The coliseum slowly emptied after the last duel, the roar of the audience fading into distant echoes.The great arena that had felt like a living storm minutes ago now stood quiet, lit only by soft golden lamps that circled the walls. The surviving candidates remained on the arena floor, their bodies bruised, their uniforms torn, but every one of them stood tall. Their breaths came in slow waves as the dust settled around them.Oliver stood among them, his chest still sore from the final clash with Sol Dareth. His heartbeat had finally steadied, but his mind had not. Every moment of the duel replayed behind his eyes like a flickering memory, sharp and vivid. He felt both exhausted and sharp, like he was still halfway inside the battle.Iris stood near him, wiping sweat from her forehead with shaking hands. Her eyes were red from the stress of the day, but she managed a tired smile when Oliver looked at her. “We survived,” she whispered, breathless but relieved.“We did,” Oliver said

The southern defense perimeter stretched across the horizon like a scar made of steel and light. Tall watchtowers lined the edge of the territory, each pulsing with contained Rift energy. In the early morning haze, the air shimmered in distorted waves, the sign that a minor Rift outbreak had formed nearby.Oliver stood at the base of one tower, his armor sealed and his sigil band glowing with fresh System updates. His small team gathered around him. Iris tightened her gauntlets, her breathing steady but sharp. Rhea the medic checked her supplies twice, then once more. Two veteran Travelers waited behind them, silent but alert. Their presence alone carried weight. They were here to observe Oliver, though no one said it aloud.The mission briefing hovered in the air as a projected panel.[Objective: Contain and neutralize minor Rift outbreak. Estimated threat: Level C. Expected anomaly duration: 12 minutes.]Oliver nodded to his squad. “We move in together. Stay behind me until we u

The sirens began before dawn. Not the usual alarm chimes that signaled drills. Not the soft beeps of minor anomalies. These sirens were deep, metallic, and shaking, like the roar of a beast crawling through steel.Oliver Beckett sat upright in his barracks bed before he was fully awake. His System flared red across his vision.[Emergency alert.][Multiple Rift openings detected.][Traveler capital under siege.][Survival authorization granted.]The walls trembled as distant explosions ripped through the lower districts. The air vibrated with shockwaves. Students and recruits ran through the hallways in half-uniforms, grabbing weapons, shouting warnings that no one had time to hear.Iris burst into Oliver’s room before he finished putting on his gear. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear and adrenaline.“It’s happening,” she choked out. “This is not a test. This is real.”He grabbed her shoulder, steadying her. “Where is the strike team?”“Commander Rhoen is already outside,” s

The Traveler Citadel loomed at the heart of the capital like a fortress carved from the bones of mountains. Its silver towers reflected the patchy morning light, but even their shine could not hide the scars from yesterday’s war. Cracks ran along the walls. Burn marks streaked across the gates. The banners that once flew proudly now hung torn and smoke-stained.Oliver Beckett walked through the main entrance with Iris at his side. Both of them wore clean uniforms, but the exhaustion in their eyes betrayed the night they had spent helping rescue teams.The city outside still groaned with pain. Fires smoldered. Streets lay broken. Families searched for missing loved ones.But the Citadel was strangely quiet. That was how you knew something terrible was brewing.When the doors rose open, Oliver and Iris stepped into the great council chamber. Rows of massive stone seats curved in a circle around a central platform. Holographic screens floated above each seat, flickering with maps of R

For two weeks, the world tried to pretend it was breathing normally again. Meridian City rebuilt piece by piece. The smashed docks were cleared, the broken barrier nodes stacked in neat cages for replacement, and the burned streets washed clean by rain. Travelers patrolled the shore, boats moved through the harbor once more, and life returned to the markets and plazas.But the silence did not feel peaceful. It felt like the pause between lightning and thunder.Oliver felt it every morning when he opened his eyes. His muscles were still sore from the leviathan battles, but something inside him felt heavier than bruises. Every time he blinked, his System flashed faint static, like someone whispering through a broken speaker.On the tenth morning after the battle, his System sent a scrambled alert:[Admin Ping: Observer A – connection unstable]The message flickered before he could tap it.When he tried to open the log, the text dissolved into jagged symbols he could not read.He rubb