Through the Rifted portal,
A body lay on the ground. Around him were piles of dead Havocs, their twisted forms scattered like discarded carcasses.
Heavy, uneven breathing broke the silence. His chest rose and fell violently. His brows tightened in anger, his mouth open as he gasped for air.
Memories flashed inside his mind.
A creature pressed its thighs into the ground, coiling like a spring. Massive arms slammed downward as it launched toward the people, slicing through the air with deadly force.
"Mom!"
His mother wrapped her arms around the family tightly as the monster lunged closer… and closer…
He jolted awake.
He shot upright from the ground, eyes wide. He rubbed them shut, then slowly opened them again, scanning his surroundings.
The thick scent of blood filled his nose. It was intense. Rotting. Metallic. He covered his nose with his hand as he slowly stood.
"Why am I not dead?"
A sharp pain stabbed through his head. He winced, clutching it. His vision blurred. The color of his eyes shifted violently — black, then red, then back to normal.
"What happened to me? As far as I remember… I was kicked into this rift. Betrayed by my squadmates."
He tried to steady his breathing.
"I fought as the rift closed. Monsters surrounded me… I fought until the end. And the crystal essence…"
He quickly searched his coat and patted down his pockets.
"Where is it?"
He coughed as the smell grew stronger. The air inside the portal felt heavy. Suffocating.
He looked down.
The ground wasn't normal soil. It was dark and thick, almost like flesh mixed with mud. No trees. No grass. Only dim light and crawling black smoke that drifted through the air.
"What is this place? The world of the Havocs? I need to find a way out."
He began walking through the smoke, one hand covering his nose while the other waved through the darkness to clear his path.
Then he heard it.
His Footsteps.
Wet.
Heavy.
A sound like blood shifting.
He whispered to himself.
"I'm scared… My hands are shaking. Why am I this afraid? My anxiety is skyrocketing…"
As he walked forward, the thick smoke began to thin.
In the distance, he saw four towering pillars. They stood high and aligned, spaced evenly apart. In the center, stones floated in a slow circle.
And within those stones—
A mass of human flesh, crushed and fused together.
His body froze.
He quickly hid behind a massive rock to his right. His breathing became unstable. His anxiety spiked higher.
He vomited.
"Is this… hell? Or am I still inside the rift? What is this?!"
He threw up again.
Then—
A terrifying footstep.
Each step caused the pillars to vibrate. The ground trembled.
He peeked slightly from behind the rock.
Two massive figures approached.
One was grotesquely large and heavy.
The other was slim and unnaturally tall.
They spoke in a gibberish language. The slim one let out a loud, distorted laugh that echoed across the pillars.
His heart pounded violently. His hands trembled harder.
The two creatures began eating the neatly cut human bodies. Each bite cracked and crunched. Blood poured down like a small waterfall.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
His fear grew deeper.
He regretted entering the rift.
But then he remembered.
He was betrayed.
Tears formed in his eyes.
"I'm… scared… I can't move… I need to escape."
He slowly moved his foot backward.
It slipped.
A sound echoed.
"Damn."
The eating stopped.
Silence.
His terror doubled. He struggled to stand but slipped again on the muddy blood. He turned and ran back into the thick smoke.
Behind him—
A vibration.
Slow. Heavy. Approaching.
The smoke began to thin again.
He slipped once more and fell into the wet, blood-soaked ground. He turned around and began crawling backward.
And then he saw them clearly.
The two massive monsters stood before him.
One was bloated, covered in random limbs protruding from its body. It had four large eyes and a massive mouth that stretched down to its stomach. Spikes formed a collar around its neck — but they were part of its flesh.
The other was slim, its mouth split vertically down to its chest. It had one eye on its face and multiple eyes embedded along its arms.
None of those extra eyes blinked.
His face trembled. Tears streamed down. His body shook uncontrollably.
They both screamed.
The sound crushed the air around him.
He lost control. Warmth spread down his legs.
The creatures spoke again. The gibberish began to make sense. Slowly, disturbingly, he started to understand it.
Their voices echoed with layered tones, deep and distorted.
"Human… how did you get here?"
The massive one leaned closer, its breath foul and suffocating.
