When the Sky Breaks Open

The modern world did not fall to monsters. It adapted. After Gates tore open the sky, humanity learned to fight back through Awakened individuals—people capable of wielding elemental powers drawn from other worlds. Their worth is measured through Merit, a visible system that rewards those who protect society. Ryan Walker has dreamed of becoming a hero since childhood. Not for fame. Not for power. But because he believes someone should step forward when others cannot. At sixteen, Ryan enters Asterion Hero Academy, where future heroes are trained, ranked, and tested. But his Ice Archetype is both powerful and dangerous. Each time he pushes himself, the Frostburden creeps deeper into his body, threatening to freeze him from the inside out. As Gates grow more violent and the world’s hunger for heroes intensifies, Ryan must navigate a system that praises self-sacrifice—while slowly consuming those who embody it. This is the story of a boy who wants to save everyone… and the cost of becoming the hero the world demands.