Leaving the rift always carried a sensation that defied familiarity.
No matter how many times it happened, no matter how experienced an awakener became, the feeling never dulled. It was not something the body adapted to. It was the sense of reality folding—compressed as if squeezed through a narrow aperture—before violently releasing you into another existence altogether.
Ael staggered half a step as his boots struck solid ground, lungs burning as normal air rushed back into him. Heat vanished. The oppressive weight of the rift's sky was gone. The roar of unnatural wind and distant monsters dissolved into silence.
He straightened slowly, breath steadying.
This should never feel normal, he thought. And it never should.
Behind him, the rift shrank. Its distorted edges rippled violently, light collapsing inward like a dying star before sealing shut with a silent implosion. The scorched earth remained as the only proof it had ever existed.
Ael stared at the spot longer than necessary.
Not because of the fight.
But because of the voice.
The beast's words echoed uninvited in his mind, carrying none of the madness he had come to expect from rift creatures.
Slaves.
Not servants.
Not soldiers.
Slaves.
Something about that word clung to him.
"Hey, Felicia," Ael said at last, his tone unusually serious. "I'd like to speak with the Guild Master."
Felicia glanced over, surprised by the sudden shift in his demeanor. "About what?"
"The rift," he said plainly. "More specifically—what the beast said. About being enslaved. I don't think those were random ramblings."
Felicia slowed her steps slightly. "Hm? What do you mean?"
Ael exhaled slowly, organizing his thoughts. "If we take into account the demon Amanda's team encountered—and what it talked about—and then consider the words from the beast we just faced… there's a pattern forming."
He gestured vaguely behind them, toward where the rift had been. "What if these rifts aren't random phenomena? What if they're connected somehow? And more importantly—what if we aren't the only ones facing them?"
Felicia's expression shifted from casual curiosity to quiet concentration. She replayed the events in her mind—the demon's defiant fear, the beast's hatred laced with purpose. Slowly, her brows furrowed.
"…That's a disturbing thought," she murmured.
They walked in silence for several seconds before she sighed. "You may be onto something. Let's report properly and talk to Lyra. If there's anything more beneath this, she needs to hear it."
Ael nodded, relief flickering across his face. "Thanks for hearing me out. I didn't want to sound like a paranoid old lady."
Felicia blinked.
Then laughed—genuinely—for the first time since they'd met at the rift entrance.
"It seems the Guild Master didn't exaggerate about your sense of humor," she said with a faint smile. "You really do say the most unexpected things."
Ael shrugged lightly. "Timing's overrated."
Their conversation drifted into easier territory as they made their way back, but Ael's thoughts remained elsewhere—tugged toward unseen threads stretching beyond their world.
…
Phoenix Guild headquarters buzzed with activity when they arrived.
Teams reported in. Healers escorted the injured away. Clerks scribbled frantically as mana readings and rift summaries were logged. At the center of it all stood Lyra, deep in discussion with several senior members.
Then she noticed them.
Ael and Felicia. Walking side by side. Exchanging quiet laughter.
Something tightened in her chest.
Before she realized she had moved, she was already standing in front of them.
"So," Lyra said coolly, arms crossed, eyes sharp, "it seems you two got closer while inside the rift, hm?"
Both Ael and Felicia stiffened.
"…What?" Ael blurted before he could stop himself.
Felicia cleared her throat. "We were just discussing the mission, Guild Master. Ael's performance was exceptional. My team genuinely enjoyed fighting alongside him."
She paused, lips curving slightly. "Although… it did feel like we were almost carried by this rookie."
Lyra's eyebrow twitched.
Again? she thought irritably. This little bastard keeps outdoing expectations.
And yet what unsettled her most wasn't the praise.
It was the unfamiliar irritation beneath it.
She turned sharply. "Office. Now."
…
Once inside, Lyra dropped into her chair with a sigh, rubbing her temple. "Alright," she said. "What did the little monster do this time?"
Felicia smiled faintly. "Where do I start? I don't know what kind of element he awakened—but calling his 'lightning' attack powe feels insufficient. Anything approaching from range was erased."
She continued, tone shifting into disbelief. "Then there's his construct. He coated it with what I could only assume was fire… but I've never seen fire behave like that. He cut through beasts like they were nothing."
She shook her head. "And the boss—Guild Master, he nearly handled it on his own. If I didn't know better, I would've mistaken him for a senior D-rank awakener. Borderline C-rank."
Lyra laughed silently.
Barely level five.
"Well," Lyra said casually, "I did grind him into dust more times than I care to count. Broke a few bones. Sent him to the infirmary. Built character."
Ael's eye twitched violently.
Lyra turned her gaze toward him. "So? First D-rank rift. Didn't break a sweat?"
He shrugged, flashing that infuriating confident smile. "After surviving your training? I don't think there's a monster alive that can make me run for my life like you—"
BAM.
A small fireball sent him flying.
"Cough—!"
Before he could recover, Lyra had him by the collar. "So you're saying I'm worse than rift beasts?"
Sweat beaded instantly.
"No! Absolutely not!" Ael blurted. "How could someone so beautiful and powerful be considered a monster? I just meant—you showed me what true strength looks like!"
Lyra released him abruptly, turning away.
A faint flush crept across her cheeks.
Felicia noticed.
"Oh…," she murmured—before Lyra's glare nearly froze her soul.
The mood shifted when Ael straightened, voice serious.
"Guild Master. I joke a lot, but this isn't one of those times."
Lyra sat. "Talk."
He explained everything—the beast's words, his theory, the connection to the demon encounter. Felicia added what she could.
When Ael stopped, silence settled heavily.
"…If what you're suggesting is true," Lyra said slowly, "then this goes far beyond guild jurisdiction."
Ael nodded. "I've thought about the demon. It feared Ether. If my element resembles something used against them in the past—then that fear makes sense."
Lyra's eyes sharpened. "…Which means your existence could draw attention."
"I know," Ael said quietly. "That's why I'm so fixated on getting stronger. We need to be ready if our suspicions prove true."
She exhaled heavily. "Enough. I need to speak with the other guild masters. Again."
They stood.
"WAIT."
Ael froze.
"…How many times did you feel… that… in this rift?"
He grinned weakly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
BAM.
"YOU ARE INSUFFERABLE!"
"Tomorrow," Lyra snapped. "Disciple session. Don't be late."
Felicia smiled as she left. Ael lay on the floor, coughing.
"…Is it just me," he muttered, "or was the Guild Master acting strange today?"
The question lingered—unanswered.