Chapter 2:

Echoes of the Rift

UNKNOWN

“When the Creator vanished, the world forgot its purpose. But the power never left — it only waited.”

Darkness. Again.

But not the comforting dark of night.

This was ancient — endless. It pressed in from all sides, heavy, humming with a silence older than time. Kael Solis floated in the void, heart pounding, though he had no body, no breath.

Images flickered.

A vast world, bursting with energy. Cities suspended in sky, seas of living crystal, towers reaching into stars.

At the center of it all stood a being — immense, radiant, faceless — cloaked in shimmering voidlight.

The UNKNOWN.

The creator of all dimensions.

The father of the legions.

But even in this vision, Kael could feel it: no one ever truly knew what the UNKNOWN was — not its name, its origin, or the limits of its power. Only its immense presence. Its silence. And the reverence it commanded.

And then — one day — it vanished.

No one knew how. Or why.

Without its presence to unite the world, the five legions — once protectors of balance — turned on one another.

Ignis Aeternum burned for conquest.

Aquila Tempestus sought speed and dominance.

Vespera Umbra vanished into secrecy.

Lux Vitae claimed divine right to rule.

Noctis Éclat vowed to maintain order by force.

And war began.

The balance broke. And into the chaos… Kael was born.

He gasped awake, body aching.

He lay on a sleek metallic bed surrounded by glowing crystal panels and medical tech. Strange symbols floated in the air above him. Not a hospital. Something more ancient… more dimensional.

The door hissed open.

Lyra Cerys entered — calm, focused, dangerous.

“You’re alive. That’s a good start.”

She tossed a flask to him — glowing blue liquid. He caught it clumsily.

“Drink. You’ll need your strength.”

Kael drank. Warmth spread through him, soothing the burning in his chest and arms. He coughed. “Where am I?”

“A hidden stronghold of the Vespera Umbra. You triggered a catastrophic rift surge, so… you’re lucky I got to you first.”

Kael rubbed his face. “That thing inside me — I couldn’t stop it.”

Lyra looked at him silently. Then she spoke, voice lower.

“What you carry… is the power of the UNKNOWN.”

“The original entity. The one who shaped this world — who gave birth to the dimensional fabric that holds everything together.”

Kael’s breath caught. “That was… real?”

“Very real. And very dangerous.”

She stood, walking to a projection screen where an image of the five legion sigils glowed in a circle.

“When the UNKNOWN disappeared, the world fractured. The legions stopped serving balance — they started fighting for dominance.”

“Because the UNKNOWN never named a successor.”

Kael’s stomach turned. “You’re saying... I am?”

“Not a successor. You’re the reincarnation.”

Far from the hidden base, within a tower carved from obsidian and floating above a shattered realm, Zerath Caelus, Commander of the Noctis Éclat, stood before a war table.

Floating above it, repeating endlessly, was the image of the explosion — Kael’s surge of power.

His generals surrounded him, silent.

“That aura,” Zerath said, eyes fixed forward, “I’ve only felt it once before. Centuries ago, as a child, during the last moment the UNKNOWN walked the world.”

One of his lieutenants spoke. “Are you certain?”

“Absolutely. The boy is its vessel. And if he survives… he may eclipse all five legions combined.”

Silence again.

“We failed to strike first. The Vespera Umbra have him.”

“Then,” came a cold voice from the shadows, “we burn them to the ground.”

Back at the Umbra base, Kael followed Lyra through long corridors of floating crystal and humming glyphs. Warriors in black-purple armor bowed respectfully to her… but kept wary eyes on Kael.

“They’re afraid of me.”

“Good,” Lyra replied. “Fear keeps them from acting rash.”

Kael hesitated. “Why aren’t you afraid?”

She stopped, looking over her shoulder.

“Because I’ve seen what happens when this power goes unchecked. The last host… he lost himself. He became something worse than any of the legions feared.”

“So I swore — if the UNKNOWN ever returned, I’d make sure it didn’t happen again.”

Kael frowned. “That doesn’t explain why you saved me.”

Lyra’s eyes turned distant, sad.

“Because the last host was my brother.”

Suddenly, alarms blared.

INTRUSION DETECTED.

The corridor shook as energy pulsed through the walls. A flare of light ruptured a gate ahead — and from it, golden-armored warriors marched through, radiant and cold.

The Lux Vitae.

Leading them was a man in immaculate robes, a long golden spear in his hand, and eyes glowing with divine light.

Seraphil Dain, commander of the legion.

“The host of the UNKNOWN must be brought to the Rift Core. He will be purified — before he becomes a threat to all.”

Lyra stepped between them and Kael, blades already in hand.

“Over my corpse, Lightblade.”

Seraphil raised a glowing palm. “That can be arranged.”

The hallway erupted in light and shadow as they clashed — each strike shattering walls and bending space. Kael stood frozen behind them — but again, that pull began deep in his chest.

The sigil on his heart pulsed. The UNKNOWN stirred.

“You are no longer a bystander, Kael Solis,” the voice inside whispered.

“You are the fracture in fate.”

Pain shot through him. The symbols around his body lit up.

Power began to spiral outward again — wild, unformed, threatening another explosion.

Kael clenched his teeth.

“No. Not this time.”

And then — for the first time — he reached into the power, tried to bend it.

It buckled like a storm under pressure… but didn’t burst.

A flare of dark light circled his hand.

Lyra turned slightly, eyes wide.

“You’re... controlling it?”