The Vanguard gathered again—tense, tired, and uncertain. The recent rift outbreaks had followed no pattern… until Nyx spoke.
"They're not random," she said, unrolling a parchment marked with Rift coordinates. "They follow the old ley lines—the ancient paths of magic that run beneath our world."
Kai leaned forward, eyes scanning the pattern. His system pinged softly.
> [Voidwalker Domain Response: Leyline Recognition Detected.]
[Rift Pulse Increase: 43% along identified lines.]
"This isn't just about monsters breaking through," Nyx continued. "Someone is guiding the rifts—fueling them. And I think I know who."
The chamber quieted as she pointed to the heart of the pattern.
"Elias."
Lucien's jaw clenched, but Mina was the first to speak.
"He's trying to trigger something... a world merge? A full Rift Collapse?"
Nyx nodded grimly. "If he succeeds, our reality won't just be invaded. It'll be rewritten."
Meanwhile, in an abandoned data tower in Istanbul—
Elias stood in front of a massive console, Riftlight swirling around his fingers. The leyline map pulsed red on the screen.
> [Rift Core Synchronization: 82% Complete]
[Phase Two – System Override Imminent]
"You've played your parts well, Vanguard," he whispered. "But it's time for gods to rise—and the old world to burn."
Behind him, a rift began to form... unlike any before. It breathed, pulsed, and then opened like a mechanical eye.
Back in London, Kai stood with Nyx outside the Vanguard hall.
"You knew Elias once, didn't you?" he asked.
Nyx paused. Her voice was soft. "We studied together. Fought together. Until he crossed a line I couldn't follow."
Kai turned toward the skyline, his resolve tightening. "Then we stop him. Together."
Nyx looked up at him, her voice barely a whisper. "You're not just a Riftwalker anymore, Kai. You're something else now. You've seen the shadows. The void. And they've seen you."
> [New Trait Unlocked: Voidbound Insight – Ability to glimpse moments across Rift timelines.]
[Warning: May cause temporal dissonance.]
Shadows lengthened. Tension mounted.
The world was changing—fast.
And Kai Voss was at the center of it all.