Volume 43
Writer: Sabbir Ahmed
Chapter 10: The Rift Awakens
The sealed Rift loomed before them like a wound in the world. Silver light shimmered from cracks in the ground, pulsing rhythmically, almost like a heartbeat. Lina could feel it in her chest—the same pressure she'd sensed since the first night the sky cracked.
Kael signaled them to stop. "This is it. Once we step closer, there's no turning back."
Lina swallowed. "What exactly is it?"
"A sealed Rift isn't just a tear," Mira's voice echoed in her mind, carried through the pendant. "It's a trap for power—ancient, dangerous, and hungry. You were born with the key to control it."
Her pulse quickened. The key? Me? Lina looked at the silver glow, feeling it call to her.
Before she could step forward, the Hunters attacked. They dropped from the cliffs above with unnerving silence, black cloaks blending into the shadows. Their weapons glinted, crackling with strange energy.
"Protect Lina!" Kael shouted, drawing his sword.
Lina raised her hands instinctively. Silver light surged from the pendant, forming a shield that knocked several attackers backward. The Hunters regrouped instantly, circling her like predators.
One stepped forward—a tall figure with pale eyes that seemed almost familiar. "So, you are the one born of the Rift," it said calmly. "We were told you would awaken soon."
Lina's chest tightened. She felt the pendant flare, almost as if it recognized the Hunter. A rush of energy coursed through her, stronger than anything before. Her silver light began to ripple, forming tendrils that danced along the ground toward the Rift itself.
The nearest Hunter swung a blade, but Lina didn't flinch. She pushed her hands forward—and the Rift responded. Cracks in the silver light widened, humming with power. Tendrils of energy shot out, forcing the Hunters back.
Kael and the scouts stared in awe. "I've never seen that kind of control," Kael said, voice low.
The Hunter with the pale eyes narrowed. "Impossible… the key itself…"
Lina realized with a jolt: she wasn't just connected to the Rift. She was part of it.
The Rift pulsed violently, sending waves of silver light into the sky. Lina felt it answering her emotions, growing stronger as her confidence surged.
And as the first Hunter fell back, stunned, Lina understood the truth: she had awakened.
The war had only just begun.