The whisper sent a shiver down Kai's spine, but before he could take another step, the ground beneath him lurched. A pulse of energy rippled outward, the air warping like heat off pavement. Aiden cursed as he stumbled backward, gripping Kai's shoulder to steady himself.
"What the hell was that?" Aiden muttered.
Kai barely had time to respond before a rupture split open in the sky above them.
The colors bled into one another, the swirling purples and golds folding in on themselves. The world around them bent, and for a moment, it felt like gravity was no longer real. The pressure that had been pushing against them reversed, pulling them toward the rift. The whispers grew louder, the voice multiplying, overlapping in ways that made Kai's head ache.
Then, in an instant, they were yanked through.
The crash was violent.
Kai landed hard on concrete, the wind knocked out of him. His limbs burned, his vision swimming with lingering static. Aiden groaned nearby, sprawled across the pavement.
The smell hit Kai first—the acrid stench of burning metal, damp concrete, and the ever-present pollution of New York. The distant hum of engines, voices, and sirens filtered into his senses.
They were back.
"Oh, man," Aiden groaned, rolling onto his side. "Tell me that was just a bad trip and we didn't just go to another dimension."
Kai pushed himself up, taking in their surroundings. They were in an alleyway, the neon glow of nearby billboards casting erratic shadows against the brick walls. Trash littered the ground, a few shattered glass bottles reflecting the light.
No signs of pursuit. No Rift Authority drones hovering overhead.
But that didn't mean they were safe.
"We need to get out of here before someone sees us," Kai muttered, helping Aiden up.
Aiden dusted himself off. "Yeah, no argument there. But first… you wanna explain what the hell just happened? Because I'm still trying to process the whole 'we were in an alien horror show and now we're back home' thing."
Kai exhaled sharply. "I don't know. I don't understand it either. One second we were there, then… it pulled us back."
Aiden gave him a skeptical look. "Not to freak you out or anything, but you realize that it pulled you back, not me."
Kai's stomach tightened. He hadn't thought about that.
Before he could respond, a deep throb pulsed through his skull. His vision glitched, the alleyway momentarily replaced by another version of itself—broken, ruined, with fire in the distance and shadows moving unnaturally.
Then it was gone.
Kai stumbled, gripping his head. Aiden caught him before he fell. "Whoa—dude, you okay?"
"I saw something," Kai whispered. "Like… another version of this place. But destroyed."
Aiden paled. "Yeah, that's not normal. We need to get back home, now."
Kai hesitated for a moment but nodded. His body still felt off, his mind overwhelmed by the visions and the strange, lingering energy in his veins. They needed to get somewhere safe before figuring anything out.
Flashback: Two Years Ago
The night of the crash had been cold.
Kai had sat in the hospital waiting room, his fingers clenched into fists as doctors whispered in hushed tones. The weight of the news had pressed down on his chest like an iron vice—his mother, Dr. Maya Patel, was gone.
He had never known his father. His mother had raised him alone, pouring her life into her work at the Rift Authority, researching the very anomalies that had now consumed his own life. And now, she was gone. Just like that.
He had never believed the official reports. A car accident? His mother had always been careful. Too careful. And worse, the Rift Authority had barely acknowledged her death.
That night, he had stared at the stack of research papers left in her home office, wondering what she had been working on before she died. Had she known something? Had she uncovered something she wasn't supposed to?
He had spent the last two years pushing those thoughts away, trying to live a normal life.
But now, standing here with the world unraveling around him, he couldn't ignore it anymore.
Present
The apartment was small, barely enough space for two people, but it was safe. The moment Kai stepped inside, he exhaled, shutting the door behind him. Aiden locked every bolt, then peeked through the blinds as if expecting Rift Authority enforcers to break in at any second.
Kai leaned against the wall, rubbing his temples. "I don't know what's happening to me. The visions, the flickering—it's like I'm seeing pieces of reality that aren't supposed to exist."
Aiden dropped onto the couch, running a hand through his hair. "Well, no offense, but you're handling it like a crazy person."
Kai glared at him.
"I mean, think about it," Aiden continued. "You got sucked into a rift. You survived. And now you're seeing things that no one else can see? That's not normal, dude. But it's also… kinda badass."
Kai sighed, sinking into the chair across from him. "I don't feel badass. I feel like my brain is melting."
Aiden chuckled, shaking his head. "So what now? We lay low? Hope the Rift Authority doesn't come kicking down our door?"
Kai hesitated. "No. We find answers."
He glanced at the desk by the window, where his mother's old notes still sat, collecting dust. His fingers itched to go through them, to find anything that might explain what was happening to him.
"There are people out there who know how to use these powers. People who train, cultivate their abilities, and get stronger. If I can do things no one else can, I need to understand why. I need to find someone who can teach me."
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "You're talking about cultivators? You want to get mixed up in that world? Those guys don't just train for fun, Kai. Some of them work for the Rift Authority, and others… well, they're worse."
Kai exhaled. "I don't have a choice. If I don't figure this out, I'm going to lose control."
Aiden sighed. "Alright. If you're doing this, I guess I'm in."
Kai gave him a small nod. "Then we start tomorrow."