The sun had almost disappeared beyond the vast skyscrapers, as its final rays shined upon a teenage boy.
He used his hands to block the light as he took a good look at the majestic castle before him.
Black steel adorned its walls, giving it an ominous feel. But it was overshadowed by the lush greenery that surrounded it, making it appear quite welcoming.
This Castle was the pinnacle of human architecture as it housed the calamity that had taken out a quarter of Earth's population. But the boy didn't seem interested in its beauty as he dragged his lifeless body into the gates.
The guard gave him an odd look, but did not stop him. Since he had seen much weirder things ever since being assigned here.
The boy entered the castle and shuffled over to the reception desk labelled 'Test Mutation Here'.
A woman wearing circular glasses sat behind the reception with a glass pad in hand. She giggled at something she saw on the pad when a corpse like raspy voice interrupted her amusement.
"I think I am an Emerger."
Her giggling came to a halt as she looked up to match the boy's gaze. She was about to flip out at the intruder but stopped herself. His hollow, listless eyes gave her pause.
But it only lasted a second as she again furrowed her brows in annoyance and spoke.
"Quite the punctual one, aren't you? Coming ten minutes early."
Even the boy could tell that she was being sarcastic, since he was actually supposed to be here a week before the Day of Reckoning. But now there were only ten minutes left. But he couldn't have helped it, since he never had the chance to get himself tested like the rest. He came here when he felt the signs of mutating.
He did not say anything in reply though and just waited for her to continue. Seeing that she was not getting a reaction, the lady did not harp on it for long and spoke in her professional tone.
"Name?"
The boy looked at her with confusion visible in his listless eyes. As if he was considering something.
The staff lady sighed with exasperation.
"A name, you know the sound people make when they want to catch your attention."
A chuckle escaped her lips as she laughed at her own joke, but the boy didn't seem to find it funny.
The boy pondered for a few seconds before he asked in his raspy voice.
"Can I… choose a new name?"
The lady's laugh again came to a sudden halt as she gave him a serious look. The reply didn't take long though as it flowed from her mouth like she had repeated it countless times.
"Yes, you can choose any name. Many people use their nicknames here, since what really matters is the ID we will make for you. You will need it in the future. "
The lady knew very well that this was not what the boy meant, but she couldn't bring herself to inquire any further.
The boy looked relieved as he thought for a few more seconds before answering.
"Then my name will be… Ragnar."
The lady did not have much reaction to his antics, casually entering his name into a machine. It looked pretty much like a vending machine, but with a keyboard and a screen. She pointed to a panel as she handed him a needle.
"Pour a drop of your blood here."
Ragnar complied. His face betrayed no emotions as he poked a hole in his finger.
After he had poured his blood, the machine started to make a series of crackle and whirls as if struggling to decipher his status. But eventually the result appeared onscreen: 'Positive'
Ragnar was unsurprised, having felt the signs of mutation. Still, he glared at the damning word.
The machine then spewed out a card that was caught by the staff lady with surprising ease. She looked at Ragnar who was still glaring at the screen and said with a weird look.
"Here, take this and follow me. At least you made it before the Day of Reckoning started."
After saying that, she came out from the reception and started heading deeper into the castle. She wore a formal outfit that outlined her curves very clearly for the world to see. Ragnar only took a look at the enchanting scene before moving his gaze away.
He checked out the card that was handed to him. It had his name and date of birth, along with a photo that perfectly captured his dead eyes.
A hint of recognition appeared in his eyes when his gaze landed on his date of Birth. He had completely forgotten about this day, ever since he lost his family and turned into a slave. It had been just another torturous day for him.
'October 31st'
His birthday was just a few minutes away. Was this why life had tortured him so?
Ragnar pushed this thought to the back of his head and followed her into the castle. He could see large gates with intricate patterns at the end of their path.
Reaching near the gates, the lady went in with experienced steps but Ragnar was forced to pause. The scene he saw beyond the huge gates demanded all his attention.
A gust of wind whizzed by him, bringing along a rusty metallic scent that permeated the air.
A massive hall stretched for more than a hundred metres. Its walls adorned with countless siege weapons that looked like they hadn't been used in ages.
However, the grandeur of the hall paled in comparison to what lay at the centre of the hall. Ragnar had seen it several times through depictions or images, but none of them had prepared him for the scene he was witnessing right now.
A massive whirlpool of black and white energies lay at the centre of the hall, casting the darkest of shadows for everything in the vicinity. The energies looked calm and serene like a river, but at the same time, chaotic like the waves of the ocean.
It was the Rift to the EtherShift Realm.
Ragnar was entranced by the mesmerizing scene as he fancied jumping right in. But he was brought back to reality by the steps of the lady who moved towards the centre of the hall.
He could also hear the call of the Rift pretty clearly. The call was like a voice that spoke in every emerger's and RiftWalker's head, luring them in. It was a major reason behind the EtherShift Calamity.
