The Keeper of History

«W-what is this?» Lein muttered, staring at the transparent window, like something out of a video game.

[Welcome to the Story, chosen one.]

The letters and the soft whisper were in a language unknown to Lein, yet somehow, he understood them.

«Story? Chosen one? What kind of nonsense is this? No, the most important thing right now is to get home. Please… be safe…»

Lein ignored the message in the window and ran toward his house.

Many tall buildings had collapsed onto the city streets.

People seemed to have calmed down a little, but were still in shock.

Wounded, covered in dirt and dust…

Some were mourning their friends, while others helped their loved ones stand up.

Lein noticed that some of them were also reading something in the air, as if they too had windows before their eyes.

But he didn't care what they saw. He only worried about his family.

«Damn… This road is blocked…»

The shortest path to his home was buried under the debris of tall buildings.

«I need to go around to the left, there are narrow streets there too…»

Lein turned left and ran as fast as if a monster was chasing him.

«Damn… this street is blocked too…»

He kept looking for a way around, hoping to find at least some passage. But no matter where he went, the way was blocked by fallen buildings and their ruins.

And then Lein realized.

He and the other people he met along the way…

Were trapped.

A massive ring of collapsed buildings surrounded them, cutting off any way out.

«They collapsed in a perfect circle… but how?»

As soon as this thought came to his mind, he noticed something strange.

As if one small stone shifted slightly.

Then another.

And another.

They were all slowly moving in one direction…

Lein looked up.

At the massive rift.

Because of his worry for his family and the strange window, he had completely forgotten about the gaping tear in the sky.

And then, the window appeared before his eyes again, whispering softly:

[Rift of the third level: Dangerous.]

[Recommendation: Leave the rift area immediately.]

[Time until the rift opens: 2 minutes 37 seconds.]

«W-what will happen if it opens?» Lein thought.

And at that very moment, he heard another whisper. The window changed its text:

[Warning! If the rift opens, you will have to fight dangerous monsters beyond your level.]

«Monsters? Like in… the dream!?»

Lein was… frightened.

That monster from his dream…

The mirror monster…

What if it appeared in reality?

That creature which killed two people with just the power of thought…

«I can't let that happen! If it breaks free… the city is finished!»

He understood that a completely different monster might come out of the rift. But he didn't want to take the risk.

— Uh… Story? How can I… close the rift?

As soon as Lein asked the question, he heard another whisper, and the window showed an answer in that strange, yet understandable language:

[Hint: To prevent the rift from opening, enter it and kill all the monsters inside.]

[Recommendation: You are too weak to fight them. Run.]

[Hint: To become stronger, you can challenge a Fragment of the Story.]

[Do you want to challenge a level-one Fragment of the Story?]

[Yes/No]

Lein froze before a choice.

A heavy choice.

If he wanted to become stronger, he had to enter this "fragment."

But then he would leave his family in an unknown state.

What if… something had already happened to them?

But what if he went to save them, and another rift opened on the way?

What if he didn't have the strength to protect them?

«What… do I want?»

Every time Lein stood before a difficult decision, he acted based on his own desires.

«I… don't want to leave. I have to at least make sure they're safe. And what if this "fragment" takes too long? What if they need me right now? No. I want to save them, or at least make sure they're okay.»

Lein made his decision.

He pressed "No" on the transparent screen and ran toward his house.

«Since I couldn't find a clear path, I'll just dig through it.»

He stopped in front of a collapsed piece of a huge building.

Before him was a window leading who knew where.

But if he could get through it, he would end up outside the trap.

Yes, he was going to go straight through the building.

And he didn't hesitate.

The building's windows were shattered.

So he simply climbed through one of them.

As soon as Lein got inside, he felt an unpleasant smell… blood.

There were people… inside the building during the collapse.

Lein covered his nose.

— Story, how many minutes until the rift opens? — he asked the emptiness.

Again he heard a whisper, and the window appeared:

[Time until the rift opens: 1 minute 4 seconds.]

Lein clenched his teeth.

«Too little…»

It was dark inside, and he could barely see anything.

Lein found a door, apparently leading to a corridor.

He barely managed to open it and squeezed through.

There, right on the floor, lay the bodies of young women and men in office clothes.

On their faces remained traces of fear and shock.

Lein didn't linger and turned back.

There he noticed a faint light seeping through a slightly open door.

Without thinking, he rushed there.

— Story, time!

[Time until the rift opens: 12 seconds.]

He had already reached the door and tried to open it.

But something was blocking it.

A crunch… the smell of blood…

He understood.

It was someone's body.

«Whoever you are, you're already dead. So MOVE!»

Casting aside all doubts, Lein pushed the door with all his strength.

The corpse slid aside and the door opened slightly.

He stepped inside and saw a shattered window leading to the street.

He had no time to think. He jumped through the broken window, cutting his face on the shards.

And ended up on the other side of the trap of collapsed buildings.

He looked up at the black void…

High in the sky, the rift began to expand.

At that moment, he heard another whisper:

[Third-level rift has opened nearby.]

[Recommendation: Run as far as you can from the monsters and the rift.]

Lein did exactly that.

He ran.

But not because he feared the monsters, but because…

He saw.

He saw the familiar silhouette of his home…