The rhythm of his movement didn't break.
Step. Turn. Strike.
Pause.
Correct.
Repeat.
Kael's breathing stayed even as the dagger cut through the air again, stopping precisely where he intended. No wasted motion. No hesitation.
Better.
Not enough.
He reset his stance.
Then—
a knock.
It wasn't loud.
But it didn't need to be.
Kael stopped.
The dagger flickered out of existence as he turned toward the door.
Another knock.
More impatient this time.
"…come in."
The door opened before he finished speaking.
Liora stepped in like she already owned the space.
"You're alive."
Kael raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I was yesterday too."
She didn't laugh.
Her eyes moved over him quickly.
Sharp.
Observing.
"…you look different."
Kael didn't respond.
Silence stretched for a second.
Then she exhaled.
"East side of Seoul. A Rift opened."
Straight to the point.
Kael's expression didn't change.
"Rank?"
"C."
A pause.
"Not big. Not stable either. They haven't fully locked it down yet."
Kael's eyes shifted slightly.
"Why are you telling me?"
Liora looked at him.
Really looked this time.
"…because no name was mentioned."
Silence.
The air shifted slightly.
Kael didn't move.
Didn't react.
But his eyes—
sharpened.
"…what are you talking about?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"That Rift at the academy? The A-rank one?"
A step closer.
"No instructors were there in time."
Another step.
"No high-level hunters reported it."
She stopped in front of him.
"And somehow… it was handled."
Kael held her gaze.
"…you're assuming a lot."
"I'm observing."
Her voice was calm.
Not accusing.
Not emotional.
Just certain.
"You disappeared."
A pause.
"You came back injured."
Another.
"And you're training like your life depends on it."
Silence.
Then—
"…so?"
Liora's expression softened slightly.
Not weakness.
Understanding.
"So I'm not asking."
A small pause.
"I already know."
The words didn't hit loudly.
But they landed.
Kael looked at her for a second longer.
Then—
he didn't deny it.
"…and?"
That was enough.
Liora exhaled slightly, like she expected that answer.
"There's a Rift."
She gestured slightly.
"You need to get stronger."
Her eyes met his again.
"And I'm going too."
Kael's gaze narrowed slightly.
"No."
She blinked.
"…no?"
"It's unstable."
"So?"
"You're not ready."
Liora crossed her arms.
"And you are?"
Silence.
Kael didn't answer.
Because he already knew.
He wasn't.
But that didn't change anything.
"…I don't have a choice."
The words came out flat.
Liora studied him.
"…you always have a choice."
Kael shook his head slightly.
"Not if I want to survive what's coming."
That line lingered.
For a second—
Liora didn't respond.
Then she sighed.
"…then I'm still coming."
Kael's expression didn't change.
"Stay behind me."
She smirked slightly.
"Wow. That sounded almost heroic."
He ignored it.
"…don't get in my way."
"That's more like it."
They moved quickly.
The city shifted around them as they headed east, the normal rhythm of life slowly giving way to something more tense. People gathered in small groups, whispers spreading faster than official reports.
The Rift wasn't hidden.
It stood open.
A tear in space itself, stretching upward like something had been pulled apart and never properly closed. Energy bled from its edges, distorting the air around it.
No full containment yet.
Just temporary barriers.
Weak ones.
Perfect.
Kael stopped a few meters away.
"…C-rank."
It didn't feel like much.
But that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous.
He stepped forward.
Liora followed.
"Wait."
Kael didn't stop.
She grabbed his arm.
"For a second—"
He turned slightly.
"…what?"
Liora hesitated.
Not long.
"…don't die."
The words came out quieter than expected.
Not dramatic.
Not forced.
Real.
Kael looked at her.
"…stay behind me."
Then he pulled free.
And stepped through.
The world shifted instantly.
The air thickened.
The ground warped.
The Rift swallowed them both.
Kael's eyes sharpened as his hand formed the dagger again.
Level 4.
Not enough.
But it would have to be.
"…this time—"
His grip tightened.
"…I'm not leaving empty."
Something moved in the distance.
Not one.
Multiple.
Kael stepped forward.
And this time—
he wasn't just surviving.
He was hunting.