NOVEL WEB Chapter 11: A Ripple in the Void
Chapter 11: A Ripple in the Void
They were still on their way, and the line outside the Riftblade Registration Hall was massive. The sheer number of candidates surprised John. Dozens of hopefuls stood before the massive stone entrance, chatting excitedly about the upcoming Awakening Ceremony.
John stood beside Starla, scanning the crowd. It reminded him of a long queue for a concert back on Earth—except here, the people weren't just waiting for entertainment. They were waiting for a chance to change their fate.
"Didn't expect this many people," he muttered.
Starla folded her arms. "This is their only chance. Become a Riftblade, or stay powerless forever."
John frowned, watching as a few candidates practiced simple energy techniques, their hands glowing faintly. Some looked confident, while others fidgeted nervously.
"You think all of them will pass?"
Starla smirked. "No. Most of them will fail. The stones don't lie."
John was about to ask what she meant when a voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Move along! Next batch, inside!"
The line started inching forward, but Starla didn't bother waiting. She pulled out a pass card with her name inscribed in elegant gold script and held it up to one of the guards. The moment he saw it, his stiff posture straightened, and he stepped aside.
"You may enter," he said without hesitation.
John raised an eyebrow. "Skipping the line?"
Starla shrugged. "I have connections."
They stepped past the grumbling candidates and into the Riftblade Registration Hall.
---
Inside the Hall
The chamber inside was massive, far larger than John had expected. Towering marble pillars supported the domed ceiling, which shimmered with blue energy inscriptions. But what stood out the most was the sheer number of floating Resonance Stones.
Thousands of them.
Each stone hovered in midair, pulsating with different intensities of Rift energy. Dozens of candidates stood before them, one by one placing their hands on the stones. Some flared brightly, others barely flickered. Clerks recorded the results, occasionally nodding in approval or shaking their heads in disappointment.
John could feel something strange in the air. A pressure, almost like an invisible current brushing against his skin.
"Try not to blow anything up," Starla muttered, smirking.
John shot her a look. "That supposed to be a joke?"
She tilted her head. "Mostly."
Before he could respond, a clerk motioned for him to step forward.
"Place your hand on any available Resonance Stone."
John exhaled and walked toward the nearest stone. It pulsed faintly, steady but unimpressive. Taking a breath, he reached out and placed his palm against it.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
The Resonance Stone let out a violent pulse.
The glow flared so intensely that the surrounding candidates stumbled back in shock. A deep, vibrating hum filled the hall as the energy from the stone spiked uncontrollably.
John's body tensed. He could feel it—the Rift energy within him surging outward, far stronger than he intended. The stone beneath his palm cracked, fractures glowing like molten veins.
"Hey, something's wrong!" someone shouted.
Before John could pull away, the Resonance Stone shattered.
The force of the explosion sent out a shockwave, knocking over nearby tables and scattering clerks' documents. But it didn't stop there.
One by one, the surrounding stones began reacting.
A chain reaction.
Cracks spread through the chamber as more and more stones overloaded, their glow turning into a blinding radiance. A deafening hum filled the hall, followed by the sharp sound of dozens of stones bursting into fragments.
Panic erupted. Candidates scrambled away, clerks tried stabilizing the stones with runes, but the energy was beyond control. The hall trembled under the force, the very air vibrating with untamed power.
And at the center of it all—
John stood frozen, his breath coming in short gasps. He could still feel the energy coursing through him, refusing to settle. His hand tingled, faint traces of black embers flickering at his fingertips before vanishing.
What… was this?
The chaos only stopped when a booming voice cut through the air.
"ENOUGH."
A powerful force slammed down over the chamber, suppressing the residual energy in an instant. The remaining Resonance Stones dimmed, stabilizing once more.
John turned toward the source of the voice.
At the far end of the hall, three figures stood on an elevated platform, their presence commanding immediate silence.
The Elders of the Riftblade Order.
The one in the center, a towering man with silver hair and a heavy cloak of dark blue, stepped forward. His gaze bore into John, sharp and unreadable.
"The stones reacted violently to you," he said, his deep voice echoing through the now-silent hall. "That has never happened before."
John swallowed hard, but before he could speak, another elder—a woman with flowing red robes—spoke up.
"Who are you, boy?"
John hesitated. He knew his usual vague answer wouldn't work here.
"…John."
The woman's eyes narrowed. "John what? Where do you come from?"
John's jaw tightened. He could feel every eye in the room locked onto him, the weight of their stares pressing down.
Before he could formulate an answer, Starla stepped forward. "He's with me."
The silver-haired elder raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"
"Starla Varien."
Murmurs rippled through the hall. Even John could tell the name carried weight.
The first elder regarded her for a long moment before speaking again. "Regardless of his origins, the fact remains—his Rift energy is too unstable. The Awakening Ceremony is five days away, and we cannot allow a participant who may become a danger to others."
John clenched his fists. "So what? You're rejecting me?"
"No."
The response was immediate and firm.
The elder's expression remained unreadable, but there was something almost… intrigued in his gaze.
"We do not reject power."
John's breath hitched.
The elder gestured toward the destruction around them—the shattered Resonance Stones, the lingering energy still crackling in the air.
"What we saw today proves one thing: You are not ordinary."
His next words sent a chill down John's spine.
"You are something this world has never seen before."
Silence filled the hall.
The other elder nodded. "You will be allowed to participate in the Awakening Ceremony."
John exhaled. He wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or unsettled.
The silver-haired elder's gaze darkened. "But understand this—if you lose control again… the Order will not tolerate it."
The weight of the warning was clear. John gave a slow nod. "Understood."
As John and Starla turned to leave, whispers erupted behind them.
"That was insane…"
"No one's ever shattered a Resonance Stone, let alone dozens!"
"What is he?"
John ignored them, his mind racing.
Starla, walking beside him, finally exhaled. "Well… that was something."
John glanced at her. "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"
She shrugged. "Not this. But I knew you weren't normal."
John sighed. Neither did he.
But whatever was happening inside him, one thing was clear—Romero had just taken notice.