Chapter 22: Beneath the Surface 2

The air grew colder as Kai, Luna, and Seraphina descended the ancient staircase, the walls pulsing with dim golden runes. The whispers of the past seemed to hum through the stone, carrying secrets lost to time.

Kai sighed dramatically. "So, is this where I finally get a cool backstory?"

Seraphina didn't respond. She led the way silently, her golden eyes scanning every inch of the chamber with trained caution.

Luna glanced at Kai. "You're really not nervous?"

Kai grinned. "Oh, I'm terrified. Just figured I'd pretend I'm not until I actually need to freak out."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Fantastic survival strategy."

As they stepped onto the final landing, the chamber opened into a massive underground hall.

Kai whistled. "Now this is dramatic."

The ceiling stretched high above, golden symbols spiraling across it like constellations. Massive pillars lined the edges, and at the center—

A floating pedestal pulsed with pure Rift energy.

Luna's grip on her arcane spear tightened. "That… looks important."

Seraphina nodded. "It is. And it's the reason we're here."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do I get a cool weapon? Magic sword? A dragon, maybe?"

Seraphina ignored him, stepping toward the pedestal.

"This is the Vault of the Forgotten."

Kai frowned. "That name doesn't sound fun."

Luna eyed the floating Rift energy cautiously. "What's inside?"

Seraphina hesitated. "Knowledge. The kind that was meant to be buried."

Kai's smirk faded slightly. "You really know how to hype things up, huh?"

Seraphina exhaled. "If you truly want answers about your power, Kai… this is where you'll find them."

Kai stared at the pedestal, feeling an uneasy pull in his chest.

Something inside him wanted to reach out.

Something familiar.

Kai clenched his fists. What am I about to see?

The Rift's Memory

Kai stepped forward, cautiously extending his hand toward the floating energy.

Luna tensed. "Kai—"

But before she could stop him—

His fingers brushed the surface.

And suddenly—

The world fell away.

Darkness swallowed everything, and Kai was pulled into a void of swirling energy.

Then, he saw it.

A memory.

Not his own.

A Vision of the Past

A war-torn city.

A battle between warriors and creatures made of pure Rift energy.

And at the center—

Two figures clashed, their power shaking the very fabric of reality.

Kai's breath caught. "No way…"

One of the figures wore a flowing black cloak, their body engulfed in silver energy. Their movements were too fast for the eye to follow, their presence almost… inhuman.

The other was something far worse.

A being wrapped in Rift energy, its very form shifting like a living void. It spoke in a voice that seemed to crawl beneath the skin.

"You were never meant to exist."

Kai staggered backward as the vision snapped away.

He found himself back in the chamber, his breath coming in sharp gasps.

Luna and Seraphina were already at his side, their expressions filled with concern.

Seraphina's voice was urgent. "What did you see?"

Kai swallowed hard. "A battle. Someone—someone like me. Fighting against something made of the Rift itself."

Luna's hands clenched. "Like you? How?"

Kai's mind raced. The silver energy. The inhuman speed. The words that creature had spoken.

"You were never meant to exist."

Kai exhaled. "I think I just saw the last person who had my power."

Luna's eyes widened. "And?"

Kai looked up.

"They lost."

The Rift's Plan

Seraphina's golden eyes darkened. "Then we're out of time."

Kai blinked. "Whoa, hold on. That was just a vision."

Seraphina's gaze was sharp. "No. That was history. The last time someone wielded your power, they fought against the Rift."

Luna frowned. "And they failed."

Seraphina nodded. "And now the Rift is trying again."

Kai exhaled, rubbing his face. "Great. So I'm basically round two of the same experiment."

Luna stiffened. "What if… what if this is exactly what the Rift wants? What if it's making Kai stronger on purpose?"

Seraphina's jaw tightened. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

Kai forced a grin, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Man, I love being a cosmic science project."

Seraphina stepped forward. "We need to leave. Now."

Luna frowned. "Why? What's wrong?"

Seraphina's gaze didn't waver.

"The Rift knows he's awake now."

Kai's heart skipped a beat.

And before anyone could say another word—

The ground trembled violently.

The Rift Strikes Back

A low hum filled the air.

The golden runes on the walls flickered—then shattered as a pulse of dark energy erupted through the chamber.

Luna grabbed Kai's arm. "Tell me that's not normal!"

Seraphina's golden aura flared. "It's not. We've been found."

The chamber rumbled again, and suddenly—

A tear in reality split open before them.

And from the darkness—

A figure stepped through.

Wrapped in pure Rift energy, its crimson eyes burning with inhuman intelligence.

Luna's breath caught. "No… way."

Kai stared in disbelief.

It was the warrior from his vision.

The one who had fought against the Rift.

But now—

They were something else.

The Rift had claimed them.

Seraphina stepped in front of Kai, drawing her sword.

"Run."

The figure raised its hand.

Reality shattered.

Elsewhere…

Deep within the Black Hole Rift, the unseen presence stirred.

A voice—cold, calculated—spoke into the void.

"He has seen the truth."

The Rift pulsed violently.

"Then he is ready."