Gale Draven stood at the edge of the small village, the faint chatter of townsfolk and the comforting smell of fresh bread filling the air behind him. The idyllic scene should have calmed his nerves, but it didn't. He had done it—he'd stopped Halcyon, destroyed the Nexus, and sealed the Rift. Yet, something still felt... off.
His hands flexed instinctively, as if still holding the weapons he had used to fight through endless horrors. There was no Nexus here, no glow of energy splitting the fabric of reality, no echoes feeding on time to survive. And yet, the faintest tug in the back of his mind whispered that his journey wasn't over.
This wasn't just survival anymore. It was rebuilding. But how?
Days passed as Gale settled into the village, making an effort to blend in. The people seemed genuine, untouched by the chaos of the Rift. It was a stark contrast to Halcyon, where even the laughter felt rehearsed. Here, it was real. Children played in the fields, merchants bartered loudly in the market square, and farmers tended their crops.
For the first time in years, Gale found himself sleeping peacefully—no Sentinels stalking him, no time loops resetting his efforts.
But his mind couldn't rest.
Every time he stared at the stars, he saw faint distortions, tiny ripples in the fabric of the sky. His instincts told him they were remnants of the Rift, cracks that hadn't fully healed. If left unchecked, they could spread, reigniting the very chaos he had fought to extinguish.
That night, as he sat by the fire outside his small hut, Gale made his decision.
"I'm not done yet," he muttered to himself. "The Rift might be gone, but its scars are still here. If I don't do something about them... no one will."
Gale's first step was to understand this new world. He began asking questions around the village, careful not to reveal too much about his past. The villagers were friendly, but their knowledge of the larger world was limited. Most had never left the valley, content to live simple lives.
However, one name kept coming up: Eryndale—a distant city said to be the center of knowledge and trade. If anyone had information about strange anomalies or lingering effects of the Rift, it would be there.
Before setting off, Gale took stock of his resources. He scavenged tools from the village blacksmith, fashioning a basic weapon from scrap metal—a sturdy knife that wouldn't attract too much attention. He also gathered supplies: a pack with food, a water flask, and a map scribbled by a local merchant.
The journey to Eryndale was long and fraught with danger. The countryside was beautiful but wild, with dense forests and winding rivers cutting through rolling hills. Gale's watch—miraculously intact after everything—remained silent, a small mercy that suggested the Rift's energy wasn't active here.
Still, the world wasn't entirely safe.
One night, as Gale camped near a riverbank, he heard the low growl of a predator. His knife was in his hand before the sound had fully registered. From the shadows emerged a massive wolf-like creature, its eyes glowing faintly with a familiar blue light.
"Splicer..." Gale whispered, his chest tightening.
The creature lunged, and Gale barely dodged, rolling to the side as its claws raked through the dirt. He slashed at its flank, the blade cutting deep, but the Splicer barely flinched. Its mutated form healed almost instantly, the glowing veins beneath its skin pulsing with energy.
Gale's mind raced. The Rift was gone, but the mutations it had caused weren't. Whatever had spawned this creature was still out there.
With a burst of adrenaline, Gale drove his blade into the Splicer's throat, twisting it until the creature fell limp. Panting, he wiped the blood from his weapon and stared at the creature's body.
"They're still here," he muttered. "I thought I stopped this."
The thought nagged at him as he continued his journey. The Splicers were proof that the Rift's influence lingered, even if the Nexus itself was destroyed.
Eryndale was everything Gale had hoped for—and more. The city was massive, its streets bustling with life. Markets lined the main square, filled with merchants selling exotic goods. Scholars roamed the streets, their robes marking them as part of the city's famed Chronos Academy, a place dedicated to studying time and history.
Gale's first stop was a local tavern, where he hoped to gather information. The patrons were a mix of travelers and locals, their conversations a cacophony of gossip and rumors. Gale sat at the bar, listening carefully.
"...another one of those anomalies near the Silver Marshes. I heard it swallowed an entire caravan."
"...blue light in the hills at night. Strange things happen when you get too close."
"...the Academy's been keeping quiet, but they know something. They always do."
Gale's ears perked up at the mention of the Academy. If anyone knew what was happening, it would be them. But gaining access to such a prestigious institution wouldn't be easy.
The next morning, Gale approached the Academy's gates. The building was an imposing structure of white stone, its towers reaching toward the sky. Guards stood at the entrance, their expressions stern.
"State your business," one of them said as Gale approached.
"I'm a traveler," Gale said, keeping his tone calm. "I've seen... strange things on my journey. I think the Academy might have answers."
The guards exchanged a glance. "Wait here."
After a tense few minutes, a woman in a flowing robe emerged. She was tall, with sharp features and piercing green eyes. "I'm Professor Lirien," she said. "You've seen anomalies, you say?"
"Yes," Gale replied. "And I think they're connected to something bigger."
Lirien studied him for a moment before nodding. "Come with me."
Inside, the Academy was a labyrinth of halls lined with bookshelves and strange devices. Lirien led Gale to a small study, where she questioned him in detail about his experiences.
When Gale mentioned the Splicer he'd encountered, Lirien's expression darkened. "The mutations are spreading," she said. "Even without the Rift, the energy it released continues to affect the world."
"Can it be stopped?" Gale asked.
Lirien hesitated. "There is... a theory. But it's dangerous."
Lirien explained that the Academy had been researching the remnants of the Rift's energy. They believed that its source—the lingering threads of the Nexus—could be neutralized. But to do so, someone would need to trace the anomalies to their origins.
"The energy is like a network," Lirien said. "The threads converge in places where the Rift's influence is strongest. If we can sever those connections, we might be able to stop the mutations from spreading."
"How?" Gale asked.
Lirien placed a device on the table—a small, glowing sphere etched with glyphs. "This is a Chrono Shard. It's designed to disrupt the Rift's energy. If you place it at a convergence point, it should neutralize the anomaly."
"Should?" Gale repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"We haven't tested it," Lirien admitted. "But it's the best chance we have."
Gale leaned back, considering her words. The plan was risky, but it was also a chance to finish what he had started. If he could stop the anomalies, he could finally put the Rift behind him.
"All right," he said. "I'll do it."
Lirien gave Gale the location of the nearest convergence point: the Silver Marshes, a swampy region known for its strange occurrences. Armed with the Chrono Shard and his knife, Gale set out, determined to see the plan through.
The journey to the marshes was treacherous. The air grew thick with mist, and the ground became increasingly unstable. Gale could feel the energy in the air—an unnatural hum that set his nerves on edge.
At the heart of the marshes, he found the anomaly. A swirling mass of blue light hovered above the water, its energy distorting the air around it. The sight sent a shiver down Gale's spine. It was like staring into the Rift itself.
He approached cautiously, the Chrono Shard in hand. The device pulsed faintly, resonating with the anomaly.
As he placed the Shard near the anomaly, the air around him erupted with light. Gale was thrown backward, landing hard on the muddy ground. When he looked up, the anomaly was gone. The air was still, and the oppressive hum had vanished.
"It worked," Gale muttered, a small smile tugging at his lips.
But his relief was short-lived. The disruption had drawn attention.
Emerging from the shadows was a group of Splicers, their glowing eyes fixed on Gale.
"Of course," he muttered, drawing his knife.
The Splicers attacked with feral speed, their claws slicing through the air. Gale fought back with everything he had, dodging and countering their strikes.