Asher stepped out of the Rift and was swallowed by the frigid night air.
The contrast between the cave's unnatural darkness and the neon-flecked cityscape was disorienting. His pulse was still racing and his body tense from his fight with the hooded stranger.
The Rift behind him flickered and blinked for a moment before imploding, disappearing without a trace.
It was done.
And still, Asher sensed that something had come out with him.
A presence. An accreting weight on his soul.
"You're not ready… but you'll be back."
Whispers from the past still rang in his mind.
But there was no time to focus on that.
Because trouble was waiting for him at the exit…
The instant his boots hit the pavement, three armored figures strode forward.
They were dressed in black combat gear worn by Guild Enforcers—an elite security division dedicated to dealing with rogue awakeners.
And they were here for him.
"Hoxton," the man in the center said, his tone flat and cold. "You've been summoned."
Asher sighed. "That was fast."
"You were detected entering an unauthorized Rift," the man continued. You will do as we say, or we will use force.
Asher raised an eyebrow. "You're talking as if I'm a criminal."
"You have been previously tagged as a possible unstable entity following your latest incident with a Rift."
Asher tensed.
Unstable entity?
They no longer just suspected him.
They knew.
He could fight. Take them down and disappear.
But that wouldn't help his problem.
So instead, he smirked. "Alright. Let's go meet your boss."
The first Enforcer gave a brief nod, gesturing for him to follow.
Asher sighed, walking with his hands in his jacket pockets.
Felt like this was about to get very interesting.
The Guild's Headquarters, From the Inside
This fortress was in fact the main headquarters of the Hunter's Guild.
The skyscraper stood in the center of town; high above the neighboring structures, its steel and glass exuded authority.
The Enforcers led Asher through multiple security measures, bypassing armed guards and scanners.
They weren't about to take any chances with him.
At last, they came to a huge elevator that took them to the top floor.
With a gentle chiming, the doors slid open to reveal a high-tech command center, all floating screens, holographic maps, and projections of data.
And in the center waiting for him…
Was Seraphine.
Seraphine stood with her arms crossed, sharp violet eyes raking over Asher as he stepped inside.
She didn't look pleased.
"It's Asher Vale," she said dispassionately. "You really don't know how to stay out of trouble, do you?"
Asher smirked. "Well, I like to keep it spicy."
With a wave of her hand they were gone, the Enforcers merely a figment of the imagination. The guards departed without saying a word and they were on their own.
"Do you know what you just did? she asked.
Asher stood leaning against a nearby console. "Went for a walk?"
Seraphine shot him a glare. "You walked into a forbidden Rift. Sealed for good reason."
Asher shrugged. "And yet, I walked out just fine."
Seraphine didn't look amused. "Barely. And please don't act like you're not aware of where we're worried."
She moved a step closer, lowering her voice.
"You're not normal anymore, Asher."
Asher's smirk faded.
Seraphine knew.
She had felt the difference in him.
"You returned … different," she said. "And the Guild has noticed."
Asher exhaled. "So what happens now? Are you locking me up?"
There was something unreadable in Seraphine's eyes.
"No," she said. "Not yet."
Asher raised an eyebrow. "Not yet?"
She hesitated. "Someone wants to meet you."
Before Asher could ask more, the door behind her slid open.
And a man he had never known walked into the room.
But the instant Asher saw him, he knew.
This wasn't any old Guild official.
This man was dangerous.
The newcomer was tall and broad-shouldered, imposing. His expression was unreadable, his coat a sleek black.
His hair was silver, pulled back in a neat knot, and his pale blue eyes fixed on Asher the moment he walked in.
"Asher Vale," the man said in an easy voice. "We finally meet."
Asher eyeed him, his instincts running amok. "And you are?"
The man smiled slightly.
"Valen Drake. Guild and the head of the Hunter's Guild's Special Division.
Asher did not know what the title meant. But the weight behind it did.
This man didn't just occupy a high position.
He was a person who worked with people like Asher.
"You've been making quite a scene," Valen said. "Collapsing Rifts. Surfacing you shouldn't."
He stepped closer.
"And now … you've been branded."
Asher's fingers twitched a little, but he stayed neutral of face.
"So what?"
Valen chuckled. "So… the Guild is curious."
He halted mere feet from Asher.
"There are things in this world, Vale. Things long predating the Guild. Far more dangerous."
His blue eyes gleamed.
"And perhaps you are precisely that person who can unlock them."
Asher exhaled. "And let me guess. You want me to work for you."
Valen's smile didn't waver. "I want you to survive. 'Because right now, the people who know what you are?
His expression darkened.
"They want you dead."
Silence filled the room.
Asher maintained Valen's eye, his thinking spinning.
This was no longer simply about the Guild.
The Rift had altered him — and now people like Valen sought to weaponize him.
But that also meant something else.
People want dead, which meant that he is there near to something very big.
Something they did not want him to discover."
He smirked.
"Well," Asher said. "That sounds like fun."
Valen chuckled. "Good. Now let's discuss your first mission."
Asher exhaled. Complications were about to grow exponentially.
But if that was the road that unraveled him to the truth …