Lucian stood still, his breath shallow, his body trembling from the aftermath of what had just happened. The temple around him no longer felt lifeless. The air pulsed, vibrating with energy that now seemed to answer to him. Every rune in the stone glowed faintly blue, mirroring the light that danced along his veins.
He looked down at his hands. They were still shaking, but the pain had faded. What replaced it was something worse—a deep, gnawing awareness. He could feel everything around him. The walls, the floor, the faint hum of magic in the air. It all resonated inside his chest, like a second heartbeat.
Lucian stumbled forward, staring at the crystal where his family had been. It was now dark, opaque, no longer showing their faces.
"Neo…" His voice cracked. "What did I do?"
He pressed his palm against the surface again. This time, there was no surge of energy to throw him back, but the coldness of the stone bit deep into his skin. He could sense something behind it—a pulse of life, faint but real. They were still in there. Still alive.
He clenched his fists. "Then I'll find a way. I'll bring you all back."
The air behind him shifted.
"You won't do that alone."
Lucian spun around. A woman stood at the edge of the platform, her silhouette framed by the dim blue glow of the runes. She wore dark armor streaked with silver lines that flickered faintly, her eyes sharp and calm.
"Who are you?" Lucian asked, stepping back.
"Someone who has been watching you for a long time," she said. "My name is Selene. I'm part of the Vanguard."
Lucian frowned. "Never heard of it."
"You wouldn't have," Selene replied. "The Vanguard exists to contain what the ACO can't control. And right now, that means you."
Lucian stiffened. "You're not taking me anywhere."
Selene's expression softened slightly, but her tone stayed firm. "You're unstable. The energy inside you is unrefined. If you don't learn to control it, it will consume you—and everything near you."
Lucian glanced at his hands again. The faint blue light pulsed rhythmically, stronger now than before. "Then teach me."
Selene studied him for a moment, then nodded once. "If you mean that, then you start now."
She stepped forward, motioning toward the open space at the center of the room. "Focus. The power running through you—it's not foreign. It's a part of you now. Feel it, but don't let it drown you."
Lucian hesitated, then closed his eyes.
The moment he reached inward, the world shifted. He felt a storm within himself—an ocean of chaos, roaring, endless. The same voice from before whispered at the edges of his thoughts. Awaken. Remember.
He grit his teeth, forcing his mind to focus. The energy burned through his arms, searing him from the inside. He could feel it slipping from his control, wild and unpredictable.
"Steady!" Selene's voice cut through the storm. "Don't resist it—direct it!"
Lucian opened his eyes and thrust his hand forward. Blue light exploded from his palm, striking the far wall. The impact shattered a section of stone, sending debris flying. The temple trembled, but the energy faded before it could spiral out of control.
Lucian fell to his knees, gasping. "I almost lost it…"
Selene approached him, her expression unreadable. "You did better than most. Few survive their first surge."
Lucian looked up, sweat dripping down his face. "How do I stop it from killing me?"
"You don't," she said. "You learn to live with it."
He stared at her, unsure if she was serious.
Selene knelt beside him. "Power like yours doesn't vanish. It changes you, rewrites what you are. But if you learn to master it, you'll be able to do what no one else can."
Lucian's voice was quiet. "Bring them back."
Selene nodded. "Maybe. But not here. The Rift is unstable. This place—it's a pocket between worlds. We can't stay long."
Lucian glanced around. The runes were dimming again, flickering like dying embers.
"What happens if it collapses?" he asked.
Selene's answer was blunt. "We die."
A deep rumble echoed through the temple. Cracks began to form along the walls, light spilling through them in sharp flashes.
Selene grabbed his arm. "Move!"
They sprinted across the platform as the ground fractured beneath them. The giant crystal split in two, shards flying outward in streaks of light. Lucian shielded his face, but one of the fragments brushed his shoulder, slicing through fabric and flesh. He winced, but the pain only fueled his determination.
He wouldn't leave this place empty-handed.
Lucian reached the edge of the temple and looked back. The fragments of the crystal were dissolving into blue mist, rising like embers into the void. For a moment, he thought he saw Neo's face again, faint and peaceful, before it vanished.
"I'll come back," Lucian whispered. "I swear it."
Selene activated a small device at her wrist, and a circular portal tore open in front of them. Its energy was unstable, flickering, but it was their only way out.
"Go!" she shouted.
Lucian didn't hesitate. He stepped through, the light consuming him again.
---
He stumbled out into the open air, collapsing onto rough stone. The light faded, replaced by the dim gray of dawn.
They were on a hill overlooking the city. Smoke curled upward from distant rooftops. The once-bright skyline of towers and spires was now scarred by black streaks—damage from the Ascendants' last battle.
Selene emerged behind him, dusting debris off her armor. "You're back in the mortal plane."
Lucian rose slowly, still breathing hard. His head throbbed, his vision blurred. "How long was I gone?"
"Three days," Selene said. "The ACO has already noticed the Rift collapse. They'll be looking for whoever caused it."
Lucian's stomach sank. "Then they'll find me."
Selene looked at him with quiet certainty. "Not if you move first. Come with me. The Vanguard can protect you. You'll need allies if you want to fight the Custodian."
Lucian turned toward the horizon. The rising sun painted the broken city in muted gold. Somewhere out there, his family waited—trapped in that crystal, beyond his reach.
He clenched his fists. "I don't want protection. I want answers."
Selene's lips curved into a faint smile. "Then you'll get them. But answers have a cost."
Lucian met her gaze. "I've already paid mine."
The wind picked up, carrying the faint hum of magic through the air. Selene activated another beacon, signaling extraction.
As the light flared to life around them, Lucian glanced once more toward the ruined city.
Something deep within him stirred again. The power was still there, restless and waiting.
He didn't know where this road led, but one thing was certain—he wasn't the same person who stepped into the Rift.
He was something else now.
And the world would soon learn what that meant.