Chapter 19: The Rift’s Warning

Kai sat alone on a broken ledge, staring up at the swirling mass of darkness in the sky. The Black Hole Rift pulsed faintly, almost like a heartbeat.

Luna and Seraphina were still inside the training area, arguing about whether or not Kai should continue training after what had happened earlier.

Kai smirked. They care too much.

He let out a slow breath, leaning back against the cool concrete.

Then—

A voice echoed inside his head.

"Kai Takashi…"

Kai froze.

The air around him shuddered. His vision blurred. The world around him melted away.

Suddenly, he wasn't sitting in the training field anymore.

He was standing in the middle of a burning city.

Flames engulfed the buildings, turning everything into a crimson wasteland. The sky above was torn open, Rift energy swirling like a storm.

And in the center of the destruction—

A towering figure stood, cloaked in shadow.

The Rift pulsed behind it, feeding its existence.

Then—

Kai saw himself.

He was standing in front of the shadowed figure—but he wasn't the same.

His eyes were completely silver. His body was wreathed in unstable Rift energy, pulsing like a being that shouldn't exist.

And then—

His own voice echoed through the vision.

"You were right. I was never meant to exist."

The shadowed figure let out a low chuckle.

"And yet… here you are."

The vision snapped away—

And suddenly, Kai was back in the present, gasping for air.

The Truth About Kai's Power

Kai hunched over, clutching his head. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

What the hell was that?!

Footsteps rushed toward him.

"Kai!"

Luna and Seraphina appeared beside him, their faces filled with concern.

Luna knelt beside him, gripping his arm. "What happened?!"

Kai tried to steady his breathing, his mind still racing. "I… I saw something."

Seraphina's expression darkened. "The Rift showed you something, didn't it?"

Kai swallowed hard. "It… it was a vision. A city burning. A… a shadow."

Luna's grip tightened. "A prophecy?"

Seraphina stood, her golden eyes filled with certainty. "Not just a prophecy. A warning."

Kai slowly pushed himself up, still feeling lightheaded. "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

Seraphina sighed. "I suspected."

Luna frowned. "What do you mean?"

Seraphina turned toward the Black Hole Rift, which was still glowing ominously in the sky.

"Kai isn't just an anomaly. He isn't just an SSS-Class."

She looked at him, her gaze unreadable.

"He is something else entirely."

Kai let out a weak laugh, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah. I got that part already."

Seraphina stepped closer, lowering her voice. "If the Rift recognizes you… then that means something is trying to pull you in."

Luna's stomach twisted. "Pull him in?"

Seraphina nodded. "The Rift doesn't just take things. It absorbs them. It makes them part of itself."

She looked at Kai.

"And it sees you as something that belongs to it."

Kai's smile faltered.

Luna felt a chill crawl up her spine. "So… what happens if it succeeds?"

Seraphina's expression darkened.

"If the Rift claims him…"

She hesitated.

"Then Kai Takashi will cease to exist as we know him."

Kai's Decision

Kai took a deep breath, processing everything.

"So, basically, I'm a walking glitch in reality," he muttered.

Seraphina exhaled. "I wouldn't put it like that, but… yes."

Kai smirked, despite the tension. "Awesome. Love that for me."

Luna glared at him. "Kai, this is serious!"

Kai's smirk faded slightly.

He knew that.

He wasn't stupid.

But if he stopped laughing, he'd have to start thinking.

And if he started thinking—

He might just break.

Kai sighed, rubbing his neck. "Alright. What's the plan?"

Seraphina arched an eyebrow. "You're taking this surprisingly well."

Kai shrugged. "Not my first near-apocalypse."

Seraphina shook her head. "We need to accelerate your training. If we don't, next time the Rift calls for you, you won't be able to fight it."

Kai let out a long breath. "Yeah. Sounds about right."

Luna folded her arms. "And I'm coming with him."

Kai blinked. "Oh? Didn't take you for the hands-on type, Cherry Blossom."

Luna scoffed. "Someone has to keep you from getting yourself killed."

Kai chuckled. "Can't argue with that."

Seraphina nodded. "Then it's decided. We start immediately."

Kai sighed dramatically. "No time for pancakes first?"

Luna smacked his shoulder.

Kai grinned.

But deep down—

He wasn't laughing anymore.

Because something inside him whispered—

"This is only the beginning."

Elsewhere…

Deep within the Black Hole Rift, a shadow stirred.

A low, distorted voice rippled through the void.

"He is getting closer."

Another voice responded, smoother—almost amused.

"Yes. But will he survive it?"

The Rift pulsed again—growing wider.

And the unseen figure smiled.

"Let's find out."