He tried to speak.
"I–I was—"
The slim one instantly mocked him in a high, echoing tone.
"I–I was—"
Both of them burst into laughter.
The massive one leaned forward slightly.
"Scared? Do not be. We don't eat humans alive… if they still have consciousness."
The slim one quickly cut in.
"But we do eat them alive if they're annoying. Especially the ones with too much pride who try to fight back. Though they're usually too weak to do anything."
The massive one glanced at him.
"You really hate pride, don't you?"
The slim one smirked.
"I do. Trying to fight the strong when you're pathetically weak? Ridiculous. Though this one…"
He looked down at the trembling human.
"He's different. He is terrified."
The human forced the words out.
"I was b-betrayed… They kicked me into the rift. The creatures kept coming. They sacrificed me."
The slim one tilted his head.
"Oh… The weak are always betrayed. Do you know why?"
The massive one answered calmly.
"They see no value. No potential."
"Hey! That's my line!" the slim one snapped.
"P-please… let me l—"
Before he could finish, the slim one suddenly split his leg open with a sharp motion.
"We were speaking. Isn't it rude to interrupt?"
The human screamed. Blood spread across the ground as his hands desperately grabbed his torn thigh. His cries echoed through the empty land.
"J-JUST LET ME LIVE!"
The slim one inhaled slowly, a low growl escaping him as a foul scent filled the air.
"You're being annoying. Where is your patience? Weren't you terrified?"
The massive one chuckled.
"No, he is terrified. He's just desperate now. And desperation makes them… delicious."
"You—!" The human's voice shook between pain and anger. "I'll… I'll kill you… you evil monsters!"
The massive one blinked.
"Evil?"
He looked at the slim one.
"Us? Evil?"
They both laughed loudly. The massive one even clapped his hands while the slim one held his stomach.
"This is nature," the massive one said. "It's normal. What about humans? Aren't you evil too? You fight each other instead of uniting. You start wars."
The slim one added,
"Pride. Greed. Lust. Some of you are clean. Most are not. There is no perfect race. You betray each other. Funny enough, you even tried to conquer our world."
He leaned closer.
"And you failed."
The human's face was pale, shaking, broken both physically and mentally.
The massive one continued,
"Our world? You call it a dimension. To us, it's just a country."
He raised an arm toward distant pillars.
"You're not the first human here. The others? Your 'champions.' Greedy bastards. They even tried to build a base here. See those pillars? That's your technology."
He exhaled.
"So what should we do with you? Send you back? Or eat you alive?"
"I—I—"
Before he could finish, the slim one cleanly sliced off his head. It rolled across the ground.
"Of course we kill him. What were you thinking? Letting him go after seeing our world? Giving humans another advantage?"
The massive one growled.
"You idiot! He said he was betrayed. We could've used him. Give him knowledge. Let him hate his own race."
The slim one paused.
"Hmm. Maybe. But what if he becomes strong?"
The massive one went quiet.
"If he becomes strong… he might fight us too."
The slim one shrugged.
"There are only a few possessed by the Sovereigns. We still need to grow stronger if we want to take over their world."
The massive one turned away.
"Enough. I'm hungry."
The slim one was about to follow when he froze.
He tapped the massive one.
"Meeroth… look."
Meeroth turned.
"What—"
Floating above the corpse was a glowing essence, waving in the air.
Meeroth's eyes widened.
"W-What? He was possessed? How? His essence was broken! Broken… broken?"
A deep voice echoed from the severed head.
Its eyes opened.
One pupil glowed red. The half of it burned orange. The other eye stayed black.
The body slowly began to regenerate.
"Ugh. What a weak vessel. He even wet himself in front of two amateurs."
"Embarrassing."
Meeroth stepped back.
"That voice… I know that voice."
Vreekloth whispered,
"He's ancient. I thought he was dead. His power was weakened… but he survived."
Electric currents mixed with blood in the air, twisting into a portal.
"I forgot to make a portal earlier. This weak body couldn't handle it. My azure regenerates too slowly."
He looked annoyed.
"He shouldn't have noticed my crystal essence."
The portal stabilized.
The ancient jumped through.
