Instructor Varas continued, voice steady but growing firm. "C-rank Rifts hold Rift Guardians, intelligent, evolving monsters. A single misstep, and even a trained team could vanish inside."
He paused before shifting the display again. The energy turned violent, crimson streaks lashing out. "B-rank Rifts contain beings that think, plan, and command. These monsters often cross over into our world if not contained quickly. Only elite teams can face them."
Then the light dimmed, showing nothing but darkness, swirling, endless.
"A-rank and above are called Abyssal Rifts. They hold entire domains, fragments of worlds, and sometimes entities that used to be gods. None have been successfully conquered in centuries."
Silence hung heavy.
Varas clasped his hands behind his back. "Now, the S-rank Rifts, those are myths to most of you. They were presumed to be the cause of the Shattering itself. And were said to be connected directly to the divine realms. Even I've only seen records of their existence."
Lucien listened carefully, each word adding a new piece to the puzzle in his mind. The Rift that consumed his town was likely unstable, perhaps a low D or C rank that broke containment due to neglect. The lack of manpower. The constant instability. It made sense now.
As if reading his thoughts, Varas spoke again. "You've probably heard of Rift breakages. When a Rift remains unchallenged for too long, its internal energy builds until it bursts outward. Monsters pour through, destroying everything in reach. This is why Riftwalkers exist, to balance, to stabilize, to prevent another Shattering."
Lucien's jaw tightened. The image of his town came to mind once again, the screams, the light, his sister's fading warmth. He clenched his fists under the desk. If his town had trained Riftwalkers then, maybe it wouldn't have happened.
Varas turned, sweeping his gaze across the room. "The academy's role is simple, to prepare you. Each of you is a potential Riftwalker, a guardian of balance between realms. You are the barrier that stands before chaos."
One student raised a hand. "Sir, are the Rifts appearing more often now?"
"Yes," Varas said without hesitation. "They're not just appearing more often, they're spreading. Zones once considered safe are seeing new tears. Reports from Valoria and even parts of Sylvaris confirm that planar anomalies are rising. The world is shifting again, and we must be ready."
He paused for a moment, letting the gravity sink in. Then his tone lightened slightly. "But enough grim talk. Let's make this useful."
He tapped his wristband, and the projection changed to a list of items, glowing stones, fragments, and intricate relics.
"From every Rift comes opportunity. The parts of rift beasts, especially their cores, their essence, and the relics lying untouched, all serve as resources. A Riftwalker can grow not just through combat but through understanding what the Rift leaves behind. Cores refine Aether for cultivation, Beast parts become crafting material, and ancient relics grant power beyond comprehension."
The hall buzzed again with quiet murmurs.
Lucien leaned forward, his curiosity sharpening. "Instructor," he asked, "what happens if a Rift's energy is left alone after a breakage?"
Varas gave him a brief glance, impressed by the question. "It mutates. The longer residual energy remains unpurified, the more it corrupts the land, twisting both plants and beasts. That's how you get Rift mutations. Entire regions become uninhabitable."
Lucien nodded slowly. That explained the warped forests near Veyren, the strange beasts that appeared after the attack.
Cael whispered beside him, "You really do listen, huh?"
Lucien smiled faintly. "Some lessons are worth remembering."
Varas clapped his hands once, the light projection fading. "Now that you all have a basic grasp of the theory, we'll move to the practical side. Tomorrow, we'll be heading out for your first Rift observation. It'll be an E-rank. nothing too dangerous, but enough for you to get a taste of the real world."
Excitement and nervous chatter rippled through the class.
"Prepare your gear," Varas continued. "Rest well. Once you step inside, there will be no room for mistakes. Dismissed."
Students began to rise, the hall filling with the sound of scraping chairs and murmured discussions.
Lucien stood quietly, mind still processing everything. He was finally having a clearer view of how the world worked, how fragile balance really was. The academy wasn't just another place of learning. It was a wall built against oblivion, and he was now part of that wall.
Cael nudged him. "Guess tomorrow's the real test, huh?"
Lucien gave a half-smile. "Guess so. Let's make sure we prepare, so we come back in one piece."
As they left the hall, the echo of Instructor Varas's words stayed with him. You are the barrier that stands before chaos.
For Lucien, that wasn't just a duty, it was a promise to himself.
The class buzzed with excitement long after the instructor's announcement. Even before everyone had stepped out of the hall, whispers spread like wildfire. Their first Rift exploration, it was all anyone could talk about.
Some students looked thrilled, others visibly nervous. A few tried to hide their fear behind laughter, pretending to be confident. But for most, it was the same mix of excitement and unease that came with stepping into the unknown.
Lucien and Cael walked side by side through the long corridor leading to the dorm quarters. The hallways were alive with chatter, groups gathered in corners, debating the kind of Rift they'd be sent to and the kind of beasts they might face.
"It's going to be a E ranked Rift," Cael said, stretching his arms behind his head as they walked. "So we should be able to cope if we're lucky. I just hope we don't get to witness any Rift accidents."
Lucien chuckled softly. "I doubt the academy will throw us into anything that'd be too dangerous. They'd rather we learn the basis of survival first before trying to look heroic."
"True," Cael said with a tired smile. "Still, it feels surreal. First Rift, real rift beast… I've been waiting for this moment since I awakened."
Lucien nodded, but his thoughts were elsewhere. For him, rifts weren't something new. He had seen what happened when they broke, the chaos, the beast spilling into town, the smell of smoke and blood. He had lived it. But going into one before it broke… that was different.