Chapter 13: The Threshold of the Heart
Ryo Aelren's hand trembled as he held the cracked mana crystal, its faint rune-like glow pulsing in the dim light of his inn room. The System's chime still echoed: Memory Fragment Analysis. Progress: 9/10. The whisper—Claim the heart—was no longer a suggestion but a demand, resonating with the hum of the Rift's violet glow beyond his window. Twelve silvers clinked in his pouch, his steel short sword gleamed on the table, but the Memory Fragment consumed his thoughts. One more step, and the truth of the Rift might be his.
His Status Screen glowed in his mind, a testament to his growth:
*Name: Ryo Aelren
Level: 1
Class: None
Stats:
Strength: 4
Agility: 6 (+15% in combat, Survival Instinct)
Endurance: 5
Mana: 0
Skills:
Survival Instinct (Passive): Boosts agility by 10-15% when threatened.
Basic Strike (Active): Increases single-target attack damage by 6%.
Danger Sense (Passive): Heightens awareness of imminent threats.
Weak Point Strike (Active): Increases damage to vital areas by 11%.
Rift Sense (Passive): Detects Rift-based anomalies.
Experience: 190/200
Memory Fragments: 9/10*
Level 1: 190/200. One more fight could push him to Level 2, but the Memory Fragment—so close to completion—felt more urgent. Veyra's words, The Rift remembers, and the guild's growing scrutiny weighed on him. Gav's threats lingered, and Calen's warnings about the guild's upper ranks rang true. Ryo was no longer a porter, but he was still a speck in Varnholt's dangerous world.
A sharp knock at the door jolted him. Danger Sense flared, faint but insistent. Ryo grabbed his sword, his voice low. "Who's there?"
"It's me," Calen's voice replied, tense. "Open up, now."
Ryo cracked the door, revealing Calen's scarred face, his eyes darting. The swordsman slipped inside, closing the door quickly. "Trouble," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Gav's stirring the pot. Told the guild you're 'unnatural'—linked to the Rift surges. They're watching you, Ryo. Closely."
Ryo's stomach twisted. "Gav's got no proof."
"Doesn't need it," Calen said. "The guild's paranoid. Rift branches are collapsing, and they're blaming anyone who stands out. Your calls on the runes, the obelisk, the dais—they're too good. I've got a mission to keep you out of their sights. Rank B, deep Rift dive. Forty silvers. You in?"
Ryo's Rift Sense hummed, drawn to the Rift's call. The Memory Fragment whispered: Claim the heart. The mission was a risk, but staying in Varnholt with Gav and the guild circling was worse. "I'm in," he said. "When?"
"Midnight," Calen said. "Rift Gate. Mira, Brom, Elara, and you. Pack light, move quiet. And Ryo—don't trust anyone outside our team."
Calen left, and Ryo prepared. His leather cuirass was snug, his steel sword sharp. He spent a silver on a small dagger for backup, tucking it into his belt. The mana crystal went into his pouch, its pulse a constant reminder of the Memory Fragment. Sleep was impossible; the whisper grew louder, and Rift Sense buzzed with anticipation.
At midnight, Ryo reached the Rift Gate, the air cold and still. Calen's team waited, their faces grim. Mira's bow was strung, Brom's satchel heavy, and Elara's staff glowed faintly. Calen gave a nod. "This branch is deep—old ruins, high mana. Objective: find the core, neutralize it. Expect Rank A threats."
Elara's eyes flicked to Ryo. "You're quiet, but you're the one spotting runes. Don't choke."
Ryo ignored her, his Rift Sense already stirring. The portal opened, and they stepped into a Rift branch of dark stone and glowing fog. The ruins were vast—crumbling arches, rune-covered pillars, and a central ziggurat pulsing with mana. Rift Sense screamed, and the whisper roared: The heart is here.
They moved silently, Danger Sense on edge. The ziggurat loomed, its runes brighter than any Ryo had seen. Shadows flickered—Riftspawn, but different, their forms humanoid with crystalline limbs. Rift Sense identified them: Crystal Sentinels, Rank A. The team froze, but the sentinels hadn't noticed them yet.
"Stealth," Calen whispered. "Get to the ziggurat's core. Avoid fighting if we can."
They crept forward, Ryo's Rift Sense guiding them past mana traps. The ziggurat's entrance was unguarded, but inside, the air was thick with mana. A spiral stair led down, runes pulsing on every step. At the bottom, a chamber glowed, its center dominated by a massive rune-covered crystal—the core. The whisper thundered: Claim the heart.
Before they could approach, Danger Sense screamed. A sentinel appeared, its crystal blade swinging. Calen parried, but the force sent him skidding. Mira's arrows bounced off, and Elara's fire barely scorched it. Brom's ward cracked under a single blow. Ryo's Survival Instinct kicked in, boosting his agility. He dodged a strike, Weak Point Strike targeting the sentinel's crystal joint. The steel sword cracked it, slowing the creature.
Experience gained. Level 1: 195/200.
"Ryo, the core!" Calen shouted, grappling the sentinel. "Shut it down!"
Ryo sprinted to the crystal, Rift Sense locking onto a central rune. He struck with Weak Point Strike, the blade shattering it. The core dimmed, and the sentinel staggered. Elara's spell finished it, and the chamber quieted.
Experience gained. Level Up! Level 2 Achieved. Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1. Memory Fragment Progress: 10/10. Memory Fragment Complete. Unlocking: Rift Memory.
The System's chime was drowned by a surge of energy. Ryo's vision blurred, and the whisper became a voice—ancient, resonant: You have claimed the heart. The forgotten awaken. Images flooded his mind: a civilization older than the Rift, rune-covered cities, a cataclysm that birthed the System. The Rift Memory revealed a truth—the System મ
System: * Today's date and time is 08:13 AM EEST on Monday, May 19, 2025.