In the pale light of the academy grounds, Luna’s breath hitched as the grip on her shoulder held her firm. Frozen, her mind spiraled through worst-case scenarios. She didn’t dare look back—not until a familiar voice broke the suffocating silence.

“Luna.”

Her name, spoken in that calm yet authoritative tone, cut through her panic like a blade. She turned slowly, meeting the piercing gaze of Elara. Relief flooded her senses, washing away the icy dread that had gripped her moments before.

“Elara…” she whispered, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to steady it. Her heart still raced, but the sight of someone she trusted—someone she knew—tempered the terror coursing through her.

Elara’s eyes narrowed, her arms crossing with the familiar weight of impending judgment. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing out here?” she asked, her voice low, sharp, and brimming with disapproval. “This is the second time you’ve broken curfew.”

Luna straightened, her knees still unsteady but her resolve returning. “I—” she started, only to falter. Her gaze dropped momentarily before rising to meet Elara’s unwavering stare.

The lingering shadow of fear began to fade, replaced by a wave of guilt and determination. It’s just Elara, she thought, clinging to that truth. Not a guard, not a stranger who might report her without hesitation. The panic that had suffocated her moments ago unraveled into something manageable.

Still, Luna pushed back, feigning confidence. “I could ask you the same thing,” she retorted, her voice steadier now. “What are you doing out here?”

Elara’s expression hardened, her brow knitting slightly. “That’s not the point. I’m the instructor, Luna. You, on the other hand, are a student who’s already been warned. Now, turn around and head back to your dorm.”

The command in her tone was unmistakable, but Luna didn’t move. Her gaze flicked past Elara to the ivy-covered wall, where the faint, unmistakable hum of Rift energy pulsed like a hidden heartbeat.

“Elara… I know there’s a Rift behind that wall,” Luna said, her voice quiet but firm. She caught the barest flicker of surprise in Elara’s expression—a crack in the instructor’s stern façade. It was gone in an instant, but it was enough.

“I want to know what’s happening,” Luna pressed, stepping forward despite the tension thickening the air.

For a moment, Elara didn’t respond. Her jaw tightened, and her gaze shifted ever so slightly toward the wall, as if betraying her thoughts. The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken truths.

Luna watched her closely, the faintest tremor of doubt rippling through her. There was something Elara wasn’t saying—something she knew. The instructor’s posture, rigid and guarded, betrayed a familiarity with Rift energy that she was trying to keep hidden.

“Elara,” Luna tried again, her tone softening. “If you know something… please, tell me.”

“Luna, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” Elara said finally, her tone controlled but almost… reluctant. “You shouldn’t even be near these grounds, let alone trying to investigate something like this. It’s far too dangerous.”

“I can handle myself,” Luna replied, her determination unwavering. “And I know you’re here for the same reason, Elara. Don’t pretend otherwise.”

A muscle twitches in Elara’s jaw as she looks back at Luna, her eyes unreadable. It was clear that Elara wasn’t used to being challenged, least of all by a student, but something in Luna’s gaze must have reached her. After a tense silence, Elara let out a resigned sigh.

After a tense silence, Elara exhaled sharply, her shoulders relaxing just enough to reveal a hint of weariness. “I’m secretly investigating,” she admitted, her voice quieter now, almost reluctant. “Whatever is behind that wall… it’s why I’m here.”

“Then take me with you,” Luna said, her tone softer but no less resolute. “Please.”

Elara hesitated, her piercing gaze searching Luna’s face for any sign of doubt. Finding none, she let out a resigned sigh.

“Fine,” she muttered, casting a wary glance over the quiet academy grounds. “But stay behind me. And follow my lead. One mistake, and we’re both caught.”

Luna nodded, a mixture of excitement and anticipation bubbling up in her chest. She watched as Elara took a step forward, glancing carefully around before motioning for Luna to follow.

As they moved quietly along the shadows, Luna couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something deeper to Elara’s own presence here, something she hadn’t expected. Elara’s movements were practiced and cautious, like she knew exactly where to step and how to avoid attention. It was clear she was no stranger to these covert actions, no ordinary instructor caught up in the academy’s rigid rules.

Keeping her thoughts to herself, Luna stayed close, observing Elara’s every move. She sensed a careful tension radiating from her—a strange blend of protectiveness and something almost familiar. It was as if they shared an unspoken understanding, an awareness that perhaps neither of them fully grasped.

In that moment, Luna felt closer to Elara than she ever had, bound by a shared secret they both seemed to sense but not yet fully know. The mystery of the Rift loomed ahead of them, and as they crept forward, Luna knew this was only the beginning.

They moved deeper into the restricted zone, slipping past the last row of neatly trimmed bushes and concrete pathways. Unlike the rest of the academy grounds, this area had a strangely neglected feel. Luna glanced around, her eyes widening as she took in the sheer silence surrounding them. It was unnervingly empty here, not a single camera mounted along the walls, no guards patrolling the area—not even a sign warning students away.