Ragnar followed her, towards the insignificant group of people that stood before the Rift.
He joined the 4 people already present. They were standing in a queue in front of a crystal ball kept on the podium. After the staff lady took her place beside the ball, they all stared at the clock that read '11:59'.
With bright armours and sharp weapons these people looked ready to face all trials and tribulations beyond the Rift, making Ragnar stand out like a sore thumb. He stood at a height of 5 foot 7 inches, quite short and lean for his age. His black hair looked unkempt and twirly as they did a bad job at hiding his brown eyes. Eyes that looked dead for the most part.
He looked like shit.
His black tactical suit provided little defense - the standard uniform for Vorlock's assassins. Ragnar's mood darkened, as the four in front of him shifted uneasily, sneaking glances back at him before continuing to stare at the clock. Despite their preparation, nerves plagued them all about entering the swirling void.
The clock neared midnight. It seemed no others would be joining them tonight.
Just then, another figure appeared at the hall's entrance, tiny in contrast to the massive gates.
They started walking towards the group near the Rift as they appeared within everyone's vision. Ragnar had planned to ignore the new arrival just like he had conveniently ignored the 4 people standing in front of him.
But it turned out to be quite hard.
It was a girl the same age as the rest of them. But it would be blasphemy to compare her with them. She was the most beautiful person Ragnar had ever seen. An air of elegance surrounded her, brightening the hall with her presence.
Her skin had a delicate, ivory-like complexion, soft and luminous. Dark green hair flowed to her waist, tied back in a ponytail that bobbed with each step. She had an hourglass figure, with curves in all the right places. Showed off by her white gown with green outlines that revealed her shoulders and ended just above her knees. Leather boots left only a sliver of skin visible before the dress began.
Somehow, she maintained a reserved grace, as if nothing could tarnish her image. Before reaching them, her gaze landed on the people in front of Ragnar and she nodded her head in greeting. It seemed like they all knew who she was, including the Staff lady.
Ragnar moved his gaze away from her to stare at the Rift since his grim thoughts did not allow him to appreciate a beauty for long.
The girl's gaze also slid past Ragnar as a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes. But it wasn't from his reaction - his outfit drew her attention. Still, she ignored it and addressed the group as if stating a fact.
"I will be going in first."
She did not wait for a response instead walked to stand in front of the Rift, staring into its depths.
The sun had almost disappeared beyond the vast skyscrapers, as its final rays shined upon a teenage boy.
He used his hands to block the light as he took a good look at the majestic castle before him.
Black steel adorned its walls, giving it an ominous feel. But it was overshadowed by the lush greenery that surrounded it, making it appear quite welcoming.
This Castle was the pinnacle of human architecture as it housed the calamity that had taken out a quarter of Earth's population. But the boy didn't seem interested in its beauty as he dragged his lifeless body into the gates.
The guard gave him an odd look, but did not stop him. Since he had seen much weirder things ever since being assigned here.
The boy entered the castle and shuffled over to the reception desk labelled 'Test Mutation Here'.
A woman wearing circular glasses sat behind the reception with a glass pad in hand. She giggled at something she saw on the pad when a corpse like raspy voice interrupted her amusement.
"I think I am an Emerger."
Her giggling came to a halt as she looked up to match the boy's gaze. She was about to flip out at the intruder but stopped herself. His hollow, listless eyes gave her pause.
But it only lasted a second as she again furrowed her brows in annoyance and spoke.
"Quite the punctual one, aren't you? Coming ten minutes early."
Even the boy could tell that she was being sarcastic, since he was actually supposed to be here a week before the Day of Reckoning. But now there were only ten minutes left. But he couldn't have helped it, since he never had the chance to get himself tested like the rest. He came here when he felt the signs of mutating.
He did not say anything in reply though and just waited for her to continue. Seeing that she was not getting a reaction, the lady did not harp on it for long and spoke in her professional tone.
"Name?"
The boy looked at her with confusion visible in his listless eyes. As if he was considering something.
The staff lady sighed with exasperation.
"A name, you know the sound people make when they want to catch your attention."
A chuckle escaped her lips as she laughed at her own joke, but the boy didn't seem to find it funny.
The boy pondered for a few seconds before he asked in his raspy voice.
"Can I… choose a new name?"
The lady's laugh again came to a sudden halt as she gave him a serious look. The reply didn't take long though as it flowed from her mouth like she had repeated it countless times.
"Yes, you can choose any name. Many people use their nicknames here, since what really matters is the ID we will make for you. You will need it in the future. "
The lady knew very well that this was not what the boy meant, but she couldn't bring herself to inquire any further.
The boy looked relieved as he thought for a few more seconds before answering.
"Then my name will be… Ragnar."
