The first time Caleb saw the Rift up close, he thought it would be louder.
He expected chaos—roaring energy, shrieking monsters, maybe even thunder splitting the skies. But the massive, swirling scar in the earth's surface barely made a sound. Just a soft, pulsing hum, like the world was quietly holding its breath.
The Rift glowed faintly in the early morning haze. Red veins shimmered across its edges, flickering like dying embers. Deep within, shadowy movements stirred—too slow to be clearly seen, but too strange to be imagined.
Caleb stood behind a fence reinforced with layers of metal and energy seals. The field trip was an optional one. He'd signed up because Jian Mei had told him not to.
"Rookies don't get near the Rift until they can survive more than a day without tripping over their own shoes," she'd said.
That morning, Caleb had tied his boots extra tight.
Riley stood beside him, arms crossed, squinting at the Rift. "Looks smaller than I expected."
"Don't say that too loud," Caleb muttered. "It's probably insecure."
They were part of a small observation group—mostly Hero Union trainees, led by a Rank A scientist named Dr. Xu Ren. He was tall, stern, and wore goggles even though the sky was overcast. He'd been talking nonstop about Rift anomalies for ten minutes, but Caleb's attention kept drifting.
There was something about the Rift… something he couldn't place. A tugging. Like it knew he was there.
Like it was waiting.
"…and if you look closely," Dr. Xu said, gesturing to a floating display beside him, "you'll see fluctuation patterns along the east quadrant—exactly where last week's breach occurred."
"Wait," Caleb said. "You mean where the Riftspawn attacked that village?"
"Yes," Xu replied. "Twenty-seven casualties. Five heroes injured. One missing."
Everyone went quiet.
Riley elbowed Caleb lightly. "Bet you're regretting skipping breakfast now."
He wasn't. He was too focused on the Rift.
A voice, soft and distant, echoed in his mind.
Caleb…
He blinked.
"What?" he said aloud.
Riley looked at him. "What?"
"You just said my name."
"Nope."
Dr. Xu continued talking, pointing toward seismic readings. Caleb didn't hear him.
Caleb…
The voice wasn't threatening. It sounded almost familiar. But it was wrong—too smooth, too cold. He shook his head, trying to focus.
Riley was staring at him now. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost. Or, like, one of those Rift mutants with three faces."
"I'm fine," Caleb said, though he didn't believe it.
Come closer…
He took a step forward, gripping the fence. The hum of the Rift pulsed deeper, like it was syncing with his heartbeat.
Then it stopped.
The Rift stilled.
For a brief, breathless second, everything fell silent—no hum, no wind, no voices.
Then—
The ground trembled.
"Step back!" Dr. Xu shouted. "Everyone back!"
The Rift cracked along its edge. Not a breach, not yet—but something had noticed them.
Caleb stumbled away, heart hammering.
The voice was gone.
So was the stillness.
But a feeling lingered, like fingers brushing the edge of his thoughts.
Someone—or something—inside the Rift had whispered his name.