The night was quiet.
Too quiet.
Rin and her team had camped near a river after their dungeon run. The fire crackled softly. Crickets chirped in the grass. The moonlight shone gently through the trees.
Rin sat by the fire, holding a stick with toasted bread at the tip. Her hair was tied back. Her cheeks still glowed from the rush of battle.
Kai lay on his back, tossing stones into the air.
Mila leaned against a tree, half-asleep but always alert.
Theo was on watch, walking slowly around the edge of camp with a flashlight and dagger on his belt.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Until it wasn't.
In the trees above, a shadow moved.
No sound. No breath.
Just a shift in the air, so small no one noticed.
The Whisper was here.
It clung to the trunk like a spider.
Its body was thin, gray, and smooth like polished bone. Its mouth curled upward in a silent grin.
Its target: Rin.
It moved.
Fast.
Silent.
From the treetops to the grass in one heartbeat.
It rushed toward the campfire.
Theo turned at the last second.
"Move!"
Rin jumped back as the Whisper leapt from the shadows.
Its long claws sliced through the space where she had just been.
Kai rolled up, summoning wind blades.
Mila vanished into smoke.
Theo threw his dagger—it bounced off the creature's skin.
The Whisper landed in the middle of their camp, crouched low.
Its mouth opened.
Rows of jagged teeth curled in a smile.
No sound.
But they all felt it.
Killing intent.
"Split and circle!" Rin shouted.
She lit her hands with flame.
Kai slashed at it with a wind arc, but it dodged with terrifying speed.
Theo tackled it from behind.
It twisted and slammed him into the ground.
"Don't let it touch you!" Mila warned.
Her smoke form surged around the creature, trying to blind it.
Rin ran in, her fire burning brighter.
She struck with both hands.
The Whisper dodged left—but not fast enough.
A spark clipped its shoulder.
The skin hissed.
It turned to her.
Eyes wide.
Rin saw her reflection in those black eyes.
She took a step back.
But before it could pounce again—
A voice cut through the trees.
"Enough."
Eon appeared beside Rin like a flicker of light.
His hand reached forward.
The Whisper stopped moving.
It twitched, tried to lunge, but couldn't.
It was frozen in midair.
Eon's eyes burned bright orange.
"I warned your kind."
The Whisper made a sound for the first time.
A shriek.
It tore at the space around it, opening a small black hole—and vanished.
Eon's hand closed.
The hole sealed.
Everyone stared, breathing hard.
Kai coughed. "What the heck was that?"
"Assassin," Mila said quietly. "It was watching us."
"Why did it attack now?" Theo asked.
Eon looked at Rin.
"Because you're becoming dangerous to them."
Rin clenched her fists.
She could still feel the creature's presence—cold and sharp like broken glass.
"I'm not strong enough yet."
Eon shook his head. "You survived. You're learning."
Rin nodded slowly.
Then looked up at the stars.
"I'll get stronger," she said. "I have to."
Elsewhere…
Thousands of miles away, in Kenya, a storm raged over the savannah.
Wind howled.
Thunder rolled.
In a small village, most people stayed inside.
But one boy ran alone through the rain.
His name was Ayo.
Sixteen.
Orphan.
He didn't know what he was running from—only that something inside him felt wrong.
His heart beat too fast.
His skin felt hot.
And everywhere he looked, the world shimmered with strange colors.
He tripped and fell.
Lightning flashed.
He groaned and looked at his hands.
They were glowing.
Gold and blue, like cracked lightning.
"What's happening to me?" he whispered.
He tried to stand—but the world shook again.
Then he heard it.
A voice.
Not from outside.
From within.
[SYSTEM ONLINE][USER: AYO][SPARK DETECTED – PRIMAL TYPE][CLASS: THUNDERCALLER][TALENT TREE UNLOCKED]
Ayo stared in shock.
"What… is this?"
The storm above him pulsed.
And then something fell from the sky.
Not lightning.
A shape.
It crashed into the dirt nearby.
When the dust cleared, Ayo saw it—
A gray, twisted creature.
Long arms.
Sharp smile.
No eyes.
A Whisper.
It had followed the signal.
It had come for him.
Ayo stood shakily.
The creature moved fast.
It was almost on him—
When lightning struck.
Not from the sky.
From him.
It blasted out of his chest in a sharp, golden wave.
The Whisper screamed.
Its skin burned.
Then it vanished into mist, retreating.
Ayo dropped to one knee.
His whole body buzzed with power.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: FIRST DEFENSE SUCCESSFUL][+1 STORM AFFINITY][TALENT: "SHOCK PULSE" UNLOCKED]
He stared at his hands.
The light slowly faded.
He didn't understand what was happening.
But he knew one thing:
"I'm not normal anymore."
---
Back to Rin…
Rin sat with Eon under the moonlight.
"Do you know why the System is returning?" she asked.
He nodded.
"It senses the threat. The Conquerors are not just attacking—they are planting seeds."
Rin tilted her head. "Seeds?"
Eon pointed at the stars.
"Each Rift Gate is more than a portal. It changes the land, the people, even the future."
"And we're the only ones who can stop it?"
"Not the only ones."
He smiled.
"Others are waking up now. Across the world. Like sparks in dry grass."
Rin imagined that.
People, just like her, discovering strange powers.
Becoming something new.
Something stronger.
"But," Eon said, standing, "we must move faster."
"Why?"
"Because the next Rift Gate is opening… and it's much larger."
Rin stood too.
"Where?"
He looked north.
"Mount Halcon."