A new presence appears on the hill. A cloaked figure, tall, pale, with runes burned into his skin. He carries no weapon, but the air around him twists like it's afraid.
He looks at Ren.
"I've found you," the figure says. "The one who slipped out of the Rift."
Ren stands slowly. "So, it begins."
The sky dimmed—like it was holding its breath.
The cloaked man stepped forward, bare feet cracking the soil. His presence alone was unnatural. Birds stopped singing. Wind refused to move. Even time, already unstable around Ren, seemed to falter again.
The girl hid behind Ren, dagger raised. "Who is he?"
"Riftkeeper," Ren replied quietly. "One of the old ones. He guards the borders of reality."
The Riftkeeper's voice was calm. "You were not meant to awaken, Ryu."
Ren looked down at his hands. "I didn't. Not fully."
"You've already disrupted the weaves of fate," the Riftkeeper said. "That girl should've died. You changed it."
"She would've died for nothing," Ren said.
"That's not your concern."
The Riftkeeper's runes began to glow, forming symbols midair. Space warped behind him —a black rift forming.
The girl's eyes widened. "What is that?!"
"A prison," Ren muttered, "for beings like me."
"The First Clash"
The Riftkeeper raised a hand.
Suddenly, the ground between them vanished—not exploded, just ceased to exist, replaced by an infinite black void.
"Submit, Ren," the Riftkeeper said. "Return to the roots."
Ren didn't move.
Then—a blink. That was all.
The Riftkeeper flinched. One of his runes cracked. His foot slid back.
"You looked at me," he said. "That's against the code."
"I've never followed your code," Ren said, walking forward slowly.
The Riftkeeper extended both hands now. Dozens of chains of light shot from the rift, aiming to bind Ren's limbs, his soul, his name, even his memory.
But none touched him.
They simply vanished.
The Riftkeeper's eyes narrowed. "...You're evolving."
Ren looked up, calmly.
"No," he said. "I'm remembering."