Author's Note:
The novel starts in this chapter , which establishes Kael's journey before the prologue. The prologue introduces Kael in a moment of crisis, giving a glimpse of his future struggles and transformation. While it is not necessary to read the prologue first, I recommend it to better understand Kael's background and the hardships he faces.
Kael sat at the edge of his tattered bed, his head down in his hands. The room was dark, lit only by the faintest slit of light sneaking through the blinds. The oppressive silence in the apartment weighed on him like a physical entity, reminding him constantly of how alone he truly was. That had been his life for months: no friends, no family, just himself and the ceaseless ticking of the clock.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand, snapping him back to reality. He glanced at the screen; it was all the usual noise from the guild. Another mission. Another opportunity to earn a few coins. Yet, it was the same old story-low-level tasks that weren't worth the risk. He was an E-Rank hunter. A nobody.
He yawned and reached for the phone, his fingers scrabbling across the screen to open the message. "Urgent: New Rift Detected. High-risk mission. Seeking hunters."
Kael rubbed his eyes. High-risk? What did that even mean for someone like him? Sure, he'd been on missions before—scouting rifts, clearing out weak monsters—but they always turned out to be empty promises, mere ways for the guild to profit off low-ranked hunters like him.
He leaned back in his chair, the wooden creaking across the room. All that was left was the apartment after his family's tragic death. His father, mother, and little sister; gone. He had only the house they had shared to remind him of how much he lost.
"Kael, you have to get out of here.".
It haunted him with every word she'd spoken on her deathbed-the chilling echo of a time when the world was still standing. She'd encouraged him to live his life for more than the emptiness and agony threatening to engulf him. But how could he? Every day became a struggle for survival, and the world around him seemed uninterested in that.
Another buzz. Another notification. This one was coming all the way from the guild leader himself, reminding him to accept the mission.
"Kael, I'm sending you on this one. You can do it. Don't waste this opportunity."
The words were like a slap in the face. He was an E-Rank hunter. He was weak. No matter how hard he tried, he could not break through the invisible ceiling that held him down. Other hunters looked down at him because he was of ranks A or S. He was just another expendable pawn in their game.
He had a hard time not thinking about it all, though. The rent was overdue. The bills were piling up. Each day was a harsh reminder that he could not begin anew.
Kael stood, his muscles screaming from the constant pressure. He pulled on his old leather armor, grabbed his gear-a battered sword and a few minor potions-and stuffed them into his bag.
He had nowhere else to turn.
But the rift site wasn't exactly someplace on the outskirts of the city. This place was where powerful monsters occasionally emerged and tore holes in the fabric of reality. A dangerous place, yes, but also an opportunity. An opportunity for Kael to prove that he could do something, anything, to make his life have meaning.
The mission was pretty simple: go in, scout the rift, and take out any low-level creatures. He had done it before; he saw no reason that anything should go wrong.
But as he walked toward the place, a knot of unease twisted in his stomach. This rift was not small this time. Before him stood an enormous swirling vortex of blue energy, crackling and humming with unnatural power. No ordinary rift stood before him. Something felt wrong.
Kael clutched his sword tightly; his nerves were almost crippling. The weight of insignificance weighed him down, and the fear was palpable.
The crunching in his boots echoed through the desolate field. He had been alone for months. His team would arrive soon, or so he hoped. They had to be here.
When they arrived, it was nothing like what Kael had expected.
The team leader—an A-Rank hunter—shot a dismissive look his way. "You sure you can handle this, Kael?" Words that sounded as if they'd been chilled to bone, the tone condescending, as if Kael were some form of burden to carry.
"Yeah, I can handle it," Kael muttered, trying to keep his voice steady. He refused to let them see any more weakness than they already did.
They crept closer to the tear. Kael came behind, his head down and sword held tight. The rift pulsed with unnatural light, and the hairs on the back of Kael's neck stood up as they drew near.
It wasn't much more before they saw movement across the tear. Creatures-the monstrous, clawed things-were beginning to emerge out of the tear and crawl out, their glowing eyes pouring with malevolence.
The team sprang into action, weapons drawn, but Kael hesitated. He wasn't fast enough. He wasn't strong enough. He'd never be able to match them.
"Kael, stay back!" the leader commanded, his voice firm. "We'll handle this."
Kael watched as the others attacked the monsters, cutting them down with ease. The clash of steel and the growls of the creatures filled the air, and Kael stood frozen, unsure of what to do. His sword felt useless in his hands. He doubted he could even strike one of the creatures if he tried.
Then everything changed.
One of the beasts broke through the group and strode towards Kael. It was enormous, with claws spread wide, and before he could react, he was sprinting backwards, tripping over his own feet. His instincts screamed at him to move, but nowhere was anywhere.
The beast lunged, and in a moment, Kael thought it was over. He would be here, inside this rift, left to disappear as all those others had whom were not as strong.
It was only just as the claws sliced in to shred his flesh that the light within the rift flashed to blinding brilliance.
Everything in Kael's world became white.