November 2041 – the Eternal Bridge nexus beneath the Unity Spire had become the beating heart of multiversal exploration. After Ammar's journey to the ninja world and Zara's venture into the realm of soul reapers, the next rifts opened almost simultaneously—two doorways, side by side, pulsing with different energies. One crackled with salt spray, cannon smoke, and the roar of open sea; the other shimmered with crystalline cold, endless snowfields, and the low, mournful howl of mountain winds.
The family council had already decided: Rami Thorne-Khan (10 years old, Chaos Wolf-Hybrid, Claw Striker Level 11) would take the pirate rift. Liyana Thorne-Frost (9 years old, Chaos Dragon-Hybrid, Frost Sage Level 10) would enter the longing world.
Both children stood before their respective portals, mentors at their sides.
Rami's Preparation – The Pirate Rift
Rami bounced on the balls of his feet, tiny claws flexing in and out. His wolf-ears twitched at every distant crash of imaginary waves. His furred shoulders were already broadening; his eyes—bright amber like Kira's—burned with restless energy.
From Rami's perspective:
"This one smells like adventure. Salt. Gunpowder. Swords clashing. No rules, just freedom. Like when Abba tells stories about Dulla Bhatti robbing caravans. I want to be the captain. Or at least steal the captain's hat."
His mentors materialized one by one.
Mirza Sahiban — elegant archer, calm but deadly.
"Arrows and claws both strike true. Keep your aim steady, little wolf."
Raja Rasalu — legendary truth-striker, lance in hand, grin wide.
"Truth is the sharpest blade on the high seas. Cut through lies, boy."
Dulla Bhatti — rebel protector, sword across back.
"Steal from the greedy, give to the needy. That's the pirate code I can respect."
Rami grinned, showing baby fangs. "Got it. Protect the weak, cut the bad guys, and maybe keep a cool hat."
Ahmed knelt, adjusting Rami's small leather vest (embroidered with wolf-paw prints and a tiny skull-and-crossbones for flair).
"Beta, pirates can be cruel. Don't let the freedom turn to greed. Remember Shakir's line: 'Zindagi da safar ae—girda rehta haan, par khada ho janda haan.' Fall, but stand again—with heart."
Rami nodded seriously. "Heart first. Claws second."
He stepped through.
Rami – Realm of the Crimson Sails
Salt wind hit him like a slap. He stumbled onto the deck of a ship mid-battle.
Cannons roared. Grappling hooks flew. Pirates in tricorn hats and tattered coats swung from rigging, cutlasses flashing. Above him, black sails with a crimson kraken emblem snapped in the wind. Below, a second ship—royal blue with gold trim—was returning fire.
From Rami's perspective: "This. Is. Awesome."
A pirate—scarred, eye-patch, gold tooth—spotted him.
"Oi! What's this? Wolf-brat stowaway?!"
Rami growled—low, playful. "Not stowaway. Visitor. Name's Rami. I'm here to… help?"
The pirate laughed—then swung a cutlass.
Rami dodged—wolf-agility kicking in—claws out, blocking the blade. Sparks flew.
His mentors appeared beside him—spectral but solid to him.
Mirza Sahiban loosed an arrow of light—pinning the pirate's sleeve to the mast.
"Precision, young one. Strike where it matters."
Raja Rasalu parried another attacker's blade.
"Truth in every move. See the man, not the monster."
Dulla Bhatti cleaved through two more with a single swing.
"Protect your crew—even if they're strangers."
Rami howled—Verse Call activating:
"Bulleh ki jaana main kaun?
Tu ki jaana tu kaun?"
The howl became a wind of questioning—enemies faltered, suddenly unsure of their own cause. Some lowered weapons.
The royal ship's captain—a woman in blue coat, tricorn hat, rapier drawn—shouted across the gap:
"Cease fire! Who is the wolf-child?!"
Rami leaped to the railing, claws gripping wood.
"I'm Rami Thorne-Khan! From the Eternal Bridge! I'm here because something's wrong—shadows leaking from my world into yours!"
The pirate captain—red coat, scarred face, gold earring—laughed.
"Shadows? We've been fighting worse than shadows, lad. Name's Captain Valeria Redkraken. This is my ship, the Crimson Fang."
Valeria eyed him. "You fight like no pirate I've seen. And your… ghosts? They're not normal."
Rami grinned. "Legends. They're helping."
A massive rift tore open above both ships—Riftborn kraken, tentacles made of shadow and forgotten shipwrecks, roaring.
