallows anything it touches, only to vanish afterward as if it never existed—in their time, there was little international cooperation, save for some intellectual exchanges. What happened remained buried in their archives… until now. But the entire world was suffering from this same phenomenon, and the creatures that came with it."
The first guard nodded silently, then asked while staring at the ground, as if trying to solve an ancient riddle: "When they realized the existence of Transition Points… did they ever consider a motive? A reason why these creatures suddenly appeared in our world?"
The second answered with a tone that suggested he'd memorized the answer long ago: "Of course. They pursued the truth—but all they found were closed doors. The motive remained unknown for a long time. Until, one day, the emperor arrived… with a copy of the sacred book. He claimed that within its ancient texts, it was written that the god himself willed a synchronization between the two worlds… the human realm, and the realm of other beings. That divine will was the spark that ignited everything."
The first guard chuckled with disbelief: "All of this… for synchronization? Hard to believe. I don't believe in gods, or in all that's said about the rulers. Even our emperor calls himself the 'Sovereign of Light'—as if he were some divine being."
He continued sarcastically: "Look at him… his pure white hair, the strange markings on his body, robes made of white cloth embroidered with gold, his gem-studded golden crown… Everything about him screams celestial."
The second guard simply shrugged, offering no response. So the first continued: "They say we gained our powers and supernatural abilities thanks to him. I, for instance, can control fire, enhance my abilities, and use a few magical techniques. And you—you're training in one of the sword arts. Nearly everyone in the Empire has some form of power or magic. All because of the 'light' that flows through him. Yet he never once explained where those powers came from. Did he bring them from the other world? Or is it some form of magic he seized for himself?"
The second replied simply: "Everything is written in the sacred book and ancient texts."
The first laughed again and muttered sarcastically, "I told you—I don't believe in any of it."
Then, the first guard asked as he stared into the gray horizon beyond the fortress walls: "So… did humanity stop at discovering Transition Points? Or did they go further?"
The second guard smiled faintly, his voice now confident: "Of course they went further. Humanity kept learning and evolving amidst their ongoing struggle against the beasts."
He inhaled briefly and continued: "Military forces and scientists worked together to locate these points more precisely, using the same traits described earlier: misty ripples in the air that reflect light like warped mirrors. Thanks to that feature, several points were found and secured with strong barriers and military presence to prevent any intruders."
The first guard nodded in understanding. The second went on: "Most of these points were located in areas outside imperial control—remote villages or unclaimed lands. Securing them was a challenge. But over time, they became scientific reserves, assigned for observation and experimentation. A special device was even developed to alert soldiers to any energy activity within the point—after many reports confirmed that some active points emitted dangerous creatures, sometimes strong enough to breach containment."
A silence followed, then the second guard continued in a lower voice: "But the real question that haunted the scientists wasn't just where the creatures came from… it was: what lies beyond the point?"
The first guard raised an eyebrow with interest, prompting the second to explain: "Transition Points only disappear after something passes through them. Then, they fade as if they were never there. But no one—ever—returned from them. No body, no signal, no echo. That raised the most terrifying question: can a human enter one of these points… and return?"
The wind whispered between the silent forts as the second guard's voice dropped further, like sharing a secret buried deep in forgotten history: "All they've discovered is that the points lead to a completely different realm. A world with properties that defy our natural laws. A world from which these creatures emerge… and maybe worse. Just as things are pulled from here to there… monsters come from there to here."
The first guard reflected aloud: "And then what? Has anyone thought of entering? I mean… is there someone crazy or brave enough to cross the point in the name of science, knowing no one has come back?"
After a moment of silence, the second answered quietly: "That's what everyone's waiting for… Someone with enough courage—or madness—to enter the point… And uncover the unknown."