Ael jolted awake, his body slick with sweat and his heart hammering in his chest. The remnants of the dream clung to him, visceral and overwhelming. He couldn't shake the images, the sounds—or rather, the muffled, distorted roars of the demons. The screams of those on his side never reached him, and their faces remained hidden, obscured by shadow. He remembered the demons with chilling clarity: their grotesque forms, the fire in their eyes, the way their wings stretched impossibly wide, the jagged teeth that gleamed in the dim battlefield light. They were immense, overwhelming forces of chaos, and yet there was one figure in the dream that stood out, wielding power that radiated through the war like a beacon. The figure's strikes carried the weight of Ether, crackling and thrumming with raw energy, and it left Ael breathless, questioning how such a spell could even exist.
Shaking off the last tendrils of sleep, he swung his legs over the edge of his bed, letting his feet touch the cold floor. The memory of the dream gnawed at him. The figure—he didn't know who it was—had wielded Ether like a conductor, shaping reality itself for a brief moment. And when the final spell erupted, it seemed to halt the very march of demons around them, leaving devastation so complete that even the ground seemed scorched by its presence. Ael had watched it, powerless, only able to feel its weight pressing down on him. The figure was someone familiar, yet unfamiliar, shrouded in mystery. He had not known, could not know, the identity behind those hands that commanded such destruction. But the power—it had felt eerily like his own Ether, though somehow far older, far more refined. His heart ached with curiosity, with a sense of something lost or hidden, though he could not place it.
A soft chime pulled him from his thoughts. A translucent message flickered in the corner of his room, hovering in the air like a shard of light.
"Ael. Guild HQ. Urgent."
It was Lyra. Her tone, though carried only in text, seemed to hum with controlled urgency. He didn't need to think twice. Dressing quickly, he made his way to the guild in silence, his mind still buzzing from the dream. Flying taxis hummed above the city, cutting through the early morning fog, and the glass-and-steel towers of the Phoenix Guild reflected the rising sun like beacons. Despite the city's bustle, a strange sense of solitude settled over him. The dream had left him contemplative, and even as the world moved around him, he felt tethered to something he couldn't yet name.
The doors to the Phoenix Guild HQ opened, and Ael stepped inside. The grand hall was quiet, unusually so for the morning. Lyra was already waiting, seated behind the central command desk. She was perfectly composed, her expression neutral, her posture straight, but Ael could feel it—the subtle tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers drummed against the desk ever so slightly. Her restraint was palpable, as if she were holding back a storm of anger, grief, and fear all at once. Ael took a deep breath and approached.
"Good morning, Ael," Lyra began, her voice even, steady, but beneath it, Ael could sense the effort it took to remain calm. "We need to discuss the situation with Amanda's team. Please, have a seat."
He obeyed, settling into the chair across from her. His thoughts still lingered on the dream, but he forced himself to focus, to ground himself in the present.
Lyra continued, "Amanda, Brandon, and Celis returned from their raid. The others… did not survive." Her words were measured, deliberate, but there was a hardness in her eyes, a flicker of sadness she refused to let break free. Ael swallowed hard. He had expected losses in dangerous rifts, but hearing it confirmed still felt like a blow.
"Lysa, her twin, and the three support mages—none of them made it back," Lyra said, her voice steady, betraying none of the grief she must have felt. "The team fought valiantly, but the creature they faced was unlike anything we've documented in an E-Rank gate."
Lyra leaned back slightly, her fingers interlaced. "We've analyzed the battle. It was intelligent. Tactical. Deliberate. The demon did not simply attack—it manipulated the environment, anticipated movements, and forced the team into fatal traps. Amanda reported that it spoke, but its words were cryptic. It raged about something called 'Her' and recoiled from… something." She paused, her eyes narrowing as if scrutinizing her own words. "It mentioned Ether, but none of our people understand what it means, and none of us have the capacity to read it. Whatever it sensed, it was external, something it recognized from before. But beyond that, we have no clue what it was referring to."
Ael's stomach churned at the mention of the demon. He thought back to the words the creature had spoken, its fury, its obsession with something called "Her," and its inexplicable hatred for Ether. The term itself had been meaningless to the humans, but he had felt the resonance in it, the strange, alien recognition, as if the demon had detected something intangible, something powerful and forbidden. And yet he knew—he was careful to remind himself—it had nothing to do with him. At least, nothing that anyone could know.
He nodded silently, piecing it together in his mind. The demon's rage, the references to Ether, and the term "Her" were connected in some way, but only he could sense the subtle threads. He allowed himself a private thought: the residual Ether from the previous rift—the unique energy that he wielded—must have left an imprint. The demon had gone berserk not because of him directly, but because it detected something familiar, something alien in the battlefield. He kept the thought to himself, as it was not his place to share, and no one would understand.