As he fell from the sky on the other side, he growled,
"What?! This is the last Zinxtal fragment? I can't even control where it sends me!"
The portal flickered.
Meeroth and Vreekloth peeked through before it closed.
Meeroth muttered,
"What a lucky human… to be possessed by one of the strongest ancient Havocs."
And then the portal vanished.
Meanwhile, as the ancient's vessel fell from the sky, it moved its hands in a circular gesture over its chest, trying to awaken its power. Sparks and zaps flashed, but nothing worked.
It screamed in rage.
"ARGH! This cursed body! I can't even open a single fragment of my power!"
As it shouted, fatigue took over. The human consciousness was clawing its way in.
"Time's up… oh well. I'll find another vessel after this one. Die." Its eyes blinked slowly, then closed.
The body spun in the air, landing back-first toward the earth. Clothes caught fire from the speed. In the distance, an island rose from the ocean.
The impact hit with a thunderous crash, creating a crater. The ground vibrated, trees swayed violently, and the forest echoed with the sound.
The body survived, though its heart pumped weakly. Skin had discolored, limbs were fractured, bones broken again.
face twisted beyond recognition.
Silence drifted in, only broken by the wind brushing through leaves and grass.
A nearby river whispered as water ran past. Its broken form lay close to the riverbank.
Night fell.
Animals and insects circled, tempted to feast on the corpse, but the gristly skin held firm. Slowly, the azure of the vessel began to regenerate.
It breathed, faintly at first. Heart rate quickened. Pale skin regained some color.
Days passed. Scars formed and faded. Bones remained fractured, brittle, unhealed.
Then, finally, the day came. It woke. Voices echoed in the distance.
"We're trapped! What do we do?! Captain!"
"I'm thinking of a plan!"
Screams. Flesh tearing. Commands shouted.
"Run to the other way! Closer to the rift!"
Heavy breathing.
"What now?! Captain! Captain!!"
The sounds grew louder. Eyes snapped open. Gasping, his tired gaze searched the sky.
Pain lanced through every part of his body. Heart pounding, head splitting, bones screaming.
He felt everything.
He grunted, then shouted through agony.
"AHH! IT HURTS! HURTS! I—I CAN'T MOVE!"
He coughed violently, jolting with each motion, pain only intensifying.
Then he froze, moaning and grinding his teeth.
"It hurts… it hurts."
Each word came slowly, voice deepening with exhaustion. His face remained twisted, unrecognizable, but he kept breathing, desperate to live.
"I want to live… I want to live!"
he repeated, teeth gritted, determination burning through the pain.
"It hurts… it hurts…"
The words faded, trailing off as consciousness began to slip away.
As his eyes closed, silence once again covered the land.
The wind passed through, brushing leaves, trees, and grass, making everything sway gently.
Then—
A crack.
The sound sliced through the quiet.
Another crack followed.
His bones began to pull themselves back together, piece by piece. The broken half of his arm slowly straightened.
His twisted right foot snapped back into place. His left leg rotated to its proper position and aligned. Ribs shifted beneath the skin, reconnecting with dull, heavy clicks.
His deformed face started to mend. Torn flesh stitched itself together. Swollen skin tightened.
But his face… was no longer the same.
His black hair faded into brown, with faint strands of orange mixed within. His dry lips regained color.
Broken teeth pushed upward, new ones forming and rising into place. Even his skull structure subtly changed.
His body stretched slightly taller than before.
A long breath entered him during the process.
Day after day passed as healing continued. Scars faded. Bones sealed.
Yet his azure remained the same.
A new day came.
A new present.
A new life began.
He inhaled sharply and slowly rose from the ground into a sitting position. His palm touched his face as he exhaled.
"Ah… my head. It still hurts…"
He opened his eyes. Vision blurred, then slowly cleared. His eyes were different now. Sharper. Deeper.
"What is this place? Where am I?"
He scanned his surroundings, turning his head left and right.
"A forest… The air is clear."
He inhaled deeply. The scent of clean wind filled his lungs.
"But the fear is still within me."
His eyes trembled. His hands shook. A chill ran down his spine.
"What terrifying monsters…"
His voice quivered.
Inside his thoughts, he continued.
