The air grew heavy as Seraphina's words hung between them.
"Because I know what you really are, Kai."
Kai's casual smirk faltered for the first time. His hands clenched at his sides, but his voice remained calm.
"Alright," he said, tilting his head. "I'll bite. What exactly am I?"
Seraphina's golden eyes flickered as she stepped closer. "You're not just an anomaly, Kai. You're something that shouldn't exist."
Luna's stomach twisted. She had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed sent a chill down her spine.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Wow. You really know how to make a guy feel special."
Seraphina didn't smile.
"You weren't born with just two class rankings. You were born between two realities."
Luna's eyes widened. "Wait… what?"
Kai narrowed his gaze. "You're going to have to dumb that down for me, Masked Lady."
Seraphina sighed. "The Rift isn't just a tear in space. It's a doorway to something else. When it appeared, it didn't just unleash Hellions onto Earth. It changed reality itself."
Kai leaned against the railing, crossing his arms. "Uh-huh. And what does this have to do with me?"
Seraphina stared directly into his blue eyes, her tone unwavering.
"Because you were born from the Rift."
Kai's Origin
Silence.
Luna's mind raced. "Born from the Rift? That's impossible."
Kai let out a dry laugh, running a hand through his streaked hair. "Okay. That's a new one. So what, I just fell out of the sky one day?"
Seraphina shook her head. "No. Your parents were human. But something happened during your birth."
She took a deep breath. "You weren't just an ordinary child. You were exposed to Rift energy before you were even born."
Kai's smirk was gone now. He didn't know why, but something about her words felt right—like a memory just out of reach.
"Because of this," Seraphina continued, "you exist between both worlds. You are neither fully human nor fully something else. That's why your power isn't stable. Why you have both an E-Class and an SSS-Class ranking."
Luna's breath hitched. "That's why the Hellions call him an error."
Kai scoffed, but there was no humor in it. "Great. So I'm a cosmic mistake."
Seraphina's voice softened. "No, Kai. You're a key."
Kai's eyebrow twitched. "A key to what?"
Seraphina exhaled. "To closing the Rift. Or… to destroying the world."
The Rift's Plan
Luna stiffened. "Wait. You're saying that Kai—"
Seraphina nodded. "The Rift isn't just a tear in space. It's alive. It's searching for something. And for some reason… it's watching Kai."
Kai frowned. "Watching me? Why?"
Seraphina hesitated. "Because you might be the only one who can control it."
The words hit like a shockwave.
Kai's face remained unreadable, but Luna saw it—the slightest flicker of doubt behind his eyes.
The Rift had spoken to them before. It had called this the beginning of the end.
And now, Seraphina was saying that Kai might be the one thing connecting both worlds.
Luna swallowed hard. "Then… what happens if the Hellions get to him first?"
Seraphina's expression darkened.
"Then the Rift wins."
And just as the words left her mouth—
The alarms blared.
The Third Rift Opens
"WARNING: MASSIVE RIFT DISTURBANCE DETECTED!"
A sudden pulse of energy erupted from the Black Hole Rift in the sky, making the entire city tremble.
Seraphina's golden eyes snapped upward. "Damn it. We're out of time."
Luna grabbed her spear. "It's another invasion, isn't it?"
Seraphina shook her head. "No."
She looked at Kai.
"They're coming for him."
Kai stared at the sky, his pulse quickening as he saw what was emerging from the Rift.
A massive figure descended from the swirling darkness.
Its black armor gleamed, its glowing crimson eyes locked onto Kai with deadly intent.
And in its hands—
It held a sword made of pure Rift energy.
Kai let out a slow breath.
"Well," he muttered, summoning his blade. "Guess I'm getting my answers the hard way."