The "reality gate" turned out to be exactly what it sounded like—a literal doorway into broken reality. Standing before it in the lowest level of the Spire, I fought to keep my expression neutral while my mind reeled.
The gate itself was a perfect circle carved from some black material that seemed to absorb light. Within its frame swirled a chaotic mixture of colors and patterns that hurt my eyes if I looked too long.
The edges of the portal occasionally sparked with violet energy, as if reality itself was protesting this unnatural opening.
"Ready?" Lyris bounced on her heels beside me, practically vibrating with excitement. She had changed into what I assumed was mission gear—a form-fitting suit of some flexible material with numerous pockets and straps holding various devices I couldn't identify.
Her wild white hair was now pulled back in a messy bun, though several strands had already escaped.
"Always," I replied, adjusting the sword on my back. I was wearing similar gear, found in Malek's quarters after Kora Vex had left. The material felt strange against my skin—lightweight but somehow I knew it would offer significant protection.
"Remember the rules of the Fracture Sea?" Lyris asked, her mismatched eyes watching me carefully.
Another test. I searched my limited knowledge, finding nothing.
"Remind me," I said, trying to sound bored rather than ignorant.
She rolled her eyes. "Rule one: Stay within five meters of your anchor." She tapped a small device on her wrist that matched one I'd found and attached to mine. "Rule two: Don't touch anything that glows unless you want to lose a hand. Rule three: If you hear singing, run the other way." She grinned. "And rule four: If we get separated, I get to keep all your stuff when you die!"
With that cheerful reminder, she grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the gate.
"Wait—" I started, but it was too late.
Passing through the gate felt like being simultaneously frozen, burned, stretched, and compressed.
Colors that shouldn't exist flashed across my vision. Sounds that couldn't be described hammered at my ears. For a moment, I was certain I'd made a terrible mistake and was about to die.
Then we were through, and I was on my hands and knees, gasping for breath on what appeared to be solid ground.
[Soul Energy fluctuating due to reality transition]
[Soul Energy: 45/50]
"First time's always rough," Lyris said, patting my back with surprising gentleness. "You'll get used to it."
I looked up and immediately wished I hadn't. The sky—if you could call it that—was a fractured mess of different colors and patterns, with visible cracks running through it like a broken mirror.
Some sections showed what looked like normal blue sky, while others displayed stars, swirling clouds, or complete darkness. The ground beneath us seemed solid enough, but in the distance, it rippled and flowed like liquid.
"Welcome to the Fracture Sea!" Lyris spread her arms wide. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Beautiful wasn't the word I would have chosen. Terrifying, maybe. Impossible. Wrong.
I stood shakily, trying to orient myself. "How far to Axiom City?"
"About three hours if we take the direct route," Lyris said, consulting a device that looked like a compass but with multiple needles spinning in different directions.
"But that would take us through a Class-3 Instability Zone, so we'll go around. Five hours, give or take a reality hiccup."
"Lead on," I said, still trying to process the impossible landscape around us.
We began walking along what appeared to be a path of sorts—a strip of relatively stable ground winding through the chaotic terrain.
Lyris chattered constantly as we walked, pointing out features of the Fracture Sea that apparently held significance.
"See that shimmer over there? That's a memory pocket. Step inside and you'll relive someone else's memories from before the Breaking. Usually boring stuff, but occasionally you get something juicy!"
She giggled. "And that dark patch? Gravity well. Get too close and you'll be pulled in six different directions at once. Makes for a messy cleanup."
I listened carefully, filing away every piece of information. The Fracture Sea was clearly dangerous, but it seemed to operate by some kind of twisted logic. Understanding that logic might be crucial to my survival.
"How did all this happen?" I asked, gesturing at the broken landscape. "The Breaking, I mean."
Lyris gave me an odd look. "You're asking me? You're the one who's always lecturing everyone about the 'true nature of the Breaking' and how 'the Council's version is propaganda.'" She tilted her head.
"Did you hit your head in the Fracture Sea last week? You've been weird ever since."
Another clue. Something had happened to the real Malek in the Fracture Sea recently.
"Just testing you," I said, forcing a smile. "Making sure you were paying attention during my... lectures."
