Prologue

  Bryant stood on the edge of the steel wire mesh fence overlooking the Tear. It was a large ravine that was created as part of events they were calling the Apocalypse, and the last place he spoke to his friend and roommate, Jack. Now he stood with hundreds of others as they watched the city workers slowly pulling out wrecks from the bottom of the ravine.

  It had been a little over a month since that night when he hung up the phone on Jack. Jack should have made it back shortly afterwards, but he never showed. He tried to reach him on his phone but there was no answer since that night, and no one has seen him since. Jack just disappeared. Bryant could only think of one possible reason that would be, and he hated the thought, but he couldn’t see any other way. Jack must have fallen into the Tear.

  Jack wouldn’t have just left without telling anyone. He wouldn’t, and this was the only place that no one would have been able to check. Even now, it has been years since the Apocalypse happened, and the city was just starting to begin the recovery of what was, without a doubt, a graveyard of their previous world.

  Bryant has been standing since the recovery started. He needed to see it for himself. It started to rain as they waited, but no one was leaving. It took most of the day, but then it was there. The wreck of a Familiar green sedan, crushed almost beyond recognition, but he knew it immediately.

  Bryant looked away. He already knew the truth, but seeing it was more difficult than he believed it was going to be. But at least now he could confirm Jack’s fate to his family. Maybe it would bring them some comfort at least. That was going to be a hard conversation.

  The crane pulling the car up lurched suddenly, forcing the work to come to a stop. The sudden motion caused the car to shake violently and almost fall back into the Tear, pulling Bryant’s attention back to the car.

  “What happened?” Bryant heard the voice of one of the workers call through one of their radios.

  “Cabling,” was the only answer over the radio.

  “Hold!” came the voice of one of the work managers in charge of the recovery. “Is there a problem with the line?”

  “It’s kinking ,” the crane operator answered.

  “Just hold for now,” the manager called back. “I want that wire inspected. Move the wreck over for now… carefully.”

  The movement jostled the car again causing pieces of the wreck to fall back into the Tear. Bryant made himself look over at the car, almost afraid of what he might see, but was surprised when he saw nothing.

  The insides of the car, though crushed, were visible from where he was looking, but instead of seeing Jack’s body, as he was expecting, Bryant saw nothing inside.

  Bryant first thought was that perhaps the body had flown free of the car during the crash, but until the crane had jostled the car, everything appeared intact. Even the windshield. It was crushed, but it was still solid enough that Bryant doubted a body had gone through it. But then, where was Jack? And is that a shirt and pants in the driver’s seat? Why would there be clothes in his car?

  That was strange. Bryant didn’t remember Jack keeping any change of clothes in his car before. A thought started to itch in his mind. Could he had gone through one of those portals? He quickly dismissed the thought. Jack wasn’t the type to leave without telling anyone. Jack wouldn’t have done that. Not unless there was no other choice.

  *~*

  “I’m just getting back to the apartment,” Bryant was saying over the phone as he walked up the steps to his home. He was talking to Jack’s sister, Alex, who called him shortly after he left the recovery site.

  “Did you see it?” Alex asked.

  “Yea, I saw it,” Bryant confirmed.

  “I thought I saw something that looked like it could have been, but I couldn’t get close enough to see it clearly. You sure it was Jack’s?”

  “Yea, I’m as sure as I can be,” Bryant confirmed again. “There wasn’t a body recovered so I can’t be completely certain, but I think it is. Hold on a second. I’m getting inside my house.”

  “I see,” Alex voice came across softly through the phone. He barely heard it as he fiddled with his keys. A moment later, Bryant was inside.

  “I’m still not convince Jack is gone,” Bryant added.

  “You said you didn’t see a body,” Alex said. “Are you thinking Jack went through?”

  “It has always been a possibility,” Bryant answered. “I know it is a long shot, but until they recover a body, I am choosing to believe he might still be alive on the other side.”

  “Jack wouldn’t have gone through without saying anything to us,” Alex said matter-of-factly, but she didn’t sound too sure.

  “Yea,” Bryant continued. “I know, but maybe it was unavoidable or accidental?”

  “You can’t go through a portal accidentally. It’s been proven.”

  “I dunno,” Bryant muttered. “I just can’t think of anything else that could have happened.”

  “Maybe,” Alex said softly. “I admit that it is better than thinking of the alternative. Still…”

  “I know,” Bryant said. “I hear you. All we can do now is hope.”

  “Yea,” Alex sighed. “You mentioned you wanted to go through the portal if you got the chance, right?”

  “Yea,” Bryant confirmed. “If I ever go dark for more than a day, you can trust that I went through.”

  “Then if you do, can you keep a lookout for my brother? Just in case…”

  “Of course,” Bryant assured her. “I wouldn’t leave him out there alone.”

  *~*

  Bryant put the phone down. They had continued to talk for a while longer, but it was a somber affair. Bryant laid on the couch and turned the T.V. on. The T.V. blinked onto a news broadcast. He’d been watching the news more often of late.

  “Recently there has been an increase in reported sightings of strange creatures,” the anchorwoman on the screen said. “These sightings always occur around places of reported missing people, leading many to think that it’s the work of a new organized kidnapping group taking advantage of the chaos, but many are not convinced. Our lead expert, John Hernandez, is currently with an individual that claims to have seen these creatures. John?”

  “Thank you, Katherine,” John said. “I am standing here with a Mr. Baker who claims to have not only seen these creatures, but to have also caught them on camera. Can you tell us more about what you saw Mr. Baker?”

