The Riftstorm howled all around them, a swirling tempest of fractured space and blazing aether. Yet inside the shimmering fold where Varen had led Kaien, the chaos bent into an eerie calm—as if the storm itself deferred to its master.
Kaien tightened his grip on the Phasebrand Katana, feeling the strange, pulsating energy thrumming beneath his skin. The katana hummed in response, a soft vibration that resonated with his heartbeat. The fire and space inside him flickered, an untamed tempest barely held in check.
"Control," Varen's voice cut through the quiet. "That's what you lack. The Riftstorm's power isn't mere destruction. It's a balance—a weaving of fire and space into a tapestry. Learn to weave, or you will unravel."
Kaien exhaled sharply, focusing inward. The energy pulsed erratically, like a wild beast trying to break free. "It feels like it wants to burn me alive."
Varen's eyes gleamed with a flicker of amusement. "Good. Pain is the Rift's forge. You must learn to bend it, not break."
The air shimmered around them as the Riftstorm's ever-shifting colors rippled in waves. Kaien's breathing steadied, eyes narrowing as he began to sense the pattern beneath the chaos. Fire flared along his veins, while space itself seemed to fold and twist inside him. His hands trembled, but he forced himself to hold still.
Ilira's voice broke through the silence. "Kaien! Hunters—Council's scouts—are closing in."
Kaien's jaw clenched. "Sirex's shadow stretches far. We don't have time."
Varen's expression hardened. "Exactly. Your training begins with survival. Come, I will show you how to fold space itself—to turn chaos into a weapon."
With fluid motions, Varen moved his hands through the air, weaving fiery ribbons that coiled and twisted as the space before them folded like a blade emerging from a flame. The Riftstorm's energy solidified into a shimmering sword of pure aether—bright, lethal, and humming with power.
Kaien watched, mesmerized. Then, steeling himself, he drew his own Phasebrand Katana, feeling it pulse in answer to Varen's creation.
"You have the power," Varen said. "But you lack the technique. Fold the Riftstorm's fire and space into a single strike, a strike that unravels your enemy's defenses before they can react."
Before Kaien could respond, the air shattered with a sudden roar. A squad of Council hunters burst into the fold, their armor gleaming with void energy and weapons crackling with lethal intent.
"Show me the fire inside!" Varen commanded.
Kaien's muscles tensed. The Riftstorm's energy surged as he stepped forward, katana slicing through the fractured space. With a flick of his wrist, he bent the surrounding air—folding space in tight arcs that disrupted his enemies' footing, while flames licked along the edge of his blade, searing through armor and defenses.
The Council hunters stumbled and fell, caught off guard by the sudden ferocity and precision of his attacks. One lunged forward, but Kaien folded space beneath him, twisting the man's momentum into the jagged rock wall with a deafening crack.
Ilira moved beside him, agile and precise, striking down another hunter with a blast of condensed aether. Together, they fought like a storm—chaotic, fierce, unstoppable.
As the last hunter fell, Kaien's breath came in sharp gasps. His hands trembled, but his eyes burned with newfound clarity.
Varen approached, a hint of approval in his gaze. "You've taken the first step. The Riftstorm doesn't just flow around you anymore—it answers to you."
Kaien wiped sweat from his brow, eyes scanning the horizon. "This was just a scouting party. More will come. And Sirex Voln is still out there."
Varen's smile was grim. "Then we must prepare. The Council's grip tightens every day. But remember—power alone won't save you. You must become the storm itself."
Kaien looked down at the glowing katana in his hand. The fire and space inside him no longer felt like a threat, but a force waiting to be mastered.
For the first time in weeks, he felt hope.
Ilira's voice was steady beside him. "What now?"
Kaien sheathed the katana and met Varen's gaze. "We train. Harder. Faster. And we find the Rift relic buried nearby. It's the key to the next evolution of my power."
Varen nodded. "Good. But beware—what lies buried is ancient, and not all who seek the Rift's core return unbroken."
Kaien clenched his fists, determination roaring inside him like wildfire.
The battle for the Rift—and the fate of the world—had only just begun.