"Oh, I always pay attention to you, Malek," she said, her voice suddenly serious. "Always."
Before I could respond, a sound like shattering glass filled the air. The ground beneath us trembled.
"Reality shift!" Lyris shouted, grabbing my arm. "Hold on!"
The world around us seemed to ripple, colors bleeding into one another. I felt a sensation like falling while standing still, my stomach lurching.
[Warning: Reality instability detected]
[Soul Energy disruption imminent]
"What do we do?" I shouted over the increasing noise.
"Anchor yourself!" Lyris yelled back, pulling a small crystal from one of her pockets. It glowed with a steady blue light.
I remembered the Fracture Shards I'd brought from Malek's quarters. Fumbling with a pocket, I extracted the blue one I'd examined earlier.
[Item: Fracture Shard - Minor]
[Effect: Temporarily stabilizes reality in a 3-meter radius]
[Activate? Y/N]
I mentally selected Yes, and the crystal began to glow in my hand. Immediately, the chaos around us seemed to calm within a small bubble.
Lyris's crystal created a similar effect, and where our bubbles overlapped, the stability strengthened.
"Good thinking!" she called. "Just hold it until the shift passes!"
For nearly a minute, we stood in our islands of stability while reality itself rearranged around us. When the distortion finally settled, the landscape had changed completely. What had been relatively flat terrain was now a series of floating islands connected by narrow bridges of solidified light.
"Well, that's inconvenient," Lyris said, pocketing her crystal. "We'll have to go the high route now."
I stared at the precarious bridges. "Those look... unstable."
"Everything here is unstable, silly!" She skipped toward the nearest bridge. "That's what makes it fun!"
With no choice but to follow, I carefully made my way onto the first bridge. The material beneath my feet felt solid enough, despite appearing to be made of light. Still, I moved cautiously, one hand ready to grab another Fracture Shard if needed.
We crossed three islands without incident, Lyris practically dancing across the bridges while I followed with considerably more caution. On the fourth island, however, we weren't alone.
"Company," Lyris whispered, suddenly serious. She pointed to a figure hunched over something on the far side of the island.
The creature—I couldn't call it human—had too many limbs arranged in ways that defied anatomy. Its skin shifted colors like oil on water, and where its face should have been was a swirling vortex of darkness.
"Fracture Wraith," Lyris explained quietly. "Must have been human once, before getting caught in a reality collapse."
"Dangerous?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"Very. They feed on Soul Energy. Usually they ignore Initiates because they're not worth the effort, but you..." She glanced at me. "You're going to look like a feast."
"Great," I muttered. "Can we go around?"
"Not unless you want to add three hours to our trip." She drew two curved daggers from sheaths at her lower back. "Besides, I'm hungry too. For violence!"
Before I could stop her, Lyris leapt forward with a wild cry. The Wraith's head—or what passed for one—snapped up, the vortex spinning faster as it spotted us.
[Combat Initiated]
[Opponent: Fracture Wraith - Level ???]
[Recommendation: Extreme caution]
"Wait!" I called, but Lyris was already engaging the creature, her daggers leaving trails of green energy as she slashed at its many limbs.
The Wraith let out a sound like radio static amplified to painful levels. Two of its limbs stretched impossibly long, whipping toward Lyris with blinding speed. She dodged one but the other caught her across the chest, sending her tumbling backward.
"Malek!" she shouted. "A little help here!"
Drawing Malek's sword, I felt a strange resonance run through my arm. The blade seemed eager, almost hungry. I had no combat experience in my previous life, but something in this body responded to the situation—muscle memory perhaps, or some deeper connection to the weapon.
[Skill Activated: Blade Echo - Level 1]
Type: Passive
Effect: Sword remembers previous wielder's techniques
The Wraith turned its attention to me, sensing my Soul Energy. Three limbs shot toward me like spears.
Without conscious thought, my body moved, the sword cutting through the air in a precise arc that severed all three limbs at once. The severed appendages dissolved into mist before they hit the ground.
[Combat Technique Successful]
[Experience Gained: 25 XP]
The Wraith shrieked, recoiling. I pressed forward, the sword moving almost of its own accord. Each strike felt natural, as if I'd performed these movements thousands of times. The blade left trails of violet energy in the air, and where it cut, the Wraith's form seemed to stabilize momentarily before being severed.
