The forest stretched endlessly in every direction, its golden leaves glowing faintly in the sunlight. Shion sat on the forest floor, staring at the silver-haired woman who had just introduced herself as Lyria. She was unlike anyone he'd ever met—graceful yet intimidating, with eyes as sharp as her blade. Even as she stood still, her movements felt poised and deliberate, like a predator ready to pounce.
"You're lucky I didn't kill you on sight," Lyria said coldly, her hand resting on her sword's hilt. "But that doesn't mean I trust you. Explain yourself."
Shion raised his hands defensively, his palms outward. "I told you, I don't know how I got here. One moment I was in Tokyo, and then the sky… fractured. I woke up here."
Lyria's eyes narrowed as she studied him. "The rift brings only trouble," she muttered, almost to herself. "First the Abyss, now strangers falling from the sky. How much more is Aurelia supposed to endure?"
"Rift?" Shion asked, frowning. The word sounded foreign yet ominous.
She took a step closer, her piercing gaze never leaving his face. "You're from another world, aren't you? The rifts have been tearing open between realms ever since the Shadow Sovereign's forces began spreading. You're not the first outsider to stumble into Aurelia, but you…" She tilted her head slightly, as though sensing something unusual. "You're different."
"Different how?" Shion asked, unsure whether to feel alarmed or flattered. His heart was still pounding from the chaos of the last few hours—or had it been minutes? Time itself felt strange here.
Before Lyria could answer, a low growl echoed through the forest. Her demeanor shifted in an instant, all tension redirected to the source of the sound. "Stay behind me," she ordered, drawing her sword in one fluid motion.
The weapon caught the light filtering through the trees, its edge gleaming with an almost ethereal glow. Shion barely had time to react before a shadowy figure lunged from the darkness. It was one of the creatures he'd seen back in Tokyo—an Abyss Hunter. Its grotesque, shifting form was a nightmare brought to life. Tendrils of shadow coiled and writhed as though the creature's body couldn't decide on a single shape. Red eyes glowed like embers, locking onto Shion with predatory intent.
The creature moved with unnatural speed, its tendrils snapping forward like whips. Lyria was faster. She met the creature's charge head-on, her blade slicing through its dark mass. The severed tendrils dissolved into black smoke, but the creature didn't falter. It let out a screech that seemed to vibrate through Shion's very bones.
Lyria pivoted, her strikes precise and relentless. Each slash of her blade seemed to cut through not just the creature but the air itself, leaving shimmering trails in her wake. Yet the Abyss Hunter was undeterred. For every tendril she severed, another sprouted in its place. It was a battle of attrition, and Lyria's movements, no matter how skilled, began to slow.
Shion watched, frozen. Fear gripped him like a vice. He wanted to help, but what could he do? He was just an ordinary high school student. He didn't have a weapon, let alone the skills to fight a monster like this.
"They never stop regenerating!" Lyria shouted, her voice strained. She ducked under a lashing tendril and countered with a powerful slash. "The Abyss feeds on despair. The more fear you show, the stronger they get."
Her words struck Shion like a hammer. Despair. The creature was feeding on his helplessness, growing stronger because he was too afraid to act. His breathing quickened, his fists clenching at his sides. He couldn't just stand there and watch her fight alone.
And then he felt it.
A strange sensation stirred within him, like a whisper at the edge of his mind. His vision blurred, and suddenly, he saw them: threads of light, faint but undeniable, connecting everything around him. They wove through the air, through the trees, even through the Abyss Hunter itself. One thread, in particular, stood out—it glowed brighter than the others, pulsing with energy as if alive.
"What is this?" Shion murmured, reaching out instinctively. His fingers brushed the thread, and a surge of warmth coursed through him. Time seemed to slow, the sounds of the battle fading into the background. All he could see was the thread and the power it carried.
Without fully understanding what he was doing, Shion grasped the thread and pulled.
The effect was immediate. The Abyss Hunter let out a deafening screech, its form convulsing violently. The glowing thread snapped, and the creature's body began to unravel. Tendrils of shadow dissolved into smoke, and within moments, it was gone.
The forest fell silent. Lyria lowered her sword, her chest heaving. She turned to Shion, her emerald eyes wide with a mixture of awe and caution.
"What did you just do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Shion stared at his trembling hands. "I… I don't know. I saw these glowing threads, and I pulled one. Then it just… disappeared."
Lyria's gaze lingered on him, her expression unreadable. Finally, she sheathed her sword and stepped closer. "You… you're not just a rift-walker. You're a Fateweaver."
"Fateweaver?" Shion repeated, the word foreign yet oddly familiar.
"It's a power thought to be lost to time," Lyria said. "To see and manipulate the threads of fate… it's something only the greatest of Aurelia's champions could do. If you truly have this power, then you might be the only one who can stop the Shadow Sovereign."
The weight of her words pressed down on Shion like a boulder. Stop the Shadow Sovereign? He didn't even know what that was, let alone how to fight it. He opened his mouth to protest, but Lyria held up a hand.
"We don't have time to linger here," she said, her tone brisk. "If the Abyss knows you're a Fateweaver, they won't stop coming for you. We need to get to Emberwood. The elders there might have answers."
Shion hesitated, glancing back at the spot where the Abyss Hunter had vanished. The thought of facing more creatures like that was terrifying, but staying here was clearly not an option. Finally, he nodded. "Lead the way."
The journey through the forest was tense and silent. Shion's mind raced with questions, but Lyria's focused demeanor made it clear she wasn't in the mood for small talk. Her eyes constantly scanned their surroundings, her hand never straying far from her sword.
As they walked, Shion couldn't help but marvel at the forest's beauty. The trees were unlike anything on Earth, their golden leaves shimmering as though infused with light. Small, glowing insects flitted between the branches, leaving trails of luminescence in their wake. Despite the danger, the sight was mesmerizing.
"How far is Emberwood?" Shion asked, breaking the silence.
Lyria glanced over her shoulder. "Not far. If we're lucky, we'll reach it by nightfall. But stay alert. The Abyss isn't the only danger in these woods."
Shion swallowed hard. "What other dangers are we talking about?"
"Wild beasts, rogue magic, the occasional bandit," she replied. "And if we're truly unlucky, we might encounter a Rift Warden."
"Rift Warden?"
Lyria's expression darkened. "Guardians of the rifts. They were once protectors, but the Abyss has corrupted many of them. Now they attack anything that moves, driven by rage and madness."
Shion's unease grew with every step, but he forced himself to stay focused. Whatever was ahead, he would face it. He had no choice.
By the time they reached the edge of the forest, the sun was beginning to set, casting the sky in shades of orange and purple. In the distance, Shion could see the faint glow of lanterns—Emberwood.
"We made it," Lyria said, her voice tinged with relief. "Let's hope the elders are still willing to help."
Shion nodded, though his nerves refused to settle. Something told him his journey was only just beginning.