Part 1.
The Rift pulsed faintly in front of them — A crack in Reality
This one felt quiet. Almost calm. But Alan knew better. The still ones were the ones that watched you back.
He stood with his arms folded, eyes locked on the Rift . Just behind him, Levi came and asked
"You think this one'll explode right away, or wait until we're inside to get interesting?" Levi asked casually.
Alan didn't look at him. "Hopefully after. I didn't eat lunch."
Levi laughed. "Man, I love how confident you are even when we're underqualified and underpaid."
"You're underqualified," Alan wanted to say, but didn't.
Instead, he just watched the Rift hum and spiral, his senses focused. Behind them, footsteps crunched on the dry soil.
"Hey, guys!"
Reika's voice was light — cheerful, even — but her pace was quick as she approached, snapping the band on her wrist shut with a soft click. Her purple hair was tied into a loose ponytail, and her uniform looked like she'd actually ironed it.
Levi turned and grinned. "Reikaaaa! You're late."
"I had to recalibrate my Rift Band. It wouldn't sync to local readings."
Alan glanced at her. "Did you get it fixed?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Finally."
"Good," he said simply.
Levi mock-gasped. "Wait, is this your first Rift?"
Reika blinked. "Yeah… it is. First real one, I mean."
He gave her an exaggerated look of panic. "Oh no. You're gonna die."
Reika raised an eyebrow. "You're not very reassuring."
Alan smirked faintly. "He does this to everyone."
Levi threw a hand over his chest. "I'm serious. First Rifts are like first dates. Terrifying. Awkward. And usually end in blood."
Reika gave him a blank stare. "You okay, Levi?"
Alan stepped forward and glanced at her. "You nervous?"
She hesitated — then smiled.
"...Yeah. I am. But you two are here. So I think I'll be fine."
For a second, Alan didn't respond. Then he nodded once, satisfied.
"Come on," he said, gesturing to the side of the Rift clearing. "Let's introduce you to the others."
A few meters away, near a flickering campfire, four other figures were seated — laughing, eating, and looking way too casual for people about to enter a Rift.
Levi exhaled loudly as they walked over.
"Ah yes. The rest of the backup squad. Our fate is in their hands. We're so dead."
Part 2
The trio walked across the clearing, the campfire casting warm flickers of light on the forest floor.
Four Riftwalkers were gathered in a loose circle, talking casually and eating like they weren't about to enter a Rift in twenty minutes. One of them — a tall guy with spiky black hair and a half-finished bag of crisps — stood up when he saw them.
"Finally," he said, grinning, "Thought you two got sucked into the Rift already."
Levi laughed. "Almost. Alan wouldn't stop staring into it like it owed him money."
Alan shrugged. "I was waiting for it to blink first."
The guy chuckled and bumped fists with Levi, then Alan. "Still weird seeing you two outside of mission logs."
Then he looked at Reika.
"And this is...?"
Alan tilted his head toward her. "Reika Hinokami. Rank VI. New recruit. First Rift."
Reika gave a polite bow. "Nice to meet you."
The guy wiped crisp dust on his jacket and offered a hand. "Jung Ryden. Most people just call me Ryden. Squad lead — but only on paper."
She shook his hand.
Ryden turned and motioned to the others seated around the fire. "And this lovely bunch is our team."
A boy with short brown hair and a charred staff resting against his shoulder stood up first.
"Min Jae-won. Fire user," he said casually. "Long-range, ranged spells only. I don't do punching."
Next to him, a guy with sleepy eyes and a relaxed posture gave a wave without standing.
"Seo Dae-hyun. Speed and healing aura. I try to keep people alive. No promises."
Reika smiled nervously. "I appreciate the effort."
The last to stand was a girl wearing reinforced gloves with metal knuckles. Her stance was confident — and slightly intimidating.
"Park Rin-ah," she said. "Super strength. I punch things until they stop moving."
Then she tilted her head and looked Reika up and down.
"You?"
Reika hesitated just a second, then answered. "Fire-type."
Rin-ah smirked. "Nice. Fire girls are always fun."
"Is that a compliment or a warning?" Reika asked.
"Both," Rin-ah said, already sitting back down.
Alan sat on a bench nearby and sighed. "This feels like the start of a reality show."
Levi flopped down next to him. "You mean the kind where everyone dies by episode five?"
"Exactly."
Reika sat down between them, still smiling faintly. The others circled back around the fire. Sparks popped into the air. The Rift, just a few meters away, continued to swirl quietly — waiting.
Part 3
The fire crackled softly, casting faint shadows across their faces.
Reika sat between Alan and Levi, quietly glancing at the glowing band on her wrist — smooth silver with a thin orange light pulsing across its surface.
"…So how exactly do these Riftbands work?" she asked, turning her wrist slightly. "They track everything, right?"
Levi leaned back on the bench and kicked a small stone toward the fire. "Pretty much. The Riftbands log your progress, aura usage, and performance. They sync to your resonance levels and track how close you are to a class upgrade."
Reika blinked. "So they actually measure how strong you're becoming?"
"Yup. And they report it straight to the RWO. Which is great if you're leveling up… or terrible if you're slacking off."
Reika stared at it a little more. "But what if one breaks? Don't things get wild inside Rifts?"
Alan gave a short laugh. "Riftbands are forged using minerals found inside the Rifts. They're tougher than anything the outside world's got."
He held up his own band — scuffed and cracked, but still glowing steady.
"No way anyone's breaking that," he said. "Unless you're fighting a god. In which case... well, good luck."
Reika smiled faintly. "Comforting."
Before Levi could respond with a joke, Ryden stood up and brushed off his hands.
"All right, enough campfire bonding. Time to move out."
He turned toward the swirling Rift in the distance, '
"Squad briefing is done. Form up. We go in two minutes."
Levi stretched his arms over his head. "Ah, here we go."
He grinned and cracked his knuckles.
"It's showtime."
End of Chapter