Valeria: "All hands! To battle!"
Rami howled—Howl Tempest + Lion Command—wind + unity aura boosting both crews.
Pirates and royal sailors—momentarily united—fired cannons, swung cutlasses.
Rami leaped onto the kraken's tentacle—claws digging in.
From Rami's view: "Big squid. Bad squid. Time to claw."
Mirza's arrow guided his strike—precise, piercing weak points.
Raja's truth revealed the core—heart of void.
Dulla's sword taught him to protect—shielding a fallen pirate.
Rami reached the core—claws glowing with chaos mana—reciting Shakir:
"Girda rehta haan—par khada ho janda haan!"
He struck—core shattered.
Rift closed.
Both crews cheered—pirates and navy shaking hands across the gap.
Valeria approached. "You saved both sides, wolf-boy. Whatever this 'bridge' is—you've earned safe passage here."
Rami grinned. "Thanks. But I think we're gonna be friends."
He stepped back through the rift—mission complete, new allies gained.
Liyana – Realm of Eternal Longing
Meanwhile, Liyana stepped through her rift—into a world of endless snow.
The landscape was breathtaking: snowfields stretching to the horizon, mountains like frozen waves, auroras dancing in greens and purples. The air was so cold it hurt to breathe—but Liyana's frost affinity made it feel like home.
From Liyana's perspective: "It's beautiful. Quiet. Sad. Like Nani when she sings Pathanay Khan at night—happy and hurting at the same time. I think this place is lonely."
Her mentors appeared:
Sohni Mahiwal — water-veiled, ripple-scaled, eyes gentle.
"Child of frost, this world is made of longing. Endure it. Let it flow through you."
Mai Maharban — desert mother, sand-veiled, warm despite the cold.
"Nurture even the frozen heart. Love thaws what time cannot."
Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai — river poet, voice like flowing water.
"Every mountain is climbed with a burning heart. Yours is already warm."
Liyana nodded. "I'll be careful. I won't freeze my heart."
She walked—frost trailing behind her like a cloak.
A village appeared—wooden huts buried in snow, people wrapped in furs, eyes hollow with unspoken grief.
A woman—elderly, face lined like cracked ice—approached.
"You are not of this world. Yet you carry warmth. Why have you come?"
Liyana held out her frosted mango. "To help. There's a… tear. Shadows leaking. They're hurting your world. I want to fix it."
The elder sighed. "The Longing Storm. It comes every cycle—steals memories, leaves only ache. Our heroes left long ago. No one remembers how to fight it."
Liyana's wings fluttered. "I remember stories. Sassui climbed mountains for love. I can climb too."
The elder smiled—faint, hopeful. "Then go to the Heartpeak. The last guardian waits."
Liyana trekked upward—snow swirling, winds howling like lost lovers.
From Liyana's perspective: "It hurts. The cold wants to get inside. But I remember Nani's chai—warm hands, warm words. I carry that."
At the summit: a frozen figure—armored knight encased in ice, sword planted in the ground.
The guardian's voice—faint, echoing: "Who dares climb the peak of longing?"
Liyana stepped forward. "Liyana Thorne-Frost. I came to mend the tear. To stop the storm."
The knight's eyes opened—blue as glacier heart.
"Prove your heart does not freeze."
The storm descended—Riftborn blizzard, whispering every loss, every goodbye.
Liyana breathed—reciting Bhitai:
"Kohyari te chadhdi ae
Dil jalda ae, par himmat naal…"
Her frost flowed—not to freeze, but to preserve—encasing memories the storm tried to steal, turning them into glowing ice orbs.
Sohni's flow guided her—water in ice, movement in stillness.
Mai Maharban's nurture warmed the villagers below—through her, love reached them.
The guardian watched. "You do not conquer longing. You walk with it."
Liyana reached the rift core—storm heart beating black.
She placed her frosted mango at its center—reciting:
"Thirst bites, thorns stab—
But love is the water I carry in my heart."
The mango cracked—golden light pouring out, mixing with her frost—sealing the rift in a dome of ice and memory.
The storm died.
The guardian knelt. "You have passed. The Longing Storm is ended. Take this—Heartfrost Shard. It will protect your bridge."
Liyana took the shard—feeling its warmth despite the cold.
She returned—portal closing behind her.
From Liyana's perspective: "I didn't freeze. I carried the warmth. Like Abba said."
The chapter closed on two children returning—Rami with pirate tales, Liyana with mountain wisdom—bridge stronger, family prouder.