The briefing room was quiet.
Commander Adebayo stood at the head of the table, her expression calm but serious. The holographic map flickered, showing a single blue marker off the coast.
"A Blue Rift has opened," she said. "Approximately thirty kilometers from the previous site."
Grace leaned forward. "Blue? I've never heard of a Blue Rift."
"They're rare," Lyra said. "Less powerful than Red Rifts. The creatures that emerge are generally manageable."
"So this should be easy?" Michael asked.
Commander Adebayo nodded. "In theory. The water team is already en route. But I want your team on standby."
I felt a surge of excitement.
Blue Rift. Easy. Perfect.
The Voice stirred.
"Don't get cocky."
I ignored it.
The transport vehicle sped through the streets.
I sat by the window, watching the city blur past. My right arm tingled. The marks on my palm pulsed with a faint rhythm.
"Eren." Lyra's voice cut through my thoughts. "You're quiet."
"I'm ready," I said.
"Ready for what?"
"The fight."
She studied me. "You seem... eager."
"I've been training. I've gotten stronger." I looked at her. "I want to prove I can handle myself."
Lyra didn't respond. But something in her eyes flickered—worry, maybe.
We arrived at the coast.
The water team was already there—six Tordians, their scales shimmering in the afternoon sun. Kaelen stood at the front, her trident in hand.
"Commander," she said, nodding toward us. "You brought the surface team."
"Backup," Commander Adebayo said. "Just in case."
Kaelen's eyes flickered to me.
"The Voidwalker."
I met her gaze. "Eren."
She smiled. It was a thin, knowing smile.
"Stay close to your team. Blue Rifts may be weaker, but they're unpredictable."
I bristled. "I can handle myself."
Her smile didn't waver. "We'll see."
The Rift was visible from the shore.
A jagged tear in the sky, bleeding blue light into the clouds. It was smaller than the red Rift, less violent.
But there was something about it that made my skin crawl.
"Eren."
The Voice again.
"Don't fight that thing."
I frowned. "What? Why?"
"Something's wrong. The energy signature is... off."
I looked at the Rift. It seemed ordinary enough.
"I'll be fine," I said. "I've handled worse."
The Voice was silent for a long moment.
"You don't listen."
The Tordians descended into the water.
We followed along the coast, watching as they approached the Rift. Blue Riftspawn began to emerge—small creatures, lizard-like, their scales shimmering with the same blue light.
The Tordians engaged them.
It was over in minutes. The creatures fell, one by one, their bodies dissolving into blue mist.
"See?" Grace said. "Easy."
Then the Rift shook.
A massive form emerged from the tear—a creature unlike anything I'd seen before.
It was a gorilla.
But not like any gorilla I'd ever seen. Its body was massive, covered in blue-white fur that crackled with energy. Its eyes burned with the same blue light, and its fists—each the size of a boulder—slammed into the water, sending shockwaves across the surface.
Blue Riftguard.
Kaelen's eyes widened.
"That's not—"
It moved.
Faster than anything its size should have been able to move, the Riftguard lunged toward the shore. Its fist came down, and the ground shattered beneath it.
I scrambled backward.
"Everyone, fall back!" Lyra shouted.
But I didn't fall back.
I charged.
"EREN!"
Lyra's voice was distant. I ignored it.
The marks on my arm blazed. My black sword appeared in my hand, and I swung it with everything I had.
The blade connected with the Riftguard's chest.
It didn't even flinch.
The creature turned, its burning eyes locking onto me.
"You are not strong enough," it said.
Its voice was like grinding stone.
"To even look at me."
It swung.
I tried to block. I tried to dodge.
I couldn't.
The impact sent me flying. I crashed into the rocks, pain exploding through my body. My sword clattered from my hand.
I tried to get up. I couldn't.
"EREN!" Lyra was running toward me.
But the Riftguard was already turning away.
It didn't need to kill me. It had already proven the difference in strength.
Then something strange happened.
The Rift flickered.
The blue light dimmed, pulsing like a dying heartbeat. The Riftguard looked up, its expression shifting from fury to confusion.
And then—
It was gone.
The Rift closed. The creature disappeared. The sky was clear again.
I lay on the rocks, gasping, barely conscious.
"I warned you."
The Voice's whisper was hollow.
"You didn't listen."
I couldn't respond.
The world went black.
I woke up in the medical bay.
White ceiling. The hum of machines. The smell of antiseptic.
Grace was beside me, her eyes red.
"You're awake," she said softly.
"What happened?" My voice was hoarse.
Grace looked down.
"The Rift closed by itself. The creature vanished. We don't know why."
I tried to sit up. Pain shot through my body.
"Lay still," Grace said. "You're severely injured. Multiple fractures. Internal bleeding. You're lucky to be alive."
I stared at the ceiling.
"You are not strong enough to even look at me."
The creature's words echoed in my head.
"You are not strong enough."
The Hunters returned me to headquarters.
The debriefing was brief. Commander Adebayo's expression was unreadable.
"There was nothing you could have done," she said.
"I was useless," I said. "I was completely useless."
She didn't respond.
Later that night, I sat alone in my room.
My palm itched.
"You warned me," I said. "You told me not to fight."
The Voice was silent.
"Why didn't I listen?"
"Because you wanted to prove yourself."
I closed my eyes.
"And I failed."
"You survived. That's not nothing."
I looked at my palm.
"Next time, I'll be ready."
The Voice was quiet.
"Next time."
End of Chapter