  The news reporter held the mic out to a middle-aged man. “Thank you. I was just taking my trash out…”

  Bryant turned off the T.V.. Just another person trying to get their twenty minutes. Bryant couldn’t focus on that right now. Instead, he went through what they knew about the portals that appeared throughout the world. There were only four things they knew to be true about them. He muttered them aloud as he thought.

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  “Only living creatures could use the portal. So, Jack couldn’t have been dead if he was able to use one. Nothing that went into a portal returned, and you couldn’t take anything into the portal with you, which would explain the clothes. And no one could be forced into a portal. That last one is the most problematic, but what else could have happened…”

  Bryant pulled out his phone, browsing through the list of downloaded apps. Eventually he came to the one that he downloaded recently. A portal finder app that was created to help track known portal locations.

  Opening the app, he started looking through his area. There was one that was supposed to be a few miles away from him. He stared at the location for a while, debating what to do.

  “It’s time to stop talking about it and just do it,” Bryant told himself. He sent out a mass text to everyone he could think of, letting them know what he was planning to do before getting up and leaving his apartment one last time.

  Immediately, his phone started ringing, but he ignored it. He didn’t want anyone to change his mind. Another drive across town, and Bryant was standing in front of a blue, glowing portal. He prepared as best he could, which was quick as he couldn’t bring anything with him anyways. He spent most of the time just settling his nerves. Once he was ready, he stepped into the portal.

  *~*

  Deep in the jungle, a large white tiger slept. It had slept undisturbed for years, but now a sudden shift in the jungle’s ambient Mana disturbed its rest. That by itself wouldn’t have been enough to awaken it, but another more immediate threat was intruding on its territory. Fortunately, it knew this threat.

  “I know you are here, Reynard,” the tiger yawned. “You know you are not supposed to be here. It is disrespectful to enter another’s’ territory without permission.”

  A small insect-like creature flew down landing on a rock nearby. A moment later, a large, orange fox-creature was sitting where the insect had just been. “I come in peace, Byakko,” Reynard said. “There is a change taking place within the jungle. Surely you can sense it.”

  Byakko stared at his Beast Lord neighbor. They had known each other for some time now and while they kept to their personal territories most of the time, there was always a level of respect each of the four Lords had for each other. How could there not be. Each of the Lords had risen through the realms and attained the coveted title of Beast Lord, and each had been chosen for the same reason.

  True, the reason each of the Lords had agreed to stay had been different, but each had made the contract and knew the importance of why they were here. If Reynard was here now, then Byakko would not dismiss it.

  There must be more than a simple change in the ambient Mana happening right now. Byakko reached out with his senses, his aura filling the surrounding jungle. He was careful not to release its full strength. That would be dangerous for the creatures that lived within. Instead, he used just the barest trace of his aura. It was just enough that only those sensitive to such things would have been able to tell what he was doing but not enough to do any harm.

  “The children of the Eastern Lord have been active of late,” Byakko commented after a moment. “And the Northern Lord’s children have exceeded their bounds.”

  “And why would they do that?” Reynard asked. “I admit, I was curious as well, so I decided to investigate. That was when I discovered something disturbing.”

  “If you have information then speak it,” Byakko growled.

  “Very well,” Reynard sighed. “While you slept, several new species have joined the jungle. One in particular is a curious tribe of beasts.”

  “New species come and go,” Byakko yawned again, still not seeing the issue. “It is not our place to interfere outside the bounds of our contract.”

  “Under normal circumstances I would agree,” Reynard said. “But this species had the misfortune to cross paths with a Beastmaster.”

  Byakko let out an involuntary growl. “Even still,” Byakko said. “Unless their paths come in conflict with our contract, it is not our place. Certainly not a cause for alarm. Besides, not all Beastmasters are terrible.”

  “This one is,” Reynard replied immediately. “I have been observing him for some time now. It’s a shame actually. The Beast tribe were on the bridge of crossing the boundary between beasts and Enlightened. Very rare. Truly a shame to see such potential go to waste.”

  “Even still,” Byakko repeated. “It is not our place to decide the fate of the lower realms. We are only to stand guard.”

  “Oh, did I not mention?” Reynard added. “The city has been found.”

  That made Byakko pause. “How?”

  “As best I have been able to tell, it was a series of random circumstances,” Reynard said. “If you must blame someone, then blame the Eastern Lord. It was his territory and children that were unable to handle the threat. They could have reached out to any of us. At least to tell us of the threat, but neither he nor his children did. Even now, they are quiet. I only learned this through my own investigations.”

  “And the prison?”

  “Found and all paths released,” Reynard said.

  “Then it begins again,” Byakko muttered. “And our time on this realm is almost at an end. We have only one last task before us. But I take it this Beastmaster was involved in the breaking of the seals?”

  “Yes, the Beastmaster was involved,” Reynard answered. “Or I should say was. It appears that the Beastmaster decided to take one of the paths for himself. The path of Blood. He is now a Blood Mage.”

  “So, another once again walks this realm,” Byakko said. “We always knew it would happen eventually. It was never expected to be a permanent solution to the problem, and the prison has already held longer than we expected it to. Let us hope that is enough. I take it there is more to this though. Otherwise, you would have already killed the individual.”

  “A bit more yes,” Reynard said. “Before releasing the paths, the Blood Mage managed to join the Order through that ancient trial.”

  “It is still active? After all this time?”

  “It is