The First Rift

Shattering.

The world around Raiyan fractured like a broken mirror. The white void, the Watcher, the ghostly reflections of his past selves—gone.

In their place—

Chaos.

Wind howled as Raiyan was pulled into a spiraling abyss of light and shadow. Time itself twisted. He felt his body stretch, compress, scatter into a thousand pieces—only to be reassembled again in an instant.

And then—

Impact.

Pain exploded through his body as he crashed against something hard. Stone. Cold and uneven.

His vision blurred, his ears ringing. His limbs trembled as he struggled to push himself up.

Where… was he?

The scent of ash and iron filled his nostrils. The air was thick, heavy—tainted.

Slowly, Raiyan lifted his head.

And what he saw made his blood run cold.

---

He was in the middle of a city.

Or rather—what was left of one.

The buildings around him were crumbling, their walls scorched black as if burned by some ancient fire. The streets were cracked, littered with rubble and broken weapons. The sky above was unnatural—not blue, not gray, but a swirling mass of red and black.

And the air… the air was screaming.

It wasn't human. It wasn't even a voice.

It was the world itself.

Crying out in agony.

Raiyan's grip on his sword tightened.

"What… happened here?"

His voice felt small, swallowed by the vast destruction around him.

Then—movement.

A figure staggered out from the shadows of a collapsed building.

At first, Raiyan thought it was a person. But as the figure drew closer, he realized—it was wrong.

Its body was twisted, its limbs elongated unnaturally. Its eyes were empty voids, black as the abyss he had escaped. It moved in jerks and spasms, its fingers twitching as if struggling to remember how to use them.

Raiyan's stomach twisted.

It was human… once.

Now, it was something else.

Something broken.

Something corrupted.

And it wasn't alone.

More figures emerged from the ruins, their bodies dragging, their heads twitching unnaturally.

And then—they saw him.

A sudden, horrifying screech tore through the silence.

And they charged.

--

Raiyan barely had time to react before the first one was upon him.

Clang!

His sword met its jagged claws, sparks flying as metal clashed against unnatural flesh. The force of the impact sent a jolt through his arms, nearly knocking him off balance.

But he couldn't fall.

Another lunged from the side. Raiyan twisted his body, dodging by inches as its claws slashed through empty air. He countered with a sharp strike—his blade sliced cleanly through its chest.

For a moment, he thought it was over.

But the creature didn't stop.

Even with a gaping wound, even with black ichor spilling from its body—it still moved.

Still attacked.

Raiyan barely had time to process before the others swarmed.

One leaped from above—he rolled to avoid it. Another lashed out—he parried just in time.

But there were too many.

A claw raked across his side. Pain flared through his ribs. Another struck his shoulder, knocking him backward.

His breath came in ragged gasps. His body screamed.

He was going to die.

No.

No, he refused.

He had not broken free of the abyss just to fall here.

Not like this.

Something deep inside him stirred.

A faint pulse in his sword.

The same presence from before—the one that had answered his call.

Raiyan gritted his teeth.

And this time—he embraced it.

--

The world shifted.

For a brief moment, everything slowed.

Raiyan could see everything. The movement of the creatures. The weight of their steps. The flow of their attacks.

And more than that—

He felt the sword in his hands.

Not just as a weapon.

But as something alive.

He stepped forward.

His sword moved—not with hesitation, not with fear, but with purpose.

Slice.

The first creature fell, its head severed in a single stroke.

Step. Twist. Strike.

Another fell. Then another.

The creatures screeched, their movements becoming frantic.

They could feel it.

The shift.

Raiyan wasn't just surviving anymore.

He was fighting.

And he was winning.

---

Silence.

Raiyan stood amidst the corpses, his sword dripping with black ichor. His breath was heavy, his body trembling—but he was alive.

He had won.

But even in victory, unease settled in his chest.

Because in the distance, beyond the ruins, beyond the broken city—

Something was watching.

A presence far more terrifying than the creatures he had just slain.

And it was waiting.

For him.

Raiyan exhaled, gripping his sword tighter.

This was only the beginning.

And he was not done yet.

---

To Be Continued…