Nato7

The Awakening: Around 150 years ago, a mysterious event known as "The Rift" caused a dramatic shift in the world. This event opened portals from another dimension, bringing Essences—mysterious and powerful entities—into the world. These Essences granted some individuals extraordinary abilities and set in motion a global conflict.

Essence Warriors: These are people who possess the power of an Essence, which can take various forms depending on the individual’s soul and affinity. Some are born with their Essence powers from birth, while others awaken them later in life. These warriors are ranked according to their power level, and the rankings play a significant role in their status, training, and missions.

Essence Reborn

Thunder growled like an angry beast over Tokyo's skyline, shadows dancing across Riku's bedroom walls with every flash of lightning. He couldn't sleep. Not really. Not with everything that had happened.

And that's when the dream began.

He was in the middle of a dark room. Just him. Shirtless. Determined.

Push-ups. Sit-ups. Nonstop.

His body moved like a machine—relentless, flawless. Sweat rolled off his skin, muscles bulging with every rep. And then… something strange happened.

A glowing mirror appeared in front of him.

His hair—shorter now—was a mix of blue and violet, streaks of galaxy-like shimmer fading into deep indigo curls. His eyes gleamed with an unfamiliar sharpness. And his body… defined. He had abs—a four-pack, tight and lean. His arms looked sculpted. His posture—powerful.

"What is this…?" Riku whispered.

And then—CRACK!—a bolt of thunder snapped him awake.

Riku shot up in bed, heart racing, sweat on his forehead. The room was quiet again, dimly lit by stormlight through the window.

His hair… shorter now, messy curls with a cosmic hue—deep blue laced with faint purple streaks, like a living nebula. His face looked sharper, eyes brighter. And his body—

Abs. A tight four-pack. Subtle, but clearly defined.

"…What the hell is happening to me?"

"Riku?" his mother's voice called softly, followed by the sound of footsteps.

She and his little sister stepped into the room.

"Oh my god," his mom gasped. "You look…"

"Cool!" his sister cheered, running up to hug him. "You look like a hero now!"

His mom smiled. "It suits you. You've always been handsome, but now… there's something different."

That was just a dream… wasn't it?

But something inside him whispered:

This is only the beginning.

Chapter 9: Storm Within