The ground beneath him cracked with a deafening snap. Without warning, a rift split open, a churning void pulling at him with relentless force.
Falling through the rift, His hand shot out, fingers trembling as a searing energy surged through him. His eyes flared—brilliant green light bursting from within.
Pain bloomed inside him, sharp and overwhelming, as if the very air was clawing at his insides. The seal he had broken—he felt it react. One by one, distant seals ignited in response, glowing and unraveling.
A burning light seared into his vision. His body convulsed. Fingers twisted into paws. Bone snapped, reformed. His face stretched into a muzzle, fangs punching through his gums. Fur burst across his skin.
Falling unconscious.
Then a sudden pressure built in his chest, swelling fast, too fast to contain. The air around him rippled as cracks.
Then—
Boom.
A shockwave erupted from his body, raw energy bursting outward in violent, pulsing waves. The ground fractured, space itself warped and twisted, and the very fabric of the void screamed as if in protest.
Reality cracked.
A shattered gate tore open in front of him, jagged and unstable, its edges flickering with blinding light.
Without his knowledge, Michael's body was pulled forward—swallowed whole—vanishing into the rupture he'd forced into existence.
…
Michael's mind was suddenly flooded with flashes—blinding, chaotic images that surged through him like a storm.
A golden tree.
His parents.
His sister.
And then… something more. Memories that were long forgotten.
A silver-haired goddess cradled an infant in her arms, then lifted him high into the air as golden light shimmered around her.
The child giggled, tiny legs kicking as he sucked on his thumb—blissfully unaware of the destiny carved into his very soul.
"My precious creation," she declared, her voice echoing like thunder wrapped in silk. "I shall name you Fenrir… and you, Rinari."
"What is this…? No… it can't be…"
The truth hit like a thunderclap.
He was never human to begin with.
And…
His real name wasn't Michael—it was Fenrir.
His entire life… a lie.
Then memory shifted as suddenly, he stood beneath an endless Dark sky that was strewn with stars.
Beneath his feet, the ground wasn't solid, but shimmering water that perfectly mirrored the cosmos above, as if he were caught between two skies.
Before him rose a colossal golden tree, from below the waters towering, and its branches reaching beyond the horizon.
The air pulsed with divine energy, ancient and overwhelming. Each leaf on the tree shimmered with their own color, glowing like living embers—millions of them, each dancing faintly as if breathing with life.
Before he even had time to wonder what was going his body was yanked and pulled into one of the leaves.
And slowly, darkness came.
Astralis:
ALERT. ALERT. ALERT.
Sirens blared across the city, their wails cutting through the chaos as a rift tore open the sky. There was no warning—only instinct.
"Run! Everyone, run!"
Civilians scattered in all directions, their screams swallowed by the shrill alarms.
Inside an old, crumbling building, Isaac burst through the shadows, sprinting with everything he had.
He heard Michael yell from behind.
But he didn't look back. He didn't care. All that mattered was getting out alive.
The building groaned and cracked behind him, then collapsed in on itself with a thunderous roar.
Isaac hit the ground, panting. "Shit…" he muttered, spine tingling. He had barely made it out. One second later, and he would've been buried.
Around him, the Bulldogs stood, Assault rifles drawn and aimed squarely at the rubble.
Whatever will crawl out of that wreckage, they were ready for it.
Isaac chuckled to himself, slicking his hair back with a twisted grin.
"Hope you die painfully, Michael," Isaac sneered, then slipped into the shadows and vanished, leaving the chaos—and the cleanup—to the others.
"Hold your positions and stay sharp!" Victor shouted, stepping forward. The bat in his hand ignited with roaring flames.
They stood tense, weapons raised, waiting for what felt like forever.
Without warning, a massive head burst through the rubble, unleashing a thunderous roar that rattled the very air and sending shivers down their spines.
Its reptilian face loomed large, eyes glowing with primal rage. Clawed limbs followed, crushing debris beneath their weight.
"Fire!" Victor shouted.