"I have a long way to go. Those monsters were far stronger than anyone I've fought before… even stronger than the Captain."
When he spoke the word Captain, his heart tightened. Hatred mixed with sorrow.
"Betrayed… Why did they do that to me? We had memories together. I gave them everything. And they returned it with hatred… Hate"
He stared at his hand, slowly clenching it into a fist.
"I don't want revenge. Not yet. I want to change first… before I ever seek it."
His heartbeat grew heavier.
"My hands were weak. No… I am weak."
Tears formed in his eyes.
"Others are corrupted by power. I won't be like them. If power controls them… I will control power."
He wiped his tears away.
Then—
A deep voice echoed inside his head.
"You control power?"
A low, menacing laugh followed.
His heart pounded. He remembered the two massive monsters. Instinctively, he grabbed his stomach and clenched the air.
He shut his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. Slowly, his breathing steadied. The fear faded little by little.
Like a child calming after being held.
He opened his eyes again.
"Who are you? From what I remember… you are the ancient havoc."
"Why are you inside me?"
The voice responded.
"Rude… speaking before I finish. Such a rude little one. Though I have already read your memories. Grassth Rashvorn."
A faint giggle echoed.
"Y-you already know my name. Then let me know yours," Grassth replied.
"Oh? Pretending to be fearless now? I suppose you have many questions."
"I am Riitharion Draevorn. Once, I walked among the strongest of my race. Now… I am the weakest."
"Tell me, Grassth. What is your classification? Vanguard? Reaver? Warden? Arcanist?"
Grassth closed his eyes, searching within himself.
Before, he had been a Vanguard. A balanced path.
He opened his eyes slowly.
"It's…"
Riitharion waited.
"Hm?"
"It's gone."
"Huh? What do you mean gone? From what I know, you were a Vanguard."
"I don't know,"
Grassth answered quietly.
"There is no sign. It says none. I was never reborn. I didn't change classes."
Riitharion paused.
"Interesting… You were reborn here in the present. Look at yourself. Find a reflection."
Grassth slowly stood up. Pain lingered, but his body responded.
Before moving forward, he carefully scanned the forest around him.
He turned when he heard a river flowing nearby.
His footsteps moved slowly, left and right. His body had just recovered, but it still felt heavy. His hands swayed weakly at his sides.
After a few steps, he suddenly fell to his knees.
Gasping.
Riitharion spoke inside his head.
"What are you doing? You just stood and walked. Slow, yes, but you walked. Now you're tired already? Weakling."
Grassth answered between breaths.
"Huh? What do you mean? My body just recovered from trauma. Let it heal properly."
He pushed himself back up and continued walking toward the sound of the river.
"If you're going to speak just to judge, then keep your words. Stay silent."
Riitharion replied,
"Judge? Me? The audacity."
"Coming from someone who peed himself in fear. Pain is just a feeling."
"You can still move. Why bow to it when you can walk through it?"
"Pathetic."
Grassth kept walking.
"You speak like someone who never felt fear. Maybe in your past… you were just like me."
Riitharion answered calmly,
"The past does not matter. My history is not yours."
"Suffering is different for each of us, Grassth."
Grassth snorted.
"Hmph."
He finally reached the river. Water flowed between straight rocks, the sound growing louder as he approached.
He looked down at the surface.
His reflection stared back.
He froze.
The face was familiar… but different.
"Hm. Familiar… but different."
He held his chin and studied himself carefully.
His legs were longer. His body slimmer, but his chest slightly broader. No clear abs, but his build had changed.
"I was five-five…"
He walked toward a nearby tree and looked at it up and down. He placed his hand horizontally against the trunk, marking where his old height used to reach.
"From what I remember… my height was around here."
Riitharion responded,
"You've grown a little. Expecting something dramatic? It's only physical. Why does it matter? You didn't gain power."
Grassth frowned.
"Ugh. You're annoying."
"Pathetic," Riitharion replied.
Grassth looked at his reflection again.
"Hmm… I think I'm around five-nine now. Not bad."
He stood still and took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale.
The air felt clean.
"Alright. Brand new day. Where do I—"
"We," Riitharion corrected.
Grassth didn't even pause.
"—start. I know."