Chapter 7.Breacher

By the time Ethan and Grall returned from their walk, the skies had softened into molten gold, stretched thin across the jagged horizon. The cliffs cast long shadows over the path, and the humming windmills above sang their gentle, endless songs. The whole outpost felt suspended in a moment of stillness—like even the world held its breath.

They stopped outside the wooden structure Ethan now knew as temporary shelter. The light from the porch lamps flickered to life as the sun dipped.

"You've been quiet for a while," Grall said, glancing sideways. "Let me guess—still trying to convince yourself you're not dreaming?"

Ethan gave a soft, humorless chuckle. "If this is a dream, it's way too vivid."

Grall nodded slowly, as if understanding ran deeper than he let on. He took a breath, shifted his weight, then said, "Hey… I didn't catch your name."

Ethan blinked, like the question had knocked him slightly off-balance. "Ethan. Ethan Valtaris."

Grall paused. "Valtaris. That's not a name I hear every cycle."

"It's not from here I guess," Ethan said quietly.

Grall reached into a small pouch on his side and retrieved a thin, circular object,slightly tarnished, engraved with swirling lines. He handed it over.

"It's a skycoin," he said. "Travelers used to carry these for luck back when the gates first opened. Doesn't do much now. Just… tradition."

Ethan studied the coin, then looked up. "Why are you giving it to me?"

Grall shrugged. "Because you're not from here. And no matter what happens next, you're gonna need something to hold onto."

The moment lingered. Then Grall clapped him once on the shoulder and stepped away. "Rest easy, Valtaris. Tomorrow's gonna change everything."

---

The morning was too quiet.

Ethan walked alone along the outer path, following a trail of softly pulsing stones that led to a ridge overlooking the drop. Mist curled below the cliffs. Strange winged creatures glided through it like ghosts.

Then he heard it.

A voice clipped, professional.

Ethan stopped and leaned quietly against a stone wall. Down the slope, hidden partially behind a set of shimmering trees, stood Sylha. Her back was straight, one hand braced against her hip, the other holding a small, rune-lit crystal flickering with light.

"Recon Unit Veyne. Confirm anomaly."

"Confirmed," Sylha replied. "Subject is alive. Conscious. Stable for now."

A pause. Then the voice returned, sharper.

"Satellite beacons registered a surge. Mana signature unstable. Extraction unit dispatched. Arrival ETA: 63 minutes. Stand by and do not interfere. This subject qualifies as Class-Seven Breacher potential. You know the protocol."

Ethan's blood chilled.

Class-Seven? Breacher?

He shifted slightly and the soft crunch of gravel gave him away.

Sylha turned sharply, eyes locking with his.

"You heard."

Ethan didn't pretend. "What does all that even mean?."

"It's The Accord," Sylha said. "The Accord tracks dimensional spikes. They found you before I did."

"So what happens now?What do they want?"

She looked away, her expression unreadable. "Now? They take you."

"Take me?''

" They are taking you somewhere safe''

Sylha said confidently

---

An hour had passed and thee ship arrived like a blade splitting the clouds.It was sleek, silent, almost liquid in motion. Its hull shimmered with etched gold veins, the sigil of the Sovereign Accord glowing like a halo at the prow.

Ethan stood with Grall and Sylha on the landing platform, wind gusting off the ship's descent.

Two figures disembarked.

One wore black-and-gold combat robes with layered armor beneath, face concealed behind a smooth visor. The other, taller, held a crystal tablet etched with glowing lines of code.

"Ethan Valtaris," said the first. Their voice was modulated, layered. "You are hereby identified as a Breacher."

Ethan glanced at Sylha. She gave him a slow nod.

"And what exactly does that mean?" Ethan asked.

The second figure stepped forward. "It means you're not from this world. It means the Rift touched you. It means you're dangerous."

"So you're here to lock me up?"

"To train you. To understand you," the first replied. "And to ensure that if the Rift ever opens again… we're ready."

Grall growled low. "He's just a kid."

"No," said the second figure. "He's a variable."

Ethan exhaled slowly, the weight of every word settling in his chest.

He turned to Sylha one last time. "Should I be afraid?"

Her voice was quiet. "Only if you let them decide who you become,you gotta be strong kid."

Ethan stepped onto the ramp.

---

The inside of the ship was cold, clinical,lightless except for threads of mana-pulse running along the floor. Ethan sat alone during the flight, staring at the charm Grall had given him. His mind raced. Was this salvation? Containment? Or a new kind of prison?

When the ship finally landed, the door hissed open.

Outside, an enormous structure rose out of a mist-wreathed canyon -part fortress, part temple. Towering walls of obsidian stone lined with glowing glyphs. Dozens of landing platforms floated in fixed positions, patrolled by robed guards and sentinels in exo-armor.

The Breacher Institution.

A voice echoed from the escort beside him. "Welcome to the Rift Concord...Breacher 369. Your evaluation begins now."

Ethan stepped forward to get a better look.

A new chapter of his life had begun.