The air above Mumbai was thick with tension, the remnants of smoke from smaller rifts lingering over the city. Veer stood on the roof of Tempest's central guild hall, wind tousling his dark hair. His palms glowed faintly, pulsing with the strange energy that had awakened in him years ago. Below, the guild's forces prepared: lower-tier Awokened adjusting their weapons, mid-tier leaders coordinating formations, and the Tier-5 veterans watching the skies with cautious anticipation.
"Veer," called Rihan, one of the mid-tier Awokened assigned as squad leader. His armor scratched faintly as he shifted weight, "are you sure you want to lead this team? The scouts report pockets of resistance—goblins, corrupted beasts, even mutants. Nothing beyond Tier-4, but still deadly."
Veer's jaw tightened. "I've trained for this. Let me see it with my own eyes."
Beside him, Jiya, now 26, adjusted the straps on her energy bow. She had awokened at eighteen, and in just eight years had reached Tier-4. Her calm gaze scanned the horizon. "Remember, Veer," she said softly, "the rift isn't just monsters—it's a puzzle. Observe, adapt, don't rush in blindly. I'll cover your flank."
Rihan smirked. "Says the girl who probably dismantled more rift traps than all of us combined."
Veer rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched in a small smile. Even in the middle of war, he found some grounding in these familiar bonds.
---
The squad descended into the Tier-4 rift, a jagged canyon of black stone and swirling ash. The strange energy hummed like a heartbeat, making hair on their arms rise. Trees, twisted and gnarled, were dotted with glowing fungi; the ground was littered with jagged shards of unknown crystal that radiated subtle warmth.
A shrill scream cut through the canyon, followed by the thunder of hooves—corrupted wolves, their fur matted with green filth, were herding goblin scouts. Veer's palms flared with energy. "Hold the line!"
He surged forward, creating a protective barrier around the lower-tier Awokened, deflecting the first onslaught of arrows. Beside him, Jiya's bow sang—each shot precise, cutting through goblin armor and clearing the path.
Rihan charged ahead, axe glowing faintly. He swung with practiced precision, and a mutant scout crumpled under the force. "Watch your corners!" he shouted, fending off another from the shadows.
Veer noted every movement—the goblins weren't mindless. They used small ambushes, coordinated traps, even a few minor magic wards. "They're… thinking," he muttered, a mix of awe and tension in his voice.
The squad advanced deeper, and Veer caught glimpses of the minor side characters:
Halric, a Tier-3 Awokened, nimble and quick, whose ability to manipulate small pockets of wind allowed him to redirect arrows, saving multiple squad members. Shy and often overlooked, but brave in the fight.
Sona, a Tier-2, whose healing shards glowed faintly as she rushed to patch wounds mid-battle. She often stayed behind the frontlines, but today her courage shone as she risked her life to pull Halric from a collapsing cliff.
Maren, a beast-tamer, mid-tier Awokened, rode a corrupted gryphon. His loud brash personality and reckless courage made others wary, but his bond with the beast proved invaluable when they needed to cross jagged terrain quickly.
Even among minor characters, every action mattered, every decision shaped the tide of the raid.
---
Hours passed. Goblin squads fell back into shadowed alcoves, erupting again with surprise ambushes. Veer found himself separated momentarily with Halric and Maren. A small patrol of goblins had blocked their path, dragging crude weapons and beasts.
"Don't underestimate them," Veer warned, "even Tier-4 rifts hide surprises."
The goblins charged, and the three of them moved in perfect synchronization. Veer's energy lashes cut through the front line, Maren's gryphon launched in a ferocious dive, and Halric's wind manipulations redirected a volley of poisoned arrows. It was a dance of survival—quick, precise, exhausting.
After the ambush, they regrouped with the rest of the squad. Breathing heavily, Sona checked their injuries, shaking her head at the minor cuts and bruises. "We've been lucky so far," she muttered.
Veer's gaze drifted to a fissure emitting faint green light deep in the canyon. Something stirred there. Not goblins—not yet—but the energy… stronger than the rest of the rift. A subtle warning that not all was as it seemed.
He turned to Jiya. "Something bigger is coming… this isn't the only threat here."
Jiya nodded, lowering her bow. "Keep your focus on the raid, but remember this—there's a reason the rift's energy is uneven here. Take note. Knowledge saves more lives than raw strength sometimes."
---
By nightfall, the squad reached the rift's core. The goblin resistance was fierce, but the alliance's coordination and strategy allowed them to push through. They captured relics, neutralized traps, and secured the zone.
On the way back, Veer's thoughts lingered on the fissure. "India… something is growing there. Not yet a disaster zone, but… dangerous. We need to watch it."
Rihan grunted, "You've got a nose for trouble, boy. That's why you're alive."
Sona chuckled weakly, "Let's survive this one first."
Veer smiled faintly. The raid was a success, small scars marking their bodies and pride etching their hearts. They had survived, learned, and observed. But a shadow of future danger lingered.
Above the city, the faint glow of the rift's energy still pulsed, like a heartbeat counting down to the challenges yet to come.