Prologue

The world was in chaos, all nations were in round the clock emergency meetings as they toiled to find a solution. Since the ancient text was found by an archaeologist going through the tombs of Africa and released to the public, no one truly believed in the foretold warning. Thus, when it happened it was a shock to all save the few who actually believed.

Four years later on the prophesied date, the biggest earthquake ever recorded had rocked the world, panic stricken, many nations braced for tsunamis and other natural disasters their first responders were stretched to their uttermost limit, forest fires raged while whole towns laid underwater, the governments of the world in their panic banded together and formed the world coalition, resources were shared through this new coalition and people in need of aid, it was tallied that ten percent of the world population were lost during this first cataclysmic event

The human population suffered through the endless disasters, but through the ingenuity and strength of the human spirit they persevered, some called on God while others took another hands on approach building their fortified encampments across the land, militaries from around the world came under the coalition in an effort to bring relief bringing in a new age. Then it happened, the first gate, a large dimensional anomaly appeared in the sky of London, many scientists speculated and brought fort theories on what this was.

The earth had stabled for a time, the new world collation kept a keen outlook for any signs of disasters. That when the first sign of the Umbrathal appeared, a black mist suddenly appeared throughout the world, the middle of the Atlantic ocean was the first to be discovered then throughout the world, many more reports was given on the sighting of the Umbrathal. Scientists, baffled by the anomalous presence began running as much tests as possible. The Umbrathal, and its anomaly affected the parts of the world it inhabited, all life died within it.

Six weeks after the appearance of Umbrathal and after many tests with drones, the military mapped the occupied with their scanners until it was deemed a possibility for animal tests to be done, at first there were protests as the world collation, trying to be transparent announced the sending in of the animal but the voices of the people fell on deaf ears, the president of the United States came forward and gave a speech about the safety of the human race and their need to do such testing, to prove even more transparent they allowed 24/7 streaming of the animal to be broadcasted quieting the protests, the protests the first animal to enter the dimensional gate was a young German Sheppard rightfully named Scout, he was to enter the gate to test the atmosphere of the other side of the gate, he was to be led in, his bodily functions was monitored by specialists while the military connected him to a life line in case anything were to go awry they can retrieve Scout within a timely manner. Scout was mounted with a state of the art camera and with his handler on site was released into the dimensional gate. Footage of Scout wandering the vase expanse of the game terrain was shown to the world.

It took them a month to mobilize the infantry of thirty thousand men and women to go in. It was the day before D day, the gate stood surrounded by the military personnel when suddenly it happened. The world collation had ordered a military survey, the units were dispatched simultaneously throughout the world, during this time, a live visual from each mission was broadcast to the conference room of the world collation, presidents and other world leader watched with baited breath as their units entered. Through the mist a being appeared, at first it was a shadow, its body was shapeless like the black mist that surrounded it, coined a Fear-born after emergence, it was ferocious, it attacked and killed over eight thousand soldiers before it can even be brought down by conventional weapons, they were in panic, the fears were advancing nearing the human populations and nothing was working, in a desperate attempt over the Atlantic ocean, the U.S deployed a a nuke. Nothing happened, live visual of the Umbrathal showed the moment the strike landed, there was no reaction, it was as if the nuke was simply swallowed by the darkness.

No one knew what it would be proven a difficult task to produce any results from this immediate failure and death of their charges, the governments banded together pooling all their resources from this new threat of fear, the world population held their breath looking on in terror of the impending doom, the would collation made announcements that they were doing everything they can and were going to protect their people with every power they can. But it would all soon prove futile, the mist kept producing more and more fear-born daily, each one was coming more durable than the ones before, soon, the guns, grenades and heavy artillery had no effect on them.

Villages around the world were swallowed by the Umbrathal, many soldiers and civilians who were in that time unlucky enough to be within the Umbrathal for a lengthy period of time started falling ill and or dying. Medical professionals could only make them comfortable as the infection spread throughout their bodies.

Then one day, while many soldiers lined the edge of the Umbrathal, a lone man appeared, he ignored the orders of the soldiers and continued on towards the mist, no one knew who he was, some speculated he as a man trying to commit suicide for the loss of his family, while others just called him senile. Little did they know that he was about to change the course of human history and advancement forever.

A fear-born emerged from the rift, it stood over ten feet tall carrying a war hammer of sorts, humanoid but monstrous in appearance it advanced, as the old man stood before the front lines, they watched in shock as with a swing of his hand the fear-born rocketed back deeper into the Umbrathal, and with a smile to the front line soldiers the man struck down the fear-born. Then it happened the world shook, eyes looked towards the opened rift. A hand emerged casting darkness upon the entire world, the soldiers closest to the rift fell to their knees their blood erupting from their eyes, ears and nose.

