Nathan adjusted his stance, blade angled low like he was trying to bait rlin into a counter. He’d been watching too much of the academy’s training matches, rlin could see it in the way his weight sat wrong on his back foot.
rlin shifted his grip, letting his sword’s tip lower just enough to make Nathan think he’d seen an opening.
Nathan went for it imdiately, stepping in fast.
Too fast for him.
rlin stepped to the side, hooked Nathan’s blade with his own, and spun him halfway around before giving him a light shove in the back. Nathan stumbled forward three paces and caught himself, groaning.
"Damn it," Nathan muttered, rubbing his shoulder. "Thought I had you."
"You thought wrong," rlin said, voice even.
[Status Update: Energy Differential – 849% Advantage Over Target]
[Projected Outco in Direct Engagent: Target Defeat in ≤ 9 sec]
’Nine seconds now. He’s getting a little better. Still nowhere close.’
Nathan ca back to stand in front of him, sweat dripping from his hairline. "Alright, again. This ti I—"
rlin’s eyes drifted past him.
Across the training yard, between two buildings, a figure leaned against the wall like he’d been there all afternoon. White hair catching just enough light to make him stand out.
’You again.’
The man wasn’t watching Nathan. Wasn’t watching the match. His gaze was fixed solely on rlin, calm, steady, like he had all the ti in the world.
rlin didn’t look at him for long. Just enough to confirm he wasn’t imagining it. Then he refocused on Nathan, who was oblivious.
"You ready or what?" Nathan asked.
"Yeah." rlin took position again.
Nathan lunged, faster this ti, but rlin didn’t have to think. He sidestepped, caught Nathan’s wrist, and twisted the sword free in one smooth motion. The blade clattered against the grass.
Nathan groaned loudly, collapsing to one knee. "You’re—ugh—ridiculous."
rlin handed him back the sword hilt-first. "Your grip’s too loose on the follow-through."
Nathan took it, glaring. "What’s the point of telling if you’re just gonna exploit it anyway?"
"That’s the point," rlin said simply. "You fix it or lose again."
[Training Progress: 0.04%]
[Opponent Combat Efficiency: 17%]
[Your Combat Efficiency: 100%]
’If I hold back too much, he’ll notice. But if I keep this pace, he’ll never close the gap.’
Nathan took another drink from his flask and shook his head. "Alright. Two more rounds and I’m done."
rlin nodded, though his thoughts were already elsewhere.
When Nathan moved to reset his stance, rlin let his gaze flick to the alley again.
Empty.
’Figures. He never stays long enough for to say anything.’
They went two more rounds, Nathan lost both. The sun was dipping low by the ti they finally stopped. Nathan was bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
rlin was still standing straight, barely winded.
"You... suck," Nathan panted.
"Drink so water," rlin replied.
Nathan drained the last of his flask, then straightened. "You heading back?"
"In a bit," rlin said.
Nathan gave him a tired nod and started toward the apartnt. rlin waited until he was out of sight before turning his eyes to the rooftops.
No movent. No sound. Just the city going about its day.
Still, the feeling lingered.
The system pinged.
[Tracking Notice: Observer – Present within 300m radius]
[Threat Assessnt: Unknown]
[Recomndation: Maintain readiness]
’No need to tell twice.’
rlin sheathed his sword and finally turned toward ho. The gate was less than a day from opening again, and if the boss-class was half as bad as the system projected, Nathan wouldn’t be anywhere near that fight.
—
When they got back to the apartnt, Elara was already there, leaning against the kitchen counter.
"You’re late," she said.
"We were training," Nathan answered for both of them, dropping his bag.
Elara looked rlin over. "You don’t look like you trained at all."
rlin just shrugged. "Guess I’m in better shape."
Nathan groaned and stomped off to his room, muttering about unfair genetics. Elara gave rlin a long look, like she wanted to say more, then turned back to the stove.
He didn’t linger. He went straight to his room, closed the door, and opened the system interface again.
[Gate Breach Forecast: 23:58:12]
[Boss-Class Entity: Unidentified]
[Recomnded Strategy: Isolate target – avoid collateral damage]
’Tomorrow, then.’
He shut it down, leaned back against the wall, and let the city noise outside drift in through the window.
Sowhere out there, the white-haired man was watching.
—
The next morning ca with no fanfare. Just the dull gray light slipping through the blinds and the faint sound of Nathan clattering around in the kitchen.
rlin swung his legs out of bed and checked the system.
[Gate Breach Forecast: 08:00:03]
[Ti Remaining: 07:59:59]
[Boss-Class Entity: Estimated Combat Rating –10 Star]
[Projected Civilian Casualties Without Intervention: 4,317]
’So much for a quiet day.’
