Kael and Selene sat across from each other at the dinner table, heads bent close, murmuring over tomorrow's plan.
Oren strolled in, a grin tugging at his weathered face. "Hells, I remember when you two couldn't stand the sight of each other - bickering like old couples. And now look at you, whispering over war plans like newlyweds. Should I leave you two alone?"
Kael stiffened. He knew Selene - violence, not words, was usually her answer to being teased.
Selene's eyes narrowed. "Couple? With him? He might pass out just seeing the monsters. I need to make sure he doesn't bolt and leave me alone - not that I need his help. He'll just slow me down. I'd hate for Father to be disappointed."
Kael scoffed. "Who are you calling weak? I grazed Rook in training today. You've never done that. I'm more worried you'll be puking the moment you see what's out there."
"If I puked at ugly things, I'd never stop around your face."
Oren chuckled, arms crossed as he watched them go back and forth. "At least you're both in high spirits. So, how's the preparation coming?"
Selene answered first, practically glowing. "I'm ready. I want to see them bleed. Can't wait to cut something."
Oren smiled at her bloodlust, then turned to Kael. Kael shrugged. "I just hope she doesn't get too excited and drag us into something stupid. Actually... I wanted to ask you something, Oren."
Oren sat down beside them. "Go on."
"Have you closed many rift gates before?"
Oren stroked his beard. "Yes... There was a time when my brother and I closed one after another." A shadow flickered in his eyes.
"Was your brother strong?" Kael asked quietly.
Oren's voice lowered. "Depends on what you mean by strong. One-on-one? Man or monster? Yes. Even six or seven at once? Yes."
His tone darkened. The sadness in his eyes shifted - became something harder.
"But what is strength against betrayal? What is strength when you watch your loved ones die? What is strength when—"
The table groaned.
Kael flinched. A spiderweb of cracks splintered beneath Oren's grip.
"Grandpa!" Selene snapped.
Oren blinked, the haze lifting from his eyes. He looked down at the fractured wood, then let out a slow breath and released his hand.
"Forgive me. Old memories… they're too sharp at my age." He leaned back with a sigh. "To answer your question - yes. My brother was strong."
Kael didn't push further. He changed the subject. "So... how are rift portals even created?"
Oren looked genuinely surprised. "You don't know?"
Kael and Selene just exchanged shrugs.
"Father's lessons were all dodge faster and stop whining, besides he said he'd be watching over us," Selene said flatly. "Didn't see the point in asking."
Oren shook his head with a faint smile. "Well, since my lovely granddaughter is here, I'll indulge you."
He leaned forward, his voice settling into a low, deliberate rhythm. "About 250 years ago, a meteor darker than the void itself fell from the sky. It changed everything. The air began to shimmer with something new - we called it Aether."
Kael blinked. "Wait - the Aether I use in training?"
"The same," Oren nodded, voice low. "But purer. Wilder. And when it builds... it tears reality."
"It built up in invisible pockets in the atmosphere. When it passed a threshold... a rift gate would open."
"Rift gates are portals to other dimensions. If left unchecked, they leak corrupted energy. That corrupted Aether mixes with our world's flow, rupturing the gate into a festering wound between worlds. Once that happens, creatures - some mindless, others intelligent - can cross over."
"To close a rift, you kill everything inside until you find the Aether Core. Remove it, and you have about twelve hours before the gate collapses. Or…"
He paused.
"…you could kill the creatures and absorb their essence into your stigmata. With enough energy, the stigmata lets you track and close the gate faster."
"Sounds simple enough," Selene muttered.
Kael looked at his hand. "Oren... will I be able to use that second method tomorrow?"
Oren smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "If you can get the stigmata to work, maybe. But nothing comes easy. Power demands a price - and I'm not sure you're ready to pay it. Don't worry. Rook says you're progressing fast. In time, you'll have control."
"Can anyone close a rift gate?" Kael asked.
Oren shook his head. "Technically, all gates belong to the noble houses. They're responsible for the ones in their territory. But we're far from them. Out here, near Forsaken Island, we train on our own."
"We're... on the Forsaken Island?" Kael asked.
"Yes. The noble houses abandoned this place long ago. Too dangerous. But our people still live here."
Kael frowned. "What people? I've only seen you, Selene, and Rook."
"There are around seven hundred of us, scattered across divisions. When your training's complete, you'll meet them."
Kael nodded slowly. "The stigmata… did it appear after the meteor?"
"Yes," Oren said.
"What's its purpose?"
Oren's expression turned unreadable. "A tool. For who or what, we still don't know."
Kael leaned forward. "Can you tell me more about Stigmata?"
"I could tell you a lot," Oren replied. "But some things must be learned, not told. Just remember, Kael - the stigmata you carry can be a blessing… or a curse. If you're not strong enough, it'll consume you. Steel your body - and your mind. Without willpower, you won't survive. None of us will."
Rook stepped into the room. "Let them rest. Tomorrow's a big day."
Oren's cheer returned instantly. "Ah, right! Children should train hard and rest even harder. Eat up and get some sleep - you'll need it."
As Selene and Kael left, Oren and Rook exchanged a long, silent glance.
Later that night, Rook found Oren sitting before the fire, lost in its flickering light.
"Are you rushing this?" Oren asked, eyes fixed on the flames.
"No," Rook said. "They're progressing quickly. Selene has instinct—she just needs emotional control. And Kael... he needs real danger. Only death's shadow will teach him what he needs to learn. It's only a Level 0 gate. I'll be watching."
"It's not their survival I worry about," Oren murmured. "It's the stigmata. If it lashes out... do you think Kael has the mental strength to hold it back?"
Rook was quiet for a long moment. Then: "It's his burden. We can support him - but if he chooses the wrong path, I'll end him myself."
Oren stood, placing a heavy hand on Rook's shoulder. "I've buried more family than most men ever meet. I don't think I could survive losing Selene... or Kael."
A tear welled in the old man's eye.
Rook gripped Oren's hand.
"You've waited for two centuries. Wait a little longer. Kael will repay every scar - with blood, not mercy"