Snow fell gently over the rocky cliffs of the Andes Mountains.
The air was thin and cold. The clouds were low, hugging the peaks like a blanket. Hidden in one of the mountain's deeper valleys was the new Rift—dark, swirling, and unstable.
Eon and Zahid stood at the edge of the entrance, looking into the crack in reality.
Around them, broken stone pillars and ruins peeked from the snow. This place had once been a forgotten temple, long buried under ice.
"I feel something alive inside," Zahid said, holding his staff tight.
Eon nodded. "And something ancient… watching."
They stepped through the Rift.
The light bent around them. Wind turned to silence. The ground changed beneath their feet.
Inside the dungeon, they stood on glassy black stone. The walls shimmered with strange light—pale blue and silver. Tall towers floated in the air above, slowly spinning in place like broken pieces of a city.
The place felt wrong.
But also… familiar.
"This is not like the Sahara," Zahid whispered.
"No," Eon said. "This place is not of Earth."
Suddenly, a scream echoed from deeper inside.
Zahid's eyes narrowed. "Someone's here."
They ran toward the sound.
---
They reached a wide chamber filled with crystal pillars.
In the center, a girl stood inside a glowing prison of light.
Her hair floated around her like smoke. Her eyes were shut tight, and her body shook as power burst from her chest. Energy crackled in the air, making the pillars tremble.
Eon stepped forward.
"She's a Spark."
Zahid looked at her. "Should we free her?"
"Yes," Eon said. "But carefully."
He raised his hand and touched the outer layer of the crystal.
It reacted—glowing brighter, then dimming.
The girl opened her eyes.
She screamed again—not from pain, but fear.
"Stay back! I can't stop it!"
Zahid moved in. "We're here to help!"
The girl's power exploded. White flames shot from her hands, knocking Zahid back. Eon stood firm.
"Calm yourself," he said gently. "Focus your breath."
"I can't!" she cried. "It's too loud inside!"
Eon stepped forward again and placed his hand over hers.
"Let the noise pass through you. Do not fight it. Feel the silence beneath it."
Her flames began to fade.
The crystal prison cracked.
Then it shattered.
The girl collapsed into Eon's arms, unconscious.
Zahid walked over, rubbing his shoulder. "She's strong."
"She's new," Eon said. "We must protect her before the Conquerors sense her awakening."
He looked toward the ceiling.
"But I fear… they already have."
---
Back at the desert camp, Rin stood at the edge of a canyon.
Her hands were wrapped in green magic. Her eyes focused on a training dummy made of stone and metal.
"Verdant Strike."
She punched the air.
A blast of green energy shot forward, blasting the dummy into dust.
She wiped her brow.
Since the attack, she had been restless. The others wanted her to stay safe. But Rin knew that wouldn't help her grow.
She needed to fight.
To learn.
To be ready.
Her solo mission was simple: explore a small test dungeon located a few kilometers from base and retrieve a crystal sample. The Rift was stable, low-level… but she stayed alert.
As she entered the dungeon, she saw old roots climbing along broken stone walls. It looked like an overgrown greenhouse.
A growl echoed ahead.
Rin raised her guard.
From the shadows came a Moss Golem—a creature of vines and earth.
It charged.
Rin spun, blasting it with Verdant Surge.
The golem staggered—but didn't fall.
It swung a heavy fist.
Rin dodged, barely.
"I have to do better," she muttered.
She focused. Closed her eyes.
"Verdant Bloom."
Green light burst from her core, wrapping her body in a protective shell of leaves and petals.
She darted forward and struck with a glowing blade of light.
The golem shattered into vines and dust.
Rin breathed hard.
She smiled a little.
"That's one."
She moved deeper into the dungeon.
---
Meanwhile, back at base, Selene walked through the outer tents.
She carried a quiet aura. Her presence was calm, but sharp.
She had noticed strange activity in the camp over the past few days. Certain crates had been moved. Communication lines flickered for no reason. One of the guards always seemed too quiet. Too… clean.
She followed her instinct.
The man worked in supplies.
Selene watched him from the shadows.
He moved at night. Opened locked storage without keys. Whispered strange words into a stone hidden in his coat.
She stepped out.
"That's not standard issue," she said coldly.
The man froze.
"Excuse me?"
"The stone. You've been using it to send messages."
He tried to run.
She was faster.
With a flash of motion, she pinned him to the ground and placed a dagger at his throat.
"Who are you really?"
His skin shimmered.
And in the next blink—he changed.
His body turned pale. His eyes went black. A mark appeared on his forehead.
A Whisper Spy.
"You're too late," it said. "The Flame will fall."
Selene didn't blink.
"Not today."
She knocked the creature unconscious and sent a message to Layna.
"We've been infiltrated."
---
The girl slowly woke up.
She blinked at Eon and Zahid.
"Who are you?"
"Friends," Zahid said.
"You were trapped in that crystal prison," Eon explained.
She sat up slowly. Her hands still glowed faintly.
"My name is Mira. I came here because something called me. I thought I was dreaming… but then the world turned upside down."
Zahid helped her up. "You're a Spark now. Like us."
"I don't know what that means," she said.
"It means," Eon said, "you have power. And danger will follow."
A loud cracking sound echoed through the chamber.
The Rift behind them pulsed—then trembled.
From deep within the towers above, a shape stirred.
"Something's coming," Eon said. "We need to get her out of here."
Zahid nodded. "I'll cover the rear."
They moved quickly, guiding Mira out of the dungeon as the walls began to shift and collapse.
Outside, snow was falling harder now.
They stepped out just in time as the Rift behind them closed—for now.
Eon looked at Mira.
"Welcome to the war."
---
Selene tied the unconscious spy to a chair.
Layna looked at the mark on its skin.
"We've seen this before," she said. "They use these spies to gather data before sending Generals."
Rin returned shortly after, bruised but smiling.
"Mission complete. One crystal core, one golem destroyed."
Selene raised an eyebrow. "Solo?"
"Had to prove something," Rin said.
Layna smiled. "Then you're ready."
"Ready for what?" Rin asked.
"For your first major assignment. With Eon in the Andes, we need leaders here."
Rin took a deep breath.
"Then I'll lead."