The day after the assessments, the training yard buzzed with conversation. Breachers old and new traded impressions, theories, and trash talk about the previous day's battles. A few even gathered around Ethan, curious about the strange boy who dropped his sword and beat mutated lizards with his fists.
Ethan leaned back against a post, arms folded, still unsure how to navigate all the attention. Raiden stood beside him, lazily sipping from a bottle of juice, seemingly unbothered by the buzzing around them.
Then came the heavy footsteps.
"Yo, new kid!," Zira's voice boomed with a grin.
Ethan turned.
Zira stood tall and confident, her dreadlocks swaying, arms crossed, and a cocky smirk on her face. "You still owe me that fight."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "We never agreed to one."
"Didn't have to. The arena begged for it," she said, cracking her knuckles. "You move like someone who's hiding way more than they're saying."
"The hell?...no they didn't "Ethan exclaimed
Raiden nudged Ethan. "Told you she'd come sniffing around."
Zira chuckled. "Relax. I don't bite. Unless I'm losing."
Before Ethan could respond, a bell echoed across the courtyard. The groups began to scatter.
"Later, hotshot," Zira said, turning. "I'll find you again."
---
That night, Ethan and Raiden returned to their dorm.
Ethan stood in front of the mirror again. His reflection seemed almost like a stranger.Slightly taller, more defined, sharper features, and eyes that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light.
Raiden tossed his jacket on the bed. "You still thinking about that fight?"
Ethan nodded. "Not just the fight. The stripes… they change me. I don't know what triggers them yet, but when they appear everything becomes sharper. Stronger."
Raiden sat on his bed. "Sounds like an amplification. The way your body moves ,it's like you've had real training, not just instinct. Your form, your stance… it's clean. You're not new to this are you?."
Ethan hesitated. Then he spoke, voice quieter.
"I trained under some warriors in my world with Kaiser. My best friend. We grew up in a city called Abhokai… it was beautiful. My family my father, my mother… they were strong. Then the Rift opened… monsters attacked…"
He stopped, fists clenched. The air felt heavier.
"I'll go back there," he said with quiet fury. "And I swear… I'll kill that monster. Even if it kills me."
Raiden was silent for a second.
Then he leaned back and sighed. "Well, if you're gonna go all 'vengeance arc,' just make sure you don't die before you even get there alright, it'll be boring without a roomie in here."
Ethan snorted. "Deal."
---
The Next Morning
The cafeteria was buzzing as usual. Ethan and Raiden grabbed trays and found a spot only for Zira to drop her tray on their table and plop down beside them.
"Morning, boys," she said with a grin. "Hope you don't mind me crashing your little bromance."
Raiden raised a brow. "Didn't expect you to be a breakfast type."
Zira shrugged. "Fighting takes fuel." She turned to Ethan. "So… stripes, huh?"
Ethan blinked. "That's what you're calling it?"
She smirked. "Unless you've got a better name."
Before Ethan could answer, the bell rang.
"Welp. Class time. Try not to drool on the hot instructor," Zira said, already walking away.
Raiden leaned in. "She's trouble. Be careful."
---
Combat Theory and Survival Class
The classroom was a clean, oval chamber with padded walls, a projection dome above, and crystalline boards that shimmered with mana.
Then the door opened and in walked the instructor.
A tall, graceful woman with flowing midnight-blue hair tied into a long braid. Her sharp green eyes scanned the class with intensity. She wore a black combat vest over a form-fitting uniform. Her presence was both captivating and commanding.
"I am Instructor Lysara Kellen. I'll be teaching you how to stay alive in the field," she said, her voice like smooth steel. "That includes combat physics, terrain adaptation, and creature classification."
She gestured, and images flared to life above them:
Seraph Lizards – Agile, armored, pack-based predators.
Voidspine Drifters – Floating Rift-worms that phase in and out of visibility.
Grave Howlers – Nocturnal beasts that paralyze prey with sonic attacks.
Ashbound Titans – Massive Rift-born golems that regenerate unless hit with condensed elemental force.
"Surviving against one is chance," she said. "Surviving against many is math. Understand angles, adapt your spacing, and control your center of gravity. Panic gets you eaten."
She let that hang in the air before continuing the lesson.
---
Later that Day
Ethan and Raiden strolled across the open field, the sun dipping low in the sky.
"So that was intense," Ethan muttered.
"She's strict," Raiden replied. "But effective."
A group of students nearby had formed a rough circle. Two Breachers were sparring inside, exchanging fierce blows and elemental clashes.
Ethan gestured to them. "I'm guessing this is normal then?"
Raiden nodded. "Totally. Teachers don't interfere unless someone's about to die."
Before Ethan could comment further, Zira appeared behind him and slung an arm over his shoulder.
"C'mon, new kid. Walk with me," she said.
Raiden gave a knowing chuckle. "Good luck."
Ethan glanced back, but Zira had already pulled him along.
---
Meanwhile...
Deep in the forest miles away from the Concord, the trees trembled.
A ripple of distortion passed through the air, twisting the sky in a small pocket.
A Rift opened.
And from it… a massive, monstrous hand slowly clawed its way into the Something was coming.