He got dressed and stepped out to find Nathan halfway through a plate of eggs. Elara was leaning against the counter again, scrolling through her tablet like she didn’t notice him.
"You’re up late," Nathan said through a mouthful.
rlin didn’t answer right away, just poured himself so coffee. "Didn’t sleep much."
Nathan eyed him but didn’t push. "You wanna hit the training yard again? I think I’m getting closer."
rlin sipped his coffee. "Closer to losing slower, maybe."
Nathan groaned. "You’re a terrible motivator."
rlin almost smiled but let it fade. The system pinged again.
[Recomndation: Begin pre-deploynt preparation – estimated arrival zone located within 12km radius]
’Great. Smack in our backyard.’
The hours ticked by faster than they should have. Nathan eventually left to run errands with Elara, leaving rlin alone. He used the quiet to check his gear, blades, potions, spare rations, mana reserves.
By the ti the clock showed one hour left, the city outside was still laughing and talking like nothing was coming.
[Warning: Spatial distortion detected – 59:12 remaining]
rlin stood on the balcony, watching the skyline. That’s when the faint shimr appeared in the distance, like heat rising off asphalt.
’There it is.’
He didn’t need the system to tell him that’s where the gate would tear open. The air itself felt wrong.
Eight hours was the estimate. Now it was less than one.
—
rlin stayed on the balcony, eyes fixed on that faint shimr in the distance. The city didn’t notice. The noise of traffic and chatter below kept rolling like nothing had changed.
[Spatial Distortion Intensity: 14% and rising]
[Estimated Gate Stability Threshold: 00:52:44]
’Less than an hour. Too soon for civilians to start panicking... if they even notice.’
He took a slow breath, letting the cold air fill his lungs. His mind was already running through approach angles, possible choke points, evacuation paths. Nathan wouldn’t be there, couldn’t be there. It wasn’t even a question.
A door clicked behind him. He didn’t turn imdiately.
"Hey," Nathan’s voice carried out onto the balcony. "You’re still staring at that?"
rlin gave the faintest nod. "Just thinking."
"About what?"
"About how bad today’s going to get," rlin said, setting his coffee down on the railing.
Nathan frowned. "You’ve been... off all morning."
rlin shrugged, keeping his eyes forward. "Guess I’m in one of those moods."
[Observer – Present within 500m radius]
[Location: Elevated position, 147m NE]
[Line of Sight: Partial]
’So he’s here again. Of course.’
Nathan leaned against the railing beside him. "You know... if there’s sothing big happening, you could at least tell . We’re supposed to watch each other’s backs."
rlin glanced at him then, eting his eyes for just long enough to sell the lie. "Nothing’s happening."
Nathan stared a beat longer, then sighed. "Fine. But if sothing does go down, you’d better not leave out of it."
rlin didn’t answer. Just turned back toward the skyline.
[Ti Remaining: 00:49:32]
[Projected Civilian Casualties Without Preemptive Action: 5,012]
’Fifty minutes. Guess I should get moving.’
He pushed off the railing. "Don’t wait up."
Nathan frowned. "Where are you—"
"Just need so air," rlin cut him off, already moving inside.
He went straight for his gear bag. Sword. Blades. Potions. Cloak. Everything in place. The system fed him updates with every step toward the door.
[Gate Distortion Intensity: 21%]
[Entity Energy Signature: Stabilizing]
’Looks like it’s going to be one of those days.’
—
rlin tightened the last strap on his chest guard and slung the cloak over his shoulder.
The system’s ping followed him like a shadow.
[Gate Distortion Intensity: 24%]
[Ti Remaining: 00:43:11]
He stepped out of his room and into the hallway. Nathan’s voice floated faintly from the kitchen, but rlin didn’t slow down. By the ti Nathan peeked around the corner, rlin was already sliding his boots on.
"Seriously, where are you going?" Nathan asked.
rlin kept his answer short. "Nowhere far."
Nathan didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push either. The front door shut with a soft click behind rlin, and the cool air hit him like a reset.
—
The streets were the sa as always, vendors calling out prices, a group of kids weaving between pedestrians, the clatter of a cart rolling over uneven stone.
’If they knew what was about to open up a few blocks from here... half of them would be gone already.’
The system map lit up in his vision, marking the distortion’s epicenter in a pulsing red.
He cut through an alley, then another, avoiding the main street. The crowd noise dulled with every turn until it was just him and the low hum of the distortion ahead.
—
The shimr was more visible here, bleeding into the air like oil on water. No one else seed to notice, either it was invisible to them, or they just weren’t looking in the right way.
rlin reached up, adjusted his grip on the hilt at his hip.
[Gate Distortion Intensity: 31%]
[Ti Remaining: 00:36:57]
’Thirty-six minutes... which ans it’ll probably open in twenty.’
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