Two days had passed.
I stood in the briefing room, my body finally feeling like it belonged to me again. The training with Tom and Michael had paid off—my stamina was better, my reflexes sharper. I felt... ready.
Commander Adebayo stood at the head of the table, her expression calm.
"A Rift has opened," she said. "Under the sea."
I blinked. "Under the sea?"
"Approximately forty kilometers off the coast. The water team is already en route."
Michael frowned. "We're not going?"
Commander Adebayo shook her head. "We're sitting this one out. The water team has it handled."
I opened my mouth to protest—but Commander Adebayo raised a hand.
"Trust me. You'll want to see this."
She tapped the table.
A holographic screen flickered to life.
Six figures appeared on the screen.
They were humanoid—but not entirely human. Their skin was a shimmering blend of blue and green, like the surface of the ocean. Gills lined their necks, and their eyes were large, adapted for the deep. They moved with a fluid grace that no human could match.
Fish people.
Tordians.
"Meet the water team," Commander Adebayo said. "They're specialists in aquatic Rift operations. When a Rift opens beneath the waves, they're the ones who handle it."
I stared at the screen. "They're... incredible."
"They are." Commander Adebayo smiled. "Watch."
The holographic feed showed the Tordians descending into the depths.
They moved like they were born for it—their bodies cutting through the water with effortless grace. Their weapons were sleek, designed for underwater combat.
Then the Rift appeared.
A jagged tear in the ocean floor, bleeding violet light into the darkness. Creatures began to emerge—twisted, aquatic abominations that looked like nightmares given form.
The Tordians attacked.
Their movements were synchronized, almost choreographed. They circled the Rift, herding the creatures, cutting them down with precision.
It was beautiful.
It was terrifying.
"The team leader is called Kaelen," Commander Adebayo said. "She's been with the Order for fifteen years."
On screen, a female Tordian with silver-blue scales and a trident in her hand led the charge. She moved like a dancer, each strike landing with deadly accuracy.
"Is she..." I started.
"Yes. She's the only aquatic Voidwalker in existence."
I stared.
"Eren," Lyra said quietly. "You're not the only one."
The battle continued.
The Tordians fought with a ferocity that made my heart race. They were relentless, unstoppable. One by one, the Riftspawn fell.
Then Kaelen raised her hand.
The water around her began to swirl, forming a vortex that pulled the Rift's energy into itself. The violet light dimmed. The tear began to close.
Kaelen's eyes blazed with power.
And then—
The Rift was gone.
The holographic screen flickered.
Kaelen's face appeared, her expression calm. She was holding a telecommunications device, her voice crackling through the speakers.
"Commander Adebayo. The Rift has been closed. No casualties. All hostiles neutralized."
Commander Adebayo nodded. "Well done, Kaelen. Return to base."
"Understood."
The screen went dark.
Silence filled the briefing room.
"That was..." Grace started.
"Amazing," Mark finished.
"I've never seen anything like it," Michael admitted.
I couldn't stop staring at the screen.
There were other Voidwalkers. Other people like me. People who had mastered their power, who used it to protect the world.
But Kaelen was a Tordian. A fish person. Someone who lived in the depths, far from the surface world.
She was different.
But she was also the same.
"She's a Voidwalker," I said. "Like me."
Commander Adebayo looked at me.
"Yes. She is."
"Why didn't I know about her?"
"You didn't need to." Her voice was gentle. "Until now."
I didn't know how to respond.
That night, I sat on the roof of the headquarters, staring at the sky.
The Voice was quiet, its presence calm.
"Eren."
"Yeah?"
"You're thinking about her. The Tordian."
"Yeah."
"She's like you."
"She's a Voidwalker. Like me."
"But different."
I was quiet for a moment. "She's strong. She's in control. She knows who she is."
"And you don't?"
"I don't know who I am anymore." I looked at my palm. "I used to be just Eren. A student. A son. Someone ordinary."
The Voice was silent.
"Now I'm a Voidwalker. A Hunter. A member of the Order. And I still don't know what I'm supposed to be."
The Voice spoke softly.
"Maybe you're not supposed to be anything. Maybe you're just supposed to keep going."
I looked up at the stars.
"Yeah," I said. "Maybe."
End of Chapter