Episode 13: Shadows of Destiny
Phase 1
Rylen stared at the faint blue glow radiating from his palms, the energy pulsing like a heartbeat. The room was eerily quiet except for the rhythmic hum of the machinery surrounding him. The makeshift lab, built in an abandoned facility Lyra had managed to retrofit, was their new base of operations. Yet despite the resources and knowledge at his disposal, Rylen's progress in mastering his powers felt agonizingly slow.
"Try again," Lyra said, her voice steady but tinged with exhaustion. She leaned against the table, her face illuminated by the flickering holographic display of a dimensional rift diagram.
Rylen sighed. "It's not that simple. This isn't just flipping a switch, Lyra. Every time I try, it feels like…" He paused, searching for the right words. "Like I'm pulling on a thread tied to something massive, and if I pull too hard, it'll unravel everything."
"That's the point," Lyra said, meeting his gaze. "You're the Gatekeeper, Rylen. If you don't figure this out, no one else can."
He clenched his fists, the glow fading. The term "Gatekeeper" still felt foreign, like a title that belonged to someone else—someone capable, someone brave. Not him.
Before he could respond, a sharp beeping sound interrupted them. Lyra spun toward the console, her fingers dancing across the keys. "Another rift. Northwest quadrant, Sector 17."
Rylen's stomach churned. It was the fourth breach this week, and each one was more unstable than the last. "How big?" he asked, already dreading the answer.
"Big enough to notice," she replied grimly. "And it's not alone. There's activity—movement—coming through."
The words sent a shiver down Rylen's spine. Movement meant entities, the shadowy beings that seemed drawn to the breaches. So far, their encounters had been limited to smaller, less organized creatures, but every new rift increased the likelihood of something worse crossing over.
Lyra grabbed her equipment bag and threw it over her shoulder. "We don't have much time. You ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," Rylen muttered, though he wasn't sure he meant it.
They arrived at the breach site in record time, navigating the city's dimly lit streets with the precision of those who had done it too many times before. The breach was visible even from a distance—a swirling vortex of dark energy tearing through the fabric of reality. Tendrils of inky black smoke writhed in the air, reaching out like searching fingers.
"Stay close," Lyra warned as they approached.
As they neared the rift, the temperature dropped sharply, and Rylen's breath came out in frosty clouds. His body tingled with the now-familiar sensation of the rift's energy resonating with his own. It was a sensation he hated—a reminder of the power he didn't want but couldn't escape.
Suddenly, a guttural screech echoed from the vortex, and three figures emerged from the shadows. They were humanoid in shape but unnervingly distorted—elongated limbs, too many joints, and faces that seemed to shift like liquid.
Lyra didn't wait. She activated a handheld device that emitted a high-pitched frequency, causing the creatures to recoil. "Keep them off me while I stabilize the rift!" she shouted over the noise.
Rylen's heart pounded. He raised his hands, summoning the energy within him. It responded sluggishly at first, like a reluctant animal, but then it surged forward, crackling with raw power. A burst of blue light shot from his palms, striking one of the creatures and sending it sprawling.
The other two turned toward him, their movements unnervingly fluid. Rylen's mind raced as they advanced. He fired another blast of energy, but one of the creatures dodged with unnatural speed, closing the distance between them.
"Focus, Rylen!" Lyra yelled, her voice cutting through his panic.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to concentrate. The energy within him roared, wild and untamed, but he channeled it as best he could. Another burst of light erupted from his hands, this time striking both creatures simultaneously. They dissolved into wisps of smoke, vanishing into the air.
"Got it!" Lyra called as the vortex began to shrink. The rift's edges shimmered and then sealed with a final pulse of energy, leaving the night eerily quiet once more.
Rylen staggered back, his knees weak. He wanted to feel triumphant, but all he felt was exhaustion—and a gnawing sense that this was only the beginning.
"Good work," Lyra said, clapping him on the shoulder. Her smile was reassuring, but her eyes betrayed her concern. "But we can't keep this up forever. We need answers, Rylen. Fast."
He nodded, his gaze fixed on the empty space where the rift had been. The words of Aris echoed in his mind, haunting and cryptic: "The Gatekeeper isn't a savior—it's a key. And keys don't just open doors… they unlock consequences."
---
As they head back to the base, a mysterious glyph appears on Rylen's arm, glowing faintly. Lyra gasps, recognizing it immediately. "That symbol… it's not from this world."
What does the glyph mean, and why has it appeared now?
Episode 13: Shadows of Destiny
Phase 2
The walk back to the base was shrouded in silence, both Rylen and Lyra lost in their thoughts. The city's dim lights cast long shadows on the cracked pavement, and the air carried an unsettling stillness. Rylen flexed his fingers, still tingling from the surge of energy he'd unleashed. He didn't know if he was getting better at using his powers or if the creatures were simply getting weaker.
As they rounded the corner leading to the lab, Lyra suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"What's wrong?" Rylen asked, turning to see her staring at him.
"Your arm," she said, her voice a mix of wonder and alarm.
Rylen looked down and froze. His forearm was glowing faintly, etched with a symbol that seemed to shimmer and shift under his gaze. It wasn't there before—not after the fight, not even during it. The glyph pulsed in time with his heartbeat, its intricate design mesmerizing.
"What… what is this?" he stammered, panic rising in his chest.
Lyra stepped closer, her eyes scanning the symbol with a mix of fascination and dread. "I've seen this before," she said softly. "Not in books or data files, but… in a dream."
"A dream?" Rylen's voice was incredulous, but Lyra's expression was deadly serious.
"It was after the first rift appeared," she explained. "I dreamed of a gate—massive, ancient, covered in symbols like this one. I thought it was just my mind processing everything, but…" She trailed off, her gaze locked on the glowing glyph.
Rylen clenched his fists, the glyph intensifying briefly before fading back to its faint glow. "What does it mean?" he asked, his voice tight.
"I don't know," Lyra admitted, her frustration evident. "But this isn't random. That symbol… it's a mark of something greater. Maybe it's connected to why you're the Gatekeeper. Or maybe it's a warning."
"A warning for what?" Rylen asked, his voice rising.
Lyra shook her head. "We need answers, Rylen. And I think it's time we stopped playing defense. We need to find someone who knows more about these rifts—and what's coming through them."
The idea made Rylen's stomach churn. Every encounter with the rifts and their shadowy denizens had felt like a gamble, and now Lyra wanted to dive deeper into the unknown? But as much as he hated to admit it, she was right. They couldn't keep fighting blind.
A sudden chill swept over him, and he instinctively looked around. The street was empty, but the air felt charged, as if they were being watched. "We should get inside," he said, his voice low.
Lyra nodded, but her expression was troubled. As they stepped into the lab, the glyph on Rylen's arm flared brightly for a moment, casting strange shadows on the walls.
Neither of them noticed the faint, otherworldly whisper that echoed in the silence: "The key has been chosen."
---
What does the voice mean by "the key"? And who—or what—is watching them from the shadows?