The man seeing the impact the being was having on those around him, slammed his feet into the ground a strong black veil of mist shot into the sky, turning the man turned to the gathered world fell silent as they waited.

"Listen to me," he spoke normally but his voice carried over everyone as if he were standing in front of them "that is a singular, if i do not return, grow strong."

With those words the man took a few steps and launched himself towards the rift disappearing into it.

Nine days had passed, the world was still, no fear-born were emerging but they were all waiting, then he emerged, with him he carried what seemed to be a giant crystal that he proceeded to crush upon entry. his body was badly bruised and beaten. though he was like this, he carried himself with a silent strength.

"The world you know is now over," he said into one of the stationed cameras.

He had went into a short speech addressing the state of the world and what to expect, he had explained that the crystal he had brought back was the source origin, and by breaking it back here on earth many humans will gain the ability to fight against the Umbrathal. He became known as the first Ascendent Class, he was brought in by the world collation, though he was feared for his unfounded strength they requested his help. He taught the world of how to fight against the fear, he made sure that the information was made public and no one Government or entity had a monopoly on the resources, so much so that he founded the World Awakened Association, and then, just he vanished off the face of the planet leaving the world, theories have circulated that he went back into the Umbrathal to fight against the terrors unseen.

The news travelled instantly world wide, some humans hell bent on becoming rich and powerful sought out the Umbrathal and entered at their own risk, others awakened in order to protect themselves and their families from the fear-born, all awakened were ordered to register and were treated as saviors of the human race, most awakened were given initial strengths of different levels and through years of scientific research and experiments the association found a way to rank them all.

Class F - Base Human
Class E - Awakened
Class D - Core Adept
Class C - Core Wielder
Class B - Core Knight
Class A - Vanguard
Class S - Apex
Class SS - Mythic
Class SSS - Ascendant

The awakened were grouped into one of the four manifestations, as well as having their physical abilities boosted to inhuman levels

OCCULAR MANIFESTATION
- When awakened, the eyes mutate into a unique supernatural form, symbols, rings, patterns, colors. the eyes grant abilities tied to perception projection or manipulation, such as seeing fear energy, predicting attacks or releasing destructive gazes. Every ocular users ability depends on the symbol that forms in their eyes

SIGIL IMPRINT
- A tattoo appears somewhere on the awakens body. This sigil determines their ability type, elemental, beastly, mythical, abstract, it evolves as they grow. Sigil imprint channels their ability through their bodies, making them versatile in both combat and support

SPIRIT FORGE
- Awakened ignites aa "Forge" within their soul, a metaphysical engine that produces manifest weapons, armor, or constructs made of the condensed mist. Each forge has a theme, (Fire, Water, Storm, Phantom, Iron) shaping what the users can create. Spirit Forge users become a living Arsenals capable of summoning their gear instantly

ECHO SOURCE
- The awaken forms a bond with a entity from the Riffs, an Echo. The Echo wishers guidance, enhances the users instincts, and grants unique supernatural abilities. Echo source users often have precognition flashes, fear manipulation abilities or spiritual attacks shaped by their echo.

Conventional weapons like guns weren't as successful in bringing down the fear-born, their hides were impenetrable and as monstrous as their namesake. Only those who were cleared by the association were allowed to enter and defend against them, that being said, the association in their wisdom classed each fear-born.

Class F - Mutated
Class E - Shadeborn
Class D - Dreadstalker
Class C - Dominus
Class B - Blackwarden
Class A - Eclipse Regent
Class S - Void Paragon
Class SS - Mythshade
Class SSS - The Dread Ascendant (Singular)

Thus weapons such as daggers, swords, axes, arrows and such were created by awakened ones by using the cores found within the riffs created by the Umbrathal, these weapons sold for large sums of money which were coveted by the awakened. Associations started to gain traction, businesses hired the awakened to bring the cores from the Riffs to create said weapons or for other means that either helped the world or for their own personal gain.

The associations all bid and buy the rights to enter the riffs they were hoping for, each riff was ranked and entry was controlled by the Awakened Association. This was the new normal, humans can become an awakened at any time. Though most seek their fame and fortune through growing stronger in the gate just as many decided to be normal living their lives and just watching the awakened as they protect the world.

The new normal lasted for twelve years and while the peace of the world returned, the strongest awakened became the pillars of society and celebrities and gates became monopolized by companies seeking dominion