The Power Within: Unleashed and Uncontrolled

Luna’s eyes were locked onto Haru, scrutinizing him carefully. She couldn’t determine whether the frail, timid boy before her could really be a threat. It had been said that he posed a risk to Orbis, but the person standing in front of her seemed no different from an ordinary child.

Beside her, Travis and Mat had also stepped closer, inspecting Haru from head to toe. Mat tilted his head slightly and circled around Haru with a faint smile. Haru, feeling uncomfortable, instinctively tried to step back. Mat took another step forward and smirked. “Looks like a pretty normal kid to me.”

Haru kept his gaze fixed on Luna, trying to figure out what she would say. A mix of curiosity and anxiety churned inside him. However, Travis suddenly grumbled and took a step forward. “Hey! What are you staring at so intensely?” he snapped.

Haru flinched and stammered nervously, “N-nothing… I was just…”

But Travis didn’t back down. “Do you have a problem with Luna?” he growled, stepping even closer. Haru’s heartbeat quickened, his body tensing involuntarily. His stress level spiked. A wave of panic washed over him something he had never experienced before. He looked around for an escape, instinctively leaning back.

And then…

Something happened.

A visible ripple formed around Haru. The air around him trembled, and objects momentarily lost their form. The wall behind him suddenly began to liquefy. It transformed into a shapeless, jelly-like mass. Haru gasped and stumbled backward, losing his balance. In an attempt to steady himself, he reached out to the wall…

Only for his hand to sink into it.

And then, the distortion abruptly stopped.

For a moment, time itself seemed frozen. Haru, wide-eyed with shock, struggled to pull his hand back, but it wouldn’t budge. It was as if he was trapped in an empty void. The room had gone utterly silent. The disbelief was evident in everyone’s faces. Even in a region erased from Orbis, such an effect was unheard of. If Haru’s presence could cause this much disruption here, what kind of destruction could he bring to Orbis itself?

But Haru was oblivious to all of this.

His only thought was how to free his hand. Panic overtook him as he pulled at his arm, a faint expression of terror growing on his face. Yet, the more he struggled, the more absurd the situation became. His frantic movements made him look increasingly ridiculous, and soon, laughter filled the room.

Seraphis clutched his stomach as he burst into laughter. “Haru, stop! You’re just making it worse!” he called out between chuckles. But even as he spoke, he couldn’t stop laughing. Travis joined in, entertained by the spectacle. Even Luna had to suppress a chuckle, a small smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

However, amidst the laughter, one person was clearly not amused.

“Instead of laughing, why don’t you help the kid?” a voice rang out.

The laughter ceased instantly. Haru’s hand was still stuck in the wall, but now, all attention was focused on the speaker.

Riven.

He was tall, with sharp, defined features and an air of unwavering confidence. His dark crimson hair flowed down to his shoulders, partially braided at the nape of his neck. His deep gray eyes carried an intensity that never seemed to fade. He wore a long, black coat with a military-like design, though its unique cut set it apart from standard uniforms. A silver emblem gleamed on his left shoulder, marking his status within the group. But his gaze wasn’t fixed on Haru—it was directed at the others in the room.

“Come on,” he said, his voice firm but controlled. “Instead of mocking him, how about helping him out?”

Seraphis gave a lazy shrug, a playful grin still on his lips. “Ah, Riven. Always the serious one, ruining all the fun.”

“Is there something amusing about this?” Riven shot him a sharp look. “You saw what Haru just did. He doesn’t realize it yet, but if he can’t control this power, he won’t be safe in Orbis or even here.”

The room fell silent once more. Because, as much as they hated to admit it, Riven was right.

This wasn’t just a coincidence. And now, the biggest question loomed over them all:

Who exactly was Haru, and what did his power truly mean?

                                                                                 ***

Riven believed that the only way to get rid of Orbis was to take over the system and rewrite their reality. Everyone here was destined to be erased eventually, but Nihilos’ theories had presented him with a different possibility. If he could transport all the Voidwalkers into another reality, he could rewrite their fates. Even though Nihilos had once been considered the most powerful entity in Orbis, history had erased him. Yet, to Riven, his power had never truly disappeared he was still a guide.

Without taking his eyes off Haru, Riven slowly reached for the large rectangular hammer strapped to his back and lifted it with a single movement. The moment his fingers curled around the handle, vibrant purple energy began to pulse across its surface. As the hammer expanded slightly, intricate symbols emerged, glowing with an otherworldly energy that flickered between the engravings like a living organism. The air around them thickened, and an invisible pressure spread through the room.

Haru's eyes widened in shock, his gaze locked onto the immense power radiating from the hammer. Fear coiled tightly in his chest. As Riven raised the hammer, his voice was cold and resolute.

“Let’s speed things up.”

Just as he prepared to bring the hammer down against the wall, Haru’s instincts took over. Panic flooded through him, the fear of getting hurt overwhelming his thoughts. “No! No… Stop!” he shouted.

In that instant, as if an unseen force had intervened, the wall began to ripple and liquefy once more. Haru frantically yanked his arm back. He took a deep breath, feeling a fleeting sense of relief. But the moment the wall solidified again, Riven’s hammer struck its target with perfect precision, and all hell broke loose.

The wall shattered with a massive explosion.

Dust and debris filled the room, the force of the impact sending fragments of stone and metal flying in all directions. As the bystanders instinctively recoiled, Seraphis raised a hand to shield himself from the airborne rubble. Haru, frozen in place, crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to protect himself.

And then…

Absolute silence.

The hush lasted so long that Haru struggled to process what had just happened. Riven, with his hammer resting against the ground, stood motionless, staring at the massive pile of rubble that had once been a solid wall. There was a hint of regret in his eyes.

Seraphis broke the silence with laughter. “Riven, I should have known you’d cause more chaos in the name of helping!”

Travis joined in, chuckling. “I bet even the wall would have something to say about this if it were still standing!”

Haru, still stunned, stood frozen with his hands in the air, unsure of what to think. As the laughter spread, the tension in the room quickly faded.

Luna crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “What a fantastic team we have here. We can’t even go a single day without destroying our own base.”

Seraphis cleared his throat and turned back to Riven, his tone light but firm. “Riven, I assume you realize you’re going to have to fix that wall.”

Riven exhaled sharply, still eyeing the destruction he had caused. After a brief pause, he nodded begrudgingly. “Fine, fine. But next time, I’ll be more careful when helping the kid.”

Seraphis smirked and shrugged. “That’s enough excitement for today. Haru, you must be exhausted. But remember, everyone here has a purpose. People like Riven are searching for ways to escape this world. And some of us…” He paused, meeting Haru’s gaze. “Some of us are trying to understand our place in it. Where you stand in this story… well, time will tell. For now, you should get some rest.”

Turning toward the counter, he called out, “Arbis, can you show Haru to his room?”

Arbis, who had been busy arranging a tray, lifted her head and smiled playfully at Haru. “Of course! Follow me. Just don’t phase through the walls while you sleep, or else we won’t know where you’ll wake up in the morning.”

Laughter echoed through the room once more as Haru, his face flushed with embarrassment, followed Arbis. But deep down, his mind was still swarming with questions. What was this power? Why did such strange things keep happening around him? And most importantly was he truly safe here?

As his thoughts continued to race, he realized something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

For now, at least, he wasn’t alone.