Axton's eyes closed as he leaned against the wall, his mind wandering back to a time before the Rift, before the battles, before the powers he now wielded. Back to a world that no longer existed.
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In the world Axton had once known, the skies were a constant shade of orange, as if the sun itself was permanently suspended at dusk. The cities were vast and sprawling, with towering structures of black stone that stretched high into the clouds. The people in his world were different — strong, yet fragile, powerful in their own right but always teetering on the edge of destruction.
Axton had been a soldier in that world, a member of the elite Aether Guard. His job was to protect the last remnants of humanity from the creatures that roamed the land — monstrous beings from the Rift that had slowly started to tear their world apart. These creatures, much like the Riftborn, were not of this world. They were beings from another dimension, released by an unknown force that had opened the first rift decades ago.
In that world, war was constant. People fought not just for land or power, but for survival. There were no alliances, only factions, and each faction had its own goals. The Rift had broken the world into pieces, leaving only those with power to hold onto what was left.
Axton had been different from the others. He was an anomaly in his own world — born with the ability to harness the power of the Rift itself. It wasn't something anyone truly understood, not even the scholars who studied the rifts. But Axton could feel the power within him, a surge of energy that came from the very fabric of the universe. He was both human and something else, something older, something linked to the Rift.
He had been raised in the Citadel of Ivoris, a fortress that stood at the edge of the final known city. His father had been the commander of the Aether Guard, a revered and respected leader. His mother, a brilliant scientist, had been one of the few to study the Rift in depth, understanding its energy and the dangers it posed.
Axton's memories of his parents were bittersweet. They had been brilliant, dedicated to saving their world. But in the end, it wasn't enough.
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Flashback: The Fall of Ivoris
It was a dark day when the first breach tore through the heart of Ivoris. A massive rift, larger than any they had seen before, opened above the citadel. At first, they thought it was just another minor disturbance, something that could be sealed with the right technology. But it wasn't. The Rift wasn't just an entrance to another world—it was a portal for something far darker.
A massive beast emerged, its body shifting between dimensions, its form made of the very fabric of the Rift itself. It was a creature of shadows, its massive wings casting a blackened pall over the city as it descended. The Tear-Wing was what the scholars had called it. It was a harbinger of the Rift's destruction, and once it entered their world, it began to tear apart everything in its path.
Axton had been on the front lines, fighting with his fellow soldiers. He wielded his weapon, a long, translucent blade that hummed with the energy of the Rift, and struck at the Tear-Wing with everything he had. But it was too strong. It was a creature born of the Rift, and no conventional weapon could defeat it.
His father had given the order to retreat, to save what was left of the population. But Axton refused. His parents, his entire world—was being consumed, and he couldn't stand by and watch.
He broke through the gates of the citadel, storming into the heart of the rift, determined to stop the creature himself. He tapped into the power he had long been warned about, the strange, forbidden energy that ran through his veins.
And for the first time, he understood what it truly meant to be connected to the Rift.
He became the Rift.
His body transformed as he channeled the energy within him. He could feel the fabric of space and time warping around him, bending to his will. With a single slash of his blade, he tore the Tear-Wing in half, its dark energy dissipating into the void. But in doing so, he had fractured the Rift even more. The damage was irreversible.
His actions had saved the people of Ivoris, but they had also caused an even greater calamity. The Rift began to spread, slowly at first, but it wouldn't stop. And then, something even worse happened.
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The Day Axton Left
The day Axton's world died was the day he made the ultimate decision. The Rift was consuming everything. His father, weakened from the battle, had told him it was time to leave. To find the source of the Rift, to find the ones who had created it. To stop it before it could consume every world, not just his.
But Axton knew he wasn't strong enough to face the Rift alone. His world was beyond saving. And in that moment, the Rift's energy surged once more, dragging him into its depths. He felt his body being pulled away, the world of Ivoris vanishing before his eyes as he was swallowed by the Rift.
He was thrust into a new world, this one unfamiliar, this one ours. And that was where his new life began.
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Back to the Present
Axton's thoughts returned to the present, his breath catching in his chest. He opened his eyes, staring at the swirling Rift above him. The memories of his world — of his parents, of the city he fought to save — were fading, but they were still there. They were a part of him, and they always would be.
He clenched his fists, determination in his heart. I won't fail this world the way I failed mine.
Rei and Kenji were waiting for him, their eyes full of concern. Axton nodded to them, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"We move forward," Axton said, his voice low but strong. "For my world, for this one, and for everyone in between. We finish this."
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[Quest Update: Heart of the Rift – Confront the Dimensional Sovereign]
Objective: Destroy the Dimensional Sovereign and End the Rift Crisis
Time Limit: 24 Hours
Reward: Dimensional Sovereign's Essence | New Class Evolution Opportunity
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The battle for this world was about to begin, but Axton was no longer just a soldier from a lost world. He was something more—something stronger, something ready to face whatever came next.