Chapter 1: Shadow of the Past

Volume no.1 "Blade of the Unbound:Lost Within Shadows"

Chapter 1: Shadow of the Past 

It was night. Peter stood at the edge of the crumbling wall, staring at the ruins of the city that once bore a proud name. The destroyed buildings, the distant flickering lights—it no longer filled him with fear. He had seen death too many times, felt too much pain, to be intimidated by the darkness surrounding him now.

The family he had loved was but a memory, shadows of the past that could never return. The monsters that had destroyed everything he held dear were defeated. But that wasn't the end. In fact, it was just the beginning. He still had something to prove. And it wasn't revenge, though it was part of his path. He knew his true goal was to reclaim himself.

The demons within him couldn't be defeated in the usual way. The evil he felt didn't come from creatures outside of him. They were merely a reflection of what had been left on his soul by everything he had endured. He didn't know how long he could keep hiding his emotions behind the mask he had become. But one thing was certain—there was no turning back.

The path he walked had no way of returning to old times. He had died too many times inside to live fully again. Though he still felt warmth within him—the warmth he knew from those who had gone—he could no longer allow himself such luxuries.

But in the darkness, on the brink of despair, he felt something else. Perhaps he wasn't completely human anymore, but there was still hope, however small. Hope that one day, eventually, he could atone for his mistakes, even if only through a small gesture, through tiny actions.

"This isn't over yet," he thought. "Not today."

He looked up at the sky. Over the past few years, he had learned to see things that were once invisible. And at this moment, in this dark, shadowed night, he saw something he hadn't noticed before.

A new fate, calling him to act.

Peter looked at the dark, experienced-looking person next to him and said,

"I'm ready."

He replied,

"Are you sure? Once you go through the rift, there is no going back. And Ether does not forgive mistakes."

"I won't be more ready, and I've spent more time with you than I planned."

"Okay, the nearest rift is about 200 meters north, between the river and the forest. It's easy to spot."

"Then I'll be going. I hope to see you again."

"Me too. And take care of yourself. Look for companions, but don't trust anyone."

the old man said.

"Well, see you then,"

Peter said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Yes, until next time,"

said the old man who had acted as a father and mentor to him in recent years.

Later, as he watched Peter's back disappearing around the corner, he added under his breath,

"Good luck, son."

And then he disappeared into the shadow.

***

Peter walked silently across the scorched earth, heading north without being noticed by anyone. After a few minutes, he felt something brushing against his consciousness. He turned to the right and saw a burnt clearing near a small river. In its center, a crack in space stretched before him—like a massive, shattered mirror connecting two different worlds.

Some time ago, creatures from beyond this world had emerged through this rift. The charred grass and vegetation suggested that at least a few fire-type monsters had been there—and that the leader of their pack was still alive, as the crack had yet to close.

On its far side lay the Riftrealm, as humanity had named it—also known as Ether. Despite the strange behavior of the wind, shadows, and sounds around the rift, Peter moved toward it, stopping just a step and a half away to assess its size.

'About three meters high and one and a half wide... probably first category, no second,' he noted, peering closely through the portal. But all he could see was fog.

What Peter sought was called a forced awakening—a phenomenon triggered when an ordinary person passed through the rift. There were several known cases of this process, yet few willingly chose to enter Ether, a realm filled with dangers, unless fate forced them to.

Peter cast one last glance at the landscape—devastated years ago—then at the ruined cities on the horizon.

"Now or never."

He took a step forward.

Darkness consumed his vision. His sense of space, balance, smell, sound, and touch vanished in an instant.

Then, something stirred in the void, approaching him.

And he lost consciousness.