The third morning after the Rift event rose grey and heavy, as though the sky itself was holding its breath. Within the Guild's fortified outer base, movement had slowed to something cautious — not from fatigue, but from fear.
The last message from the system hadn't just reached Ning Que.
It had pulsed into the Guild's deepnet, flagged and classified at the highest tier. Words like Reclaimer, Sovereign, and Synchronization had triggered alarms not touched in decades. Now Ning wasn't just a curiosity.
He was a problem.
And every problem in the Guild… was watched.
From a high surveillance tower, Elder Tao scowled.
"He's dangerous. You saw what happened to that drone. He could lose control again. He will."
Grandmaster Li remained silent, hands folded behind his back as he watched the grainy feed of Ning sitting quietly by Lyra's med-wing bed.
The masked man stood near the edge of the room.
"He hasn't snapped," Li said finally. "Not yet."
"Because he's choosing not to. But what happens when choice stops being enough?" Tao asked.
Li's jaw tightened. "We've deployed observers. He's not going anywhere alone again."
The masked man spoke, voice like a blade through velvet.
"He remembered something, didn't he?"
Li nodded. "Enough to make him afraid of himself? Probably."
Meanwhile, inside the med-wing, Lyra was awake.
Barely.
Her head was bandaged, eyes squinting against the light. She looked like hell, but smiled anyway when Ning stepped in. It was also strange that she didn't particularly care.
"Told you I needed hazard pay to be friends with you," she muttered.
Ning sat at the edge of the bed. "You're the one who hacked a corrupted drone without telling anyone."
She grinned through the pain. "Yeah. I'm kind of awesome like that."
A long pause passed. He looked at her. She looked back. The quiet between them was soft, not heavy. Like the air right before rain.
"I saw something," he said finally. "When I activated the protocol."
Lyra's smile faded. "What did you see?"
"A city," he whispered. "Burning buildings. People screaming. And I… I gave the order. I sealed the Rift. With their lives."
She said nothing, didn't flinch, neither did she pull away. If anything, she was more curious than ever.
He waited for her to speak. For the judgment.
But instead, she reached out — clumsy, gentle — and laid her hand over his.
"I don't care what you were," she said quietly. "I care what you choose now. Besides, this was a life you ."
His throat tightened.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Ning Que breathed without guilt crushing his ribs. He still didn't understand all of this, but one thing was clear. He was chosen, and for that reason, he would fulfil whatever he had to.
Lyra closed her eyes, drifting back into sleep.
He stayed a little longer, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.
Two hours later, Viera met him outside the base for training.
The training zone was sealed — a large, hollow field surrounded by containment runes and defensive sigils. Only authorized individuals could enter.
Today, Ning was one of them.
"Ready?" Viera asked, prepping her hands.
"No," he admitted. "I have no idea what I'm doing."
She smiled. "Good. Means you won't get cocky and do something stupid."
She led him into the circle. The air buzzed faintly, reacting to his presence.
The system hummed.
{Sovereign Sync: 24%. Rift Severance available. Emotional integrity: Stable.}
"What if I can't control it?" he asked.
"Then I stop you," she said simply, tapping her staff. "That's what friends are for."
Ning Que inhaled.
The Katana of Light appeared in his hand.
He closed his eyes and let himself feel it.
The power stirred — like a river locked behind glass.
He stepped forward, and swung —
And the world split.
Not the ground, it certainly wasn't air.
But reality.
A thin line tore open before him, pulsing with ancient symbols. Through it, they saw ruins of black stone, twisted sky, distant howls — a world that did not belong here.
"Stop!" Viera shouted, raising her staff. Panic rose in her throat. What was he doing?
The tear began to widen. Wind howled. A shadow moved inside.
Ning's eyes were glowing again. He couldn't feel anything but a rush of power through his veins. It burned, but in a good way.
"Ning!" she shouted, slamming the butt of her staff into the earth.
A golden barrier surged around him.
Ning Que blinked, and staggered back.
The tear snapped shut.
His breathing was ragged. His hands trembling.
"I—I didn't mean to…"
Viera touched his shoulder.
"I know."
They stood in silence.
She looked at the scorched ground.
"I think that was a Reclaimer realm," she said.
He nodded. "A memory made real."
"And next time?" she asked.
He met her eyes. "Next time, I control it."
Well, even if he still didn't understand.
That night, a call came through.
Encrypted. Coded.
Aeris intercepted it in her private chamber.
"Outer zone. City of Jiayuan. Minor Rift activity. Unauthorized burst."
She frowned. "Already?"
"Reclaimer must be present. Guild authorization 002-D. He's being sent."
Aeris swore. "You're using him as bait."
The voice on the other end didn't respond. A crackle.
"Fine," she growled. "But if he dies, I'm holding you responsible."
The next morning, Ning packed his gear.
They gave him an escort team: Viera, Aeris, Linx — and a new operative, cold-eyed and silent. A 'combat observer.' Someone to stand in place for Denz. The team didn't talk to him, or speak. Linx kept a glare. Aeris was stern. Viera felt pity.
And Ning Que didn't ask questions. Whatever was going to happen, let it happen.
But as they stepped onto the aircraft, he looked back toward the med-wing.
Lyra watched him from the window.
She raised a hand, a small smile forming on her lips. It made his chest tighten.
Ning Que raised one back, feeling the faintest thud of his heart.
Then the doors closed, and he was faced with his reality once more.
As they rose into the sky, the system spoke.
{Estimated Rift Node Impact: 72 hours. Status: Escalating.}
{Sovereign Synchronization: 24%.}
{Do you trust yourself, Ning Que?}
He stared at the clouds ahead.
And whispered: "I guess we'll find out."