Lyra's gaze sharpened. "Ael, for your next mission, you will carry on with a temporary team. Your stats are effectively D-Rank, and while I have no doubt you are capable, I do not want you to be overwhelmed. The objective is to complete the rift efficiently, safely, and without unnecessary casualties. Consider this a measured test of your abilities while we recover from the incident with Amanda's group."
Ael nodded, absorbing the information. The temporary team sounded like a controlled environment, a chance to prove himself without excessive risk. Yet he couldn't shake the sense of foreboding left by the demon's presence in the E-Rank gate, the weight of the battle Amanda's team had faced.
Lyra continued, "The team you will enter the rift with are Marcus, an Earth manipulator with exceptional endurance, he is the only other D-Rank on the team; Serin, a wind mage whose agility is unmatched; Kael, a lightning user specializing in rapid assaults; Talia, a healing prodigy with a keen sense for defensive formations; Jorik, a shadow manipulator focused on sabotage; Liora, skilled in fire-based elemental bursts; Fen, a frost mage capable of battlefield control; and Arden, a swordmaster with unerring precision."
Ael repeated the names in his mind, cataloging their abilities and imagining how they might complement his own Ether. The team was diverse, balanced, and, importantly, experienced enough to ensure he would not face extreme risk alone.
Lyra's voice softened slightly, though her composure remained intact. "Remember, Ael, the previous rift was an anomaly. The demon was intelligent, aggressive, and… unusual. We have no idea what caused its behavior but we have no idea if and when it can happen again. However, it is crucial that your team is prepared for anything. Your presence changes the dynamics of a raid. Be mindful of that, and use your abilities responsibly."
Ael sat back, considering her words. He felt a twinge of unease as he processed the notion of being a variable in someone else's battlefield. The dream had shown him power, destruction, and devastation he could scarcely comprehend, and now he was tasked with entering a real rift, where lives could be lost if he made a single mistake. He realized that while he wielded Ether, he was still learning, still growing, and the consequences of overconfidence could be catastrophic.
Her tone remained steady, yet he sensed the undercurrent of tension in her words. "We will proceed with caution, Ael. Keep in mind the unpredictability of rifts. Teams that underestimate the environment or their opponents… they do not return. You must lead by example, but also know when to hold back. Your abilities are formidable, but restraint is key."
Ael nodded again, quietly absorbing the advice. He knew that the demon in the E-Rank gate was gone, that it would not reappear in this raid, but the memory of Amanda's team haunted him. Five deaths were not a number to disregard. He owed it to them—and to himself—to be precise, careful, and effective, especially since he knew the Ether residue was his.
Lyra's eyes softened momentarily as she regarded him. "We'll depart shortly. Take this time to prepare, focus, and plan. The temporary team will assemble at the guild entrance in fifteen minutes. Trust in your skills, and trust in the abilities of those around you. You will not be alone, Ael."
As he rose from his chair, Ael felt a mixture of anticipation and unease. The dream, the rift, the demon's words—all of it lingered in the edges of his mind. Ether hummed faintly around him, responding to his focus, his intent, though he kept the energy suppressed, careful not to draw unnecessary attention. The weight of responsibility pressed on him, but it was tempered by clarity: he would enter the rift, he would follow Lyra's guidance, and he would ensure that no mistakes led to unnecessary loss.
Outside the office, the guild's main hall buzzed with quiet activity. Members prepared equipment, checked formations, and reviewed mission parameters. Ael's temporary team awaited with expressions sharp, focused, and ready.
Ael stepped forward, absorbing the scene. This team was strong, capable, and disciplined. His thoughts drifted briefly to Amanda, Brandon, and Celis—survivors who had endured a battle he could not have imagined—and he silently resolved to honor their efforts by mastering his own abilities in the coming raid.
Lyra approached once more, her presence commanding yet calm. "Ready yourself, Ael. The rift awaits. Lead carefully and fight wisely."
Ael inhaled deeply, feeling the hum of Ether at his fingertips. The rift would be another trial, another step in his growth, and he was ready to meet it with focus, caution, and resolve. Together with his new temporary team, he would step into the unknown, aware of the dangers but confident in his own abilities and in the skill of those around him.
…
As the gates to the rift shimmered ahead, Ael's thoughts lingered briefly on the E-Rank demon and its words. He did not understand the full significance, but he felt the echo of power, a warning, and a hint of something long past, intertwined with the energy that he wielded. And though he did not yet know its origin, he could sense that this force—this Ether—was unique, potent, and untested.
The rift gateway shimmering like liquid light, and the eight of them stepped forward together, the weight of expectation and the gravity of their mission pressing in from every side.
Ael's mind remained sharp, his body tense, ready.
"Let's do this", he mumbled while entering the rift.