Kieran's apartment was quiet.
Not the peaceful kind of quiet—just still. The kind that crept in when you were thinking too much and moving too little.
Kieran sat on the edge of his couch, elbows resting on his knees, a steaming mug in one hand. The screen on the wall across from him buzzed softly, replaying a recent broadcast.
Another city gone into lockdown.
Another Rift sighting.
Another report of a "summon" that didn't belong in this world.
A clip played—shaky footage from someone's rooftop. A creature stepped through a glowing tear above the skyline, wings of smoke, teeth like glass. It screeched once and dove into the streets below.
Then static.
He sipped his drink. The bitterness bit harder than usual.
"Third Rift this week," the anchor said. "Unconfirmed reports say over twelve Class-B entities have emerged globally. Eclipse Online servers remain stable. NovaCorp has made no comment."
Of course not.
