The Riftborn Hunter

Aiden's breath scraped his throat, ragged and thin, as he stared into the Rift's pulsing core.

It thrummed—wrong, alive, a pressure that crushed his chest like a vice. The thing before him wasn't just a boss. It was a hunter. And it was waiting.

For him.

He saw it now—too clear, too real. A hulking shadow, humanoid but grotesque, its limbs gleaming with something thicker than blood, black and oily. Its edges warped, twisting the air around it. Broad, muscled, its torso heaved with slow, deliberate breaths. Claws—long, hooked, jagged—dripped with carnage, chunks of flesh still clinging to them. No face. No mouth. Just a spiraling void for a head, a black whirlpool that devoured light and spat back dread.

Aiden's gut twisted. It's locked on me.

Not Jenna's staggering form in the distance. Not the butchered remains of Squad Eclipse.

Him.

He clenched his fists, nails cutting into his palms. "Fine, you freak. Let's see who breaks first."

It didn't roar. Didn't charge.

It flickered.

A claw slashed—faster than thought.

Aiden threw himself aside—too late.

The strike smashed into his chest, a battering ram of force. He flew, crashing into the pavement with a sickening crunch. Pain exploded—ribs cracked, lungs seizing. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he skidded, gravel shredding his arms. He clawed upright, gasping, "Not… done… yet."

The shadow loomed—already there. Another flicker—claws arced for his throat.

He rolled, barely, concrete biting his skin as talons gouged a trench beside him. Shards flew—one slashed his forehead, blood blinding his left eye. He swiped it away, panting. Jenna had been fast. Tess faster. Both were gone.

Aiden? He was meat.

His chest screamed with every breath, ribs grinding like broken glass. The shadow didn't rush—it stalked, claws scraping the ground, deliberate. It could've ended him. It wanted him to squirm.

"Enjoying this?" he snarled, staggering to his feet, legs shaking.

It answered with another strike.

Aiden dove—claws grazed his back, tearing fabric and flesh. He hit the ground hard, a choked yell ripping out. Blood pooled beneath him, hot and slick. He couldn't dodge forever—his body was failing.

The shadow flickered again—three claws this time, a relentless barrage.

He scrambled back—too slow. One hooked his leg, yanking him off-balance. Another raked his side, deep, shredding muscle. He screamed, collapsing, clutching the wound as crimson gushed through his fingers.

"Get up," he growled to himself, voice breaking. "Get up!"

The shadow paused—watching, savoring.

Something snapped inside him.

Pain—electric, unbearable—lanced through his skull, like white-hot spikes drilling into his brain. His vision flared golden, blinding.

Reality shattered.

Golden afterimages erupted—dozens of Aidens, flickering across the battlefield. One charged—gutted. One dodged—crushed. One froze—torn apart. Futures spun, chaotic, a storm of death he couldn't grasp.

His body locked, trembling. Too many. Too fast. His power wasn't saving him—it was burying him.

The shadow struck.

A claw plunged toward his chest.

Aiden lurched—golden echoes screaming—barely twisting aside. The claw grazed his shoulder, ripping skin to bone. He stumbled, blood soaking his arm, dripping in thick rivulets.

Another swing—he ducked, but his knee buckled. The shadow's backhand caught him, slamming him into a wall. Stone cracked—his spine flared with agony. He slid down, coughing blood, vision swimming.

"Not… yet," he rasped, dragging himself up. His knife lay feet away—taunting him.

The shadow advanced, claws gleaming. Futures flickered—death, death, death. No escape. No win.

Just survival.

He lunged for the knife—desperate.

The shadow flickered—faster.

A claw speared his thigh mid-dive. Pain detonated—he roared, crashing short of his weapon. Blood spurted, his leg useless. The shadow yanked him back, claws sinking deeper.

Aiden thrashed, tearing free—flesh ripped, agony blinding. He crawled, fingers brushing the hilt.

The shadow loomed—final strike descending.

Golden fire surged—his last gasp.

He rolled, knife in hand, as the claw smashed the ground beside him, cracking pavement. No time to think—he thrust upward, aiming for the void-head.

The blade sank in—barely.

The shadow didn't flinch. It grabbed his arm, twisting. Bone snapped. Aiden screamed, knife slipping—but it stayed lodged.

The Rift pulsed—wild, angry.

Aiden's vision darkened, strength fading. Futures collapsed—one flickered: push.

With a guttural yell, he slammed his broken arm against the hilt, driving it deeper.

The shadow convulsed—claws slashing air.

Aiden kicked off it, collapsing as it staggered. The void spasmed—then imploded.

The creature dropped, dissolving into black sludge.

Aiden lay there, heaving, blood pooling around him. Golden echoes faded—silence roared.

A wisp of light rose from the mess—faint, trembling. It drifted, then slammed into his chest.

His body seized—pain reignited. The System blazed:

[SEEK THE SOURCE.]

[VISIONARY CODE ACTIVATION: +3%.]

[UNSEEN ENTITY INTERACTION CONFIRMED.]

[ANOMALY STABILIZED… PARTIALLY.]

He coughed, tasting iron, head throbbing. Something shifted—deep, ancient, alive. He didn't understand.

His wristband buzzed. With a shaking hand, he pressed it.

[HUNTER STATUS UPDATE]

[Rank: F → E]

[Core Trait: Unactivated]

[Potential Trait: UNKNOWN]

[Mana Capacity: 0.7 → 1.2]

[Reflex Calibration… Incomplete]

Aiden stared, pulse hammering. "E-Rank…" He wasn't F-Rank. Not anymore.

But he felt broken.

A voice—hoarse, sharp—cut through.

"You…"

He turned, vision blurring.

Jenna stood, sword dragging, blood streaking her face. Her eyes locked on his—golden, glowing, undeniable.

She stepped closer, voice raw. "I thought the Kains' failure was blind."

Aiden's breath caught.

He was alive.

But his secret was dead.