The salty sea wind whipped through Driftbreak's central square, carrying the sharp tang of brine and the faint ozone scent of unstable mana surges. Lanterns glowing with low-grade Qi flickered wildly, their light dancing across cracked stone pavements that had been flooded more times than anyone cared to count.
It was Awakening Day — the day every sixteen-year-old in the Fourth Mortal Realm prayed for the Stairway's light to fall upon them.
Joshua Kane stood motionless in the middle of the square, hazel eyes fixed upward. Above the rooftops of the half-submerged fortress-city, the Stairway to Heaven rose like an impossible pillar of light and jade, piercing the perpetual gray clouds and vanishing into realms no mortal eye could follow.
His family stood close — closer than most.
Kane Voss, his father, had one calloused hand resting on Joshua's shoulder. The man's fingers still bore faint burn scars from years of forging hybrid weapons, yet his grip was steady. Beside him, Lira Kane watched with quiet intensity, her Mana-weaver's robes fluttering gently. She had always been the calm anchor of the family.
A little further back, the twelve-year-old twins could barely contain themselves.
"Big bro! Big bro!" Kai bounced on his toes, Yang affinity making faint sparks of fiery Qi flicker around his fists. "When you get chosen, punch the first step really hard so the Stairway knows you mean business!"
Mira rolled her eyes, her Yin affinity causing soft illusory shadows to swirl playfully around her fingers. "Idiot. You're supposed to look cool and mysterious. Like this—" She struck a dramatic pose, one hand on her hip.
Joshua couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips despite the weight in his chest.
He glanced at his parents. Both of them carried exceptional talent. His father could have become a renowned Qi artisan in the higher Mortal layers. His mother's defensive constructs were strong enough to protect entire districts during beast tides. Yet here they were — still in Earth's Fourth Mortal Realm.
Because of him.
The strange "tie" that had appeared the moment he was born. The invisible chain that kept their family grounded in the weakest layer while others with far less talent had already climbed to the Second or Third Mortal Heavens.
Joshua clenched his fists.
Not forever.
A resonant chime echoed across the square as the Awakening Ceremony reached its climax. Golden light descended from the Stairway, sweeping over the gathered youths like a searching gaze.
One by one, teenagers were chosen. Cheers erupted. Some cried in relief. Others stood stunned as the light marked them for ascension.
Then the beam landed on Joshua.
The entire square seemed to hold its breath.
Kane's hand tightened on his shoulder. Lira's eyes shimmered with a mix of pride and worry. Kai whooped loudly while Mira grinned like she'd just won a bet.
Joshua took a slow breath and stepped forward.
The moment his foot touched the shimmering platform at the base of the Stairway, the world around him flickered — just for half a second, like static in an old-world recording.
A calm, ancient voice, smooth as jade chimes carried on cosmic wind, spoke directly into his mind. No one else could hear it.
"Welcome… The Anomaly."
Joshua froze mid-step.
The voice continued, carrying a faint trace of amusement and genuine curiosity.
"Most who step upon me burn with ambition for power, fame, or survival. You… carry a different flame. Tell me, Joshua Kane — do you climb for yourself alone?"
Joshua's lips moved almost without thought.
"No," he answered quietly, voice barely above a whisper. "We're all going. Or none of us."
A soft, melodic chuckle echoed in his mind — not mocking, but intrigued.
"Loyalty is rare and beautiful… but heavy. How much weight can even an Anomaly carry before the steps crack?"
Before he could reply, a faint warmth materialized in his right hand. A simple yet strangely alive dagger appeared — basic iron edge, but the handle pulsed with a faint, responsive energy, as if reacting to his touch.
Fracture Sense stirred instinctively inside him. For the briefest moment, he felt the "seams" in the Stairway's introductory flow — tiny instabilities where the rules of energy weren't quite perfect.
He didn't push it. Not yet.
Behind him, his family watched with wide eyes. The twins were practically vibrating with excitement. His mother's lips moved silently — a protective Mana barrier already half-formed around her fingers, ready to shield her son if anything went wrong. His father stood tall, though Joshua could see the quiet regret in his eyes: the years they had stayed behind for him.
Joshua turned slightly, meeting their gazes.
"I'll come back for you," he said, loud enough for them to hear. "All of you. We climb together — step by step."
Kai punched the air. "That's my brother!"
Mira smirked. "Don't forget to bring us cool souvenirs from the higher heavens!"
Lira smiled softly, though her eyes glistened. "Be careful, Joshua. The Stairway tests more than strength."
Kane nodded once, voice rough. "Make it count, son."
Joshua gave them one last look — a promise sealed in silence — then turned fully toward the infinite ascent.
The first step solidified beneath his feet.
Tian'yu's voice returned, softer this time, almost gentle.
"Then let the climb begin, Anomaly. The Heavens are watching… and so am I."
As Joshua took his second step, the platform beneath him glowed brighter. The air grew thicker with latent Cosmic Energy, even at this lowest section. Distant silhouettes of other climbers from across the Fourth Mortal Realm could be seen ascending parallel paths.
He didn't know what waited above — the challenges, the rivalries, the ancient beasts whose names echoed through legend, or the Demon Portals that would one day demand war from every Heaven.
But he knew one thing with absolute certainty.
He would not ascend alone.
Not while his family waited below.
With Fracture Sense humming faintly at the edge of his awareness and the strange dagger warm in his grip, Joshua Kane — called "The Glitch" by mortals and "The Anomaly" by the Stairway itself — began his journey upward.
The Second Big Bang had reshaped the cosmos.
Now, one boy from the weakest layer would begin to reshape his own fate.