Lyris rejoined the fight, her daggers now glowing with intense green energy. She moved with incredible speed, darting in to strike vulnerable points before dancing away from the Wraith's increasingly desperate attacks.
"Just like old times!" she laughed, slashing through what might have been a throat. "You take the left, I'll take the right!"
Following her lead, I circled to the left, keeping the Wraith's attention divided. Its movements were becoming erratic, several of its limbs already lost to our attacks.
[Soul Energy channeling through weapon]
[Soul Energy: 35/50]
I could feel the drain now, my movements slowing slightly as the sword pulled on my limited reserves. The Wraith sensed my weakening and focused its attacks on me, five limbs striking simultaneously from different angles.
Time seemed to slow. The sword in my hand hummed with energy, and I felt a surge of... something... from deep within. Not just muscle memory this time, but something more fundamental.
A flash of memory—not mine, but Malek's: standing before countless enemies, the sword an extension of his will, reality itself bending to his desire...
[Memory Fragment Accessed]
[Soul Resonance: 5%]
[Temporary Skill Unlocked: Soul Slice - Level 1]
Type:Active
Effect:Channel Soul Energy into a cutting wave
Cost: 10 Soul Energy
Without fully understanding how, I channeled energy into the blade and swung in a wide arc.
A wave of violet energy extended from the sword, cutting through all the attacking limbs and continuing into the Wraith's core.
The creature froze, the vortex of its face spinning wildly before collapsing in on itself. With a sound like air rushing into a vacuum, the Wraith imploded, leaving nothing but a small, glowing crystal where it had stood.
[Combat Concluded]
[Victory Achieved]
[Experience Gained: 150 XP]
[Item Obtained: Fracture Shard - Standard]
I stood there, breathing heavily, the sword still humming in my hand. What had just happened? For a moment, I hadn't been myself—or rather, I had been more than myself.
"That was AMAZING!" Lyris bounded over, eyes wide with excitement. "That Soul Slice was perfect! You haven't used that move in months!"
I carefully sheathed the sword, trying to process what had occurred. "It felt... right."
"Of course it did! You're Malek!" She punched my arm playfully, then bent to pick up the crystal the Wraith had left behind. "Nice loot, too. Standard-grade Fracture Shard. Worth a small fortune back in the city."
She handed it to me, and I pocketed it alongside my other shards. My hands were shaking slightly, both from the exertion and from the disturbing experience of having another's combat instincts temporarily take over my body.
[Soul Energy: 25/50]
[Recovery beginning: +1 Soul Energy per minute while resting]
"We should rest for a few minutes," I said, finding a relatively flat rock to sit on. "Recover some energy before continuing."
Lyris nodded, her own breathing slightly elevated from the fight. "Good call. That was just an appetizer. The main course will be in Axiom City."
As we rested, I opened my status to check my progress:
MALEK (JOHN)
Level: 1
Experience: 175/200
Class: [Unknown]
Soul Energy: 28/50
SKILLS:
Basic Soul Channeling - Level 2
Energy Sense - Level 1
Blade Echo- Level 1 (Passive)
Soul Slice - Level 1 (Temporary)
Close to leveling up, but not quite there. The temporary skill was interesting—apparently, accessing Malek's memories could grant me access to his abilities, at least for a short time.
"What are you thinking about so hard?" Lyris asked, interrupting my thoughts. She was perched on a rock nearby, sharpening one of her daggers with a small whetstone.
"The mission," I replied, which wasn't entirely a lie. "Wondering what we'll face in Axiom City."
"Guardian patrols, security systems, probably some Adept-rank Wielders," she said casually. "Nothing we haven't handled before. Though..." She paused, looking at me with unusual seriousness. "You're different since the Fracture Sea. Not weaker, just... different."
I tensed. "How so?"
"You're thinking more. Watching. Calculating." She tilted her head. "Usually you just... act. Like you already know exactly what to do in any situation." A small smile played at her lips. "I kind of like this version too, though. It's interesting."
Before I could respond, she hopped to her feet. "Break time's over! Soul Energy recovered?"
[Soul Energy: 40/50]
"Enough," I said, standing. "Let's move."