The moment Kael stepped through the portal, everything changed.
The air felt alive, thicker, charged with a strange energy. A deep scent like storm-drenched stone and wild earth filled his lungs. Light filtered down through drifting clouds that pulsed faintly with color, violet, gold, and silver, shifting with each breath.
They stood on a winding metal walkway, suspended between cliffs that overlooked an alien forest glowing from within. In the distance, islands floated lazily in the sky, and colossal beasts moved like living mountains between silver rivers.
"Welcome to Shelter Nine," Aria said beside him, her voice low, almost reverent.
Kael stared.
Carved into the cliffside ahead was a massive steel gate, reinforced and humming with energy. Guards in full military gear stood at either side, scanning arrivals. Beyond the gate, Kael could see lights, buildings, walkways, markets. A city hidden inside the wild.
"A real shelter…" he whispered.
Aria nodded. "There are more. Dozens, maybe hundreds, scattered across the Riftspire. Some are abandoned. Some controlled by guilds or rogue factions. But the official shelters, like this one are run by the Unified Command."
Kael followed her inside.
The interior was like a fortress mixed with a research base and a frontier town. Traders moved crates of beast parts. Researchers scanned strange flora. Weapon forgers shouted prices. Holograms blinked from information kiosks, listing beast bounties and travel alerts.
Kael's eyes widened at the sight of a massive, circular structure in the center, a Warp Hall, glowing with faint blue runes.
"That building," he asked. "What is it?"
"Exit Hub," Aria said. "It's one of the ways people leave the Riftspire. Each shelter connects to specific locations across the galaxy, some known, some not. The connections shift. That's why these shelters are so important. They're more than safe zones, they're the key to everything."
Kael nodded slowly. This place wasn't just a haven, it was a gateway.
And yet… even here, deep beneath reinforced walls, he could feel it.
The Spiral inside him stirred.
Not with fear.
With recognition.
A few minutes later, they reached a secure residential wing. Aria led him to a private room, small but warm. The walls were metallic, but the bed was soft and the light gentle.
"You'll be safe here for now," she said. "Rest. Recover. We'll look into getting you registered for a permit to stay and move inside the Rift."
Kael hesitated. "Why are you helping me?"
She shrugged. "Maybe I'm curious. Maybe I saw something in you I wasn't supposed to."
Her gaze lingered a second too long, then she turned to leave.
As the door shut behind her, Kael sank onto the bed and exhaled.
This place felt… real. Alive.
Like a world where he could finally grow.
He looked down at his wristband.
A new notification blinked:
> Spiral: Syncing with Riftspire…
> Core Signature: Reawakening (Stabilizing)
Kael blinked.
Even the Riftspire was reacting to him.
His journey had just begun and this shelter, this gate, was only the first step.
But already… he wasn't the same Kael who came through the portal.
Not anymore.
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End of Chapter 13 of volume 2