Ascension: Rebirth in a World of Powers-Chapter 34 - : The Gathering Storm Part 2

Eren stood atop the academy rooftop, staring at the rift in the sky. It hadn't disappeared, nor had it grown any larger, but its ominous presence loomed over the city like a harbinger of destruction. The air felt heavier, charged with energy that made the hair on his arms stand on end.

Kaelena stood beside him, arms crossed. "We need answers," she said. "That thing didn't just appear out of nowhere."

Elara nodded, her expression still pale from the shock. "I checked the archives. There's nothing in the academy's records about anything like this."

"That doesn't mean it hasn't happened before," Kain said grimly. His usual confidence was shaken, and that alone made Eren uneasy. "It just means the people who knew about it didn't want others to find out."

Eren clenched his fists. The Shard in his pocket pulsed again, almost like it was calling out to whatever lurked beyond that rift. Was this what it had been leading him toward all along?

"We don't have the luxury of waiting," he said. "If this thing is a threat, we need to prepare now."

Kaelena exhaled. "Then we need more than just ourselves. We need allies."

That was easier said than done. Darius's defeat had made waves through the academy, but many still feared the consequences of openly defying those in power. And now, with something unknown looming over them, fear was bound to spread.

Still, they had no choice.

—

The group spent the next day seeking out potential allies. Eren and Kaelena worked together, speaking with students who had been oppressed by Darius's reign, while Elara and Kain focused on the faculty, trying to gauge whether any of the academy's teachers knew more about the rift.

Not all were willing to listen. Some dismissed their concerns outright, unwilling to believe that the world was changing right in front of them. Others hesitated, bound by fear or uncertainty.

But they weren't alone.

By the end of the day, they had gathered a small force. Not an army, but a group of students and faculty who believed in the truth—that something was coming, and that they needed to be ready.

"We don't have much time," Eren said, addressing them in a secluded underground chamber. "The rift is still there. It hasn't expanded yet, but we can't assume it won't. We need to be prepared."

A murmur spread through the group. Some nodded in agreement, while others still wore doubt on their faces.

Kaelena stepped forward. "I know many of you are afraid. That's natural. But we can't let fear dictate our actions. If we do nothing, we'll be at the mercy of whatever comes through that rift."

Elara held up her notes. "We don't know if this is the first time something like this has happened, but we do know that the Shard reacted to it. That means it's connected. And if it's connected, then that means Eren might be the key to understanding it."

Eren felt the weight of those words settle on him, but he didn't deny them. He had felt the Shard's pull, had seen its energy flare in response to the rift. It wanted something from him.

The question was, what?

Kain cracked his knuckles. "Then let's stop talking about it and start figuring out how we fight."

—

Training resumed with new intensity.

Eren pushed himself harder than ever, trying to channel the Shard's power in a controlled manner. Kaelena worked on refining their strategy, knowing that brute force wouldn't be enough if whatever was beyond the rift came through.

Elara focused on gathering information, pouring over texts and speaking to anyone who might have knowledge about ancient magic or dimensional disturbances. She believed that the rift was more than just a tear in space—it was a bridge.

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But to where?

The days passed in a blur, tension mounting with each passing hour. And then, on the fifth night, the rift changed.

A pulse of energy rippled from it, visible even from the academy courtyard. The sky trembled, the air thick with an unnatural stillness. Eren, woken from his restless sleep, ran to the rooftop just in time to see the first shadowy figure step through the tear.

His blood ran cold.

It was humanoid, but wrong. Its body flickered like a dying flame, its eyes glowing with an eerie violet light. And it wasn't alone.

More figures emerged, stepping into their world.

The invasion had begun.