The lady did not have much reaction to his antics, casually entering his name into a machine. It looked pretty much like a vending machine, but with a keyboard and a screen. She pointed to a panel as she handed him a needle.
"Pour a drop of your blood here."
Ragnar complied. His face betrayed no emotions as he poked a hole in his finger.
After he had poured his blood, the machine started to make a series of crackle and whirls as if struggling to decipher his status. But eventually the result appeared onscreen: 'Positive'
Ragnar was unsurprised, having felt the signs of mutation. Still, he glared at the damning word.
The machine then spewed out a card that was caught by the staff lady with surprising ease. She looked at Ragnar who was still glaring at the screen and said with a weird look.
"Here, take this and follow me. At least you made it before the Day of Reckoning started."
After saying that, she came out from the reception and started heading deeper into the castle. She wore a formal outfit that outlined her curves very clearly for the world to see. Ragnar only took a look at the enchanting scene before moving his gaze away.
He checked out the card that was handed to him. It had his name and date of birth, along with a photo that perfectly captured his dead eyes.
A hint of recognition appeared in his eyes when his gaze landed on his date of Birth. He had completely forgotten about this day, ever since he lost his family and turned into a slave. It had been just another torturous day for him.
'October 31st'
His birthday was just a few minutes away. Was this why life had tortured him so?
Ragnar pushed this thought to the back of his head and followed her into the castle. He could see large gates with intricate patterns at the end of their path.
Reaching near the gates, the lady went in with experienced steps but Ragnar was forced to pause. The scene he saw beyond the huge gates demanded all his attention.
A gust of wind whizzed by him, bringing along a rusty metallic scent that permeated the air.
A massive hall stretched for more than a hundred metres. Its walls adorned with countless siege weapons that looked like they hadn't been used in ages.
However, the grandeur of the hall paled in comparison to what lay at the centre of the hall. Ragnar had seen it several times through depictions or images, but none of them had prepared him for the scene he was witnessing right now.
A massive whirlpool of black and white energies lay at the centre of the hall, casting the darkest of shadows for everything in the vicinity. The energies looked calm and serene like a river, but at the same time, chaotic like the waves of the ocean.
It was the Rift to the EtherShift Realm.
Ragnar was entranced by the mesmerizing scene as he fancied jumping right in. But he was brought back to reality by the steps of the lady who moved towards the centre of the hall.
He could also hear the call of the Rift pretty clearly. The call was like a voice that spoke in every emerger's and RiftWalker's head, luring them in. It was a major reason behind the EtherShift Calamity.
Ragnar followed her, towards the insignificant group of people that stood before the Rift.
He joined the 4 people already present. They were standing in a queue in front of a crystal ball kept on the podium. After the staff lady took her place beside the ball, they all stared at the clock that read '11:59'.
With bright armours and sharp weapons these people looked ready to face all trials and tribulations beyond the Rift, making Ragnar stand out like a sore thumb. He stood at a height of 5 foot 7 inches, quite short and lean for his age. His black hair looked unkempt and twirly as they did a bad job at hiding his brown eyes. Eyes that looked dead for the most part.
He looked like shit.
His black tactical suit provided little defense - the standard uniform for Vorlock's assassins. Ragnar's mood darkened, as the four in front of him shifted uneasily, sneaking glances back at him before continuing to stare at the clock. Despite their preparation, nerves plagued them all about entering the swirling void.
The clock neared midnight. It seemed no others would be joining them tonight.
Just then, another figure appeared at the hall's entrance, tiny in contrast to the massive gates.
They started walking towards the group near the Rift as they appeared within everyone's vision. Ragnar had planned to ignore the new arrival just like he had conveniently ignored the 4 people standing in front of him.
But it turned out to be quite hard.
It was a girl the same age as the rest of them. But it would be blasphemy to compare her with them. She was the most beautiful person Ragnar had ever seen. An air of elegance surrounded her, brightening the hall with her presence.
Her skin had a delicate, ivory-like complexion, soft and luminous. Dark green hair flowed to her waist, tied back in a ponytail that bobbed with each step. She had an hourglass figure, with curves in all the right places. Showed off by her white gown with green outlines that revealed her shoulders and ended just above her knees. Leather boots left only a sliver of skin visible before the dress began.
Somehow, she maintained a reserved grace, as if nothing could tarnish her image. Before reaching them, her gaze landed on the people in front of Ragnar and she nodded her head in greeting. It seemed like they all knew who she was, including the Staff lady.
Ragnar moved his gaze away from her to stare at the Rift since his grim thoughts did not allow him to appreciate a beauty for long.
The girl's gaze also slid past Ragnar as a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes. But it wasn't from his reaction - his outfit drew her attention. Still, she ignored it and addressed the group as if stating a fact.
"I will be going in first."
She did not wait for a response instead walked to stand in front of the Rift, staring into its depths.
