Kael Veyra stood atop the observation deck ofVetra Prime, the world’s golden horizon stretching endlessly before him. The towering spires of the capital gleamed under the embrace of a warm, celestial sun. Below, the city thrummed with life—a symphony of progress and ambition. The distant murmur of bustling markets intertwined with the hum of sleek, skybound transports cutting through the air, their shimmering trails painting fleeting arcs in the azure sky. It was perfect.


    Too perfect.


    Kael felt like an outsider in his own memory, an uninvited specter observing the echoes of a time that had long since slipped away. He turned his gaze to the far end of the skyline, drawn inexorably to theNexus Corporation’s headquarters. A monolithic masterpiece of glass and steel, its surface shimmered with pulsating energy conduits—a stark contrast to the soft elegance of the surrounding cityscape. At its heart lay humanity’s greatest ambition, theRift Engine prototype, concealed within layers of security and secrecy. A beacon of progress. A herald of destruction.


    A shadow fell across the memory, pulling him from its fleeting serenity.


    The golden sky dimmed as if an unseen hand snuffed out the light. Kael turned back toward the city, and the world he once knew had vanished. The warm hues of life were replaced with desolation. The spires that had touched the heavens now stood as skeletal remnants, broken and twisted. Ash-gray clouds smothered the horizon, and the air was heavy with silence, oppressive and absolute.


    Beneath him, the ground trembled, fracturing into floating shards that spun aimlessly in theVoidstream’s boundless expanse. Around him, fragments of people flickered into view—scientists, citizens, soldiers—their forms distorted, flickering like static on a broken screen. They screamed silently, their faces frozen in despair, trapped in endless loops of their final moments. Kael’s heart clenched at their agony, but he couldn’t reach them. Couldn’t save them.


    He tried to run, but the world twisted again, pulling him deeper into the memory.


    The sterile chill of aNexus laboratoryengulfed him, its walls gleaming with metallic precision. The sharp hum of machinery buzzed in his ears, interspersed with frantic shouts and the distant, ominous wail of alarms. Before him stood theRift Engine, pristine and whole—a monolith of humanity’s hubris. Energy surged through its conduits, casting flickering shadows across the room as scientists moved frantically around it. Their voices overlapped in a cacophony of panic, their faces pale with the weight of impending catastrophe.


    In the chaos, Kael’s eyes locked on a figure at the central console—Dr. Alric Soluun. Sweat glistened on the scientist’s brow, his trembling hands racing over the controls with a desperate urgency. His voice cut through the din, sharp and commanding, yet lined with despair.


    “It’s not stable!” a voice cried from across the room.


    Dr. Soluun didn’t flinch, his voice steely with resolve. “We have no choice! Activate it—now!”


    The air erupted with blinding light. Kael shielded his eyes as the room around him fractured into shards of glass, each fragment reflecting distorted pieces of what had once been reality. The sound of the Rift tearing through existence—a low, guttural roar—echoed in his chest as the scene splintered into oblivion.


    He was falling.


    Adrift in theVoidstream, Kael floated, his limbs weightless against the swirling torrents of light and shadow. Fractured timelines spun like cyclones around him, each pulling at his consciousness, each threatening to drag him into its depths.


    In one shard of time, he saw himself as a young man, standing atop a bridge beneath a golden sky. Beside him stood his sister, her laughter carried by the wind as they leaned over the edge, her hand brushing against his arm. He reached for her, but the shard shattered, scattering her laughter into the void.


    Another fragment consumed him—a vision ofSoryn Arcrest, her expression hardened with determination as she fought off faceless enemies. The light of herLumina Edgereflected in her fierce golden eyes, and for a moment, Kael felt the weight of her resolve like an anchor in the chaos.


    In the final shard, he sawOracle. Their crystalline form flickered, their voice warped and distorted as they called out to him, the words a desperate warning.


    “Don’t let it happen again.”