A storm of gunfire erupted, echoing through the broken streets.
Bullets tore through the air but clinked uselessly off its thick, scaly hide.
In a roar of fur, it lunged forward.
With a single sweep of its massive claws, the beast tore through a group of m, n—flesh ripped, bones shattered, and blood sprayed across the rubble-strewn ground.
Their screams filled the air, raw with terror, before being abruptly silenced. They were slaughtered like nothing, easily, mercilessly.
"Useless," Victor muttered, clicking his tongue as he sprang into action, charging straight at the beast.
He managed a clean strike to its head, the flaming bat cracking hard against thick scales. But before he could recover, one of its claws came crashing down.
Victor barely had time to brace—his bat caught most of the blow, but the force sent him skidding backward, boots grinding against broken concrete as he fought to stay upright.
Victor grinned, fire flickering in his eyes. "Tough guy, huh?"
He cracked his neck, adrenaline surging. "Oh, I've dreamed of this—a real challenge, worthy of a man like me."Blood pulsed through his veins as he squared his stance.
The beast didn't charge—it watched him, as if it understood his strength.
A standoff..
"Smart one," Victor muttered. "But looks like I'll need to hit that thick skull of yours a hell of a lot harder."
Victor then shouted to his remaining men, "Listen up! Your guns are useless—grab anyone still breathing and fall back. I'll handle this."
"Yes, boss!" the remaining members shouted in unison.
Victor took a deep breath, steadying himself. Ruthless or not, he was still their leader—and he had to make damn sure they didn't all die on his watch.
Locking eyes with the beast, he snarled, "C'mon, you ugly bastard!" He raised his flaming bat, its fire crackling in the air. "Let's dance."
The beast snarled and charged, claws slicing through the air with deadly intent.
Victor's eyes narrowed, tracking its movements. With a sharp breath, he ducked low, dodging the brutal swipe.
He swung his bat hard, the flaming weapon cracking against the beast's scaled face with a burst of sparks. The impact made it stumble, snarling in pain.
Without missing a beat, Victor bolted—boots pounding against the ground, breath sharp and focused. Step by step, he led the creature toward the skeletal remains of a nearby construction site, pulling it away from the others.
In all fours, it charged after him with terrifying speed.
"Damn, you're fast for a big guy," Victor muttered, veering just in time to avoid its snapping jaws. He could feel the rush of air as its teeth missed his arm by inches.
The beast crashed into a pile of metal tubes, sending them clattering in all directions.
Victor grinned, raising his weapon. "Eternal Flame!"
His bat ignited in a blaze of fire as he brought it down in a wide arc, aiming straight for the creature's skull.
But there was one thing he failed to account for—its tail.
The massive tail whipped around with brutal speed, slamming into Victor's side and launching him through the air. The impact knocked the wind from his lungs as he crashed hard into a pile of bricks.
His body screamed in protest, but he forced it to move, rolling out just in time as the beast came crashing down onto the pile. The ground shook beneath the impact, dust and debris flying. Gritting his teeth, Victor pushed himself to his feet, fury in his eyes.
Gripping the handle of his bat, he roared, "Eternal Flame of Wrath!"
A surge of fire exploded from the weapon as he swung with all his might, the flames crashing into the creature's scaly body and launching it backward. It slammed into a metal support pillar, which groaned before collapsing under the force, bringing the rest of the construction down with it.
Victor sprinted clear just as the structure collapsed behind him in a thunderous crash.
He grinned, breathless. "Nice jump, wrecker." He glanced down at his bat, running a hand along its scorched surface like an old friend. "You held up well, didn't you?"
Snapping back into focus, Victor gripped Wrecker in a solid batting stance, eyes locked on the rubble where the beast still stirred.
Then came the low thrum of rotor, growing louder.
He scowled. Great. Looks like playtime's over.
Above, sleek helicopters tore through the skies, their armored hulls glinting under the sun.
A Figure leaned out, scanning the chaos below. She stepped forward without hesitation, leaping to to the ground below.