The sky above was veiled by heavy clouds, dimming the lights that usually illuminated the academy grounds. Everything in this section felt grayer, quieter, as if deliberately hidden away from prying eyes. The academy’s tall, modern walls framed the area around them, casting shadows that felt unusually dense and eerie. Rows of buildings with sleek, polished surfaces stretched along the path, but not a single window glowed with light. Even the usual hum of generators or ventilation systems was absent here, giving the space an unnatural stillness.

Luna followed Elara, carefully placing her footsteps where Elara had, trying her best not to make a sound. Her pulse quickened as they finally turned a corner, and the scene before them brought her to a sudden stop.

The rift was there, just as Luna had sensed, hovering like a dark, twisted scar in the air, right in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by the same modern buildings. The rift wasn't like the wild ones she’d seen or heard about in training. It pulsed faintly, a thin, shifting crack of darkness that seemed barely held together. But what struck her most were the machines positioned all around it—cold, metallic arms reaching toward the rift with purpose.

These devices were compact yet bristling with strange attachments, their sleek metal frames dull in the low light. Cables snaked from each machine, some disappearing into the ground and others linking from one device to another, creating a web of connections that formed a boundary around the rift. The machines emitted a faint hum, the only sound breaking the silence, as they methodically worked, each one in sync as though choreographed.

Elara’s face darkened as she took in the scene, her gaze sharp with suspicion. “This… isn’t natural,” she murmured, more to herself than to Luna. She gestured at the machines, her voice barely above a whisper. “Whoever did this—they’re creating it. This rift, it’s… being made.”

Luna felt a chill run down her spine. Artificial rifts? That explained why this section of the academy grounds was left unguarded and overlooked. If this was something unauthorized, then whoever was behind it had likely ensured that no one would stumble upon it by accident. The academy’s usual tight security was conspicuously absent, as if someone high up had orchestrated this area to look unremarkable, a place no one would want or dare to explore.

They edged closer to the machines, stepping cautiously over bundles of cables that lay in tangled clusters across the ground. Luna’s eyes lingered on the devices; each was covered in dials, blinking lights, and screens that displayed incomprehensible data. The screens flickered occasionally, giving off a weak greenish glow that cast eerie shadows across the courtyard.

A low hum grew as they moved nearer, resonating in the air like a faint vibration. The closer they got, the stronger Luna could feel the rift’s pull. It felt unnatural, like a disruption in the air itself. She couldn’t help but shiver as she sensed its energy—dark and chaotic, yet oddly familiar.

As Luna moved closer to the rift, her heart pounding in her chest, she felt a strange pull—the energy growing stronger with each step. She couldn’t explain it, but it was like the rift was calling to her, whispering something just beyond her understanding. The air was thick with tension, and her body hummed with an almost magnetic draw toward the darkness swirling in front of her.

Elara suddenly reached out, grabbing her arm with a firm grip. “Luna,” she called urgently, her voice filled with warning, but also something else—concern. “Stay back. You’re too close.”

Luna didn’t hear her immediately. The energy radiating from the rift was so intense now, it was all she could focus on. The hum in the air resonated deep within her, something strange stirring in the pit of her stomach. She glanced at the dark edges of the rift, feeling it reach toward her, as if recognizing her presence. The edges of her vision began to blur, the world around her losing its focus.

“Elara!” Luna’s voice cracked, her words trembling in the heavy atmosphere. She stumbled forward, and a sharp surge of energy shot through her, feeling both intimate and deeply unsettling at the same time. The rift seemed to respond in kind, its darkness shifting violently, rippling as though it were alive. It felt like it was pulling her in—pulling at something deep within her.

Luna’s vision flickered, darkening at the edges. The rift’s energy was too much to ignore, filling her senses with an overwhelming wave of unfamiliar power. She could feel her own powers stirring, responding in a way she had never felt before.

“Luna!” Elara's voice broke through the haze, louder now, sharp and desperate. Luna couldn’t pull herself away. The rift’s energy was everywhere, wrapping around her, sinking into her very core.

A pulse of energy shot out from the rift, surrounding Luna, its force tangible in the air. She couldn’t move. The pull was too strong. The air was thick with it, as if the very space around her was warping, distorting.

Her heart raced in her chest, but her limbs felt heavy, unresponsive. Her vision blurred further, and everything around her seemed to dim. Elara’s figure seemed to become distant, like a shadow at the edge of her fading sight. But Luna didn’t pass out—she was still aware, still conscious, even as her vision darkened to the point of near blackness.

"Luna!" Elara shouted, her voice barely reaching Luna now. The rift’s energy had completely enveloped her, and she felt herself being pulled into its void, her body weak, her senses swirling in the darkness.

The last thing she heard before everything went black was Elara’s voice—unwavering, protective, and full of urgency—but it seemed far, far away.