Ten years ago, this world changed forever.
No prophecy announced it.No god warned them.
One day, the sky tore open.
Rifts—later named Gates—began appearing across cities, mountains, oceans, and highways. From them came creatures that did not belong to Earth. Steel was useless. Missiles failed. Armies collapsed within hours.
Entire districts vanished overnight.
That day became known as the First Catastrophe.
To seal the Gates, humans fought with their lives. Ordinary people stood no chance. Thousands died just to delay the monsters long enough for evacuation. Some cities survived. Many didn't.
Then, something unexpected happened.
Humans began to awaken.
They gained strange abilities—strength, magic, perception, healing. They were called Hunters, and with them, humanity finally gained the power to fight back.
But victory came at a cost.
For every Gate that closed, lives were lost.
And the world never returned to normal.
Three Years Later
In a quiet hospital room, a machine beeped steadily.
A young man sat upright on the bed, eyes wide with disbelief.
He had awakened.
An S-Rank Healer.
The news spread faster than fire.
Reporters gathered. Officials rushed in. Association representatives stood outside the room, whispering urgently. In a world where strength meant survival, an S-Rank healer was more valuable than gold.
But inside the room, none of that mattered.
The young man laughed softly, running a hand through his hair.
"I guess… it really happened."
At the doorway stood a boy three years younger, arms crossed, pretending not to be impressed.
"So," the boy said, smirking, "does this mean you're rich now?"
The healer snorted. "That's what you care about?"
"I'm just saying," the boy replied, "don't forget your little brother when you're famous."
The healer reached out and ruffled his hair. "As if I ever could."
Their parents stood nearby, tears in their eyes.
For the first time since the Gates appeared, their family had something to celebrate.
Offers
They came the same day.
Guild representatives lined up outside the hospital—national guilds, elite guilds, even international ones. Each offered protection, money, prestige.
"Join us.""We'll give you the best contract.""You'll never have to fight."
The healer refused them all.
"Not yet," he said calmly.
Their smiles tightened.
Still, they stayed.
An S-Rank healer was worth waiting for.
On the Way Home
That evening, the healer drove his parents and his younger brother home.
The city lights reflected off the windshield as traffic moved slowly across a long bridge.
His mother glanced back."You should awaken too," she said gently to the younger son. "You're old enough now."
The boy shook his head. "Not yet, Mom."
His father frowned slightly. "Why wait?"
The boy smiled faintly. "Let him settle first. Once everything's stable… then I'll do it."
The healer glanced at him through the mirror, understanding more than he said.
The car continued forward.
Then—
The air shattered.
A deafening roar tore through the bridge as a Gate exploded open in the middle of the road.
Screams filled the night.
Monsters poured out.
Cars crashed. People fell. The bridge became chaos in seconds.
"Get out!" the father shouted.
The parents tried to shield the younger boy.
"Hide!" his mother cried. "Please!"
The boy shook his head violently."No. I won't run."
"You're not awakened!" the father yelled.
"I don't care!" the boy shouted back. "Go! I'll stop them!"
But before anyone could move—
The Gate surged.
A massive wave of mana erupted outward, violent and uncontrollable.
The boy was engulfed.
Too Late
Miles away, surrounded by guild representatives, the healer's phone rang.
His face went pale.
"…Where?" he whispered.
He pushed past everyone.
"Move," he said coldly. "My family is in danger."
The guild members hesitated.
"Hunter, before you go—what guild will you—"
"I don't care," he snapped. "Get out of my way."
A man stepped forward.
The guild master.
"It's fine," he said calmly. "You're with us now. I'll come too."
For the first time that day, the healer felt relief.
Coma
By the time they arrived, it was already over.
The bridge was destroyed.
The Gate sealed.
Bodies covered the road.
The younger brother lay unconscious, his body flooded with foreign mana.
The healer poured everything into him.
Healing after healing.
Nothing worked.
"He's alive," someone said quietly. "But… he's in a deep coma."
No one knew when—or if—he would wake.
One Year Later
The healer erased every record.
No files.No names.No photographs.
To the world, he became an only child.
Two Years Later
In a quiet hospital room, a finger twitched.
A nurse froze.
The boy's eyes slowly opened.
And at that exact moment, miles away, an S-Rank healer stood up so suddenly that his chair fell backward.
"…My brother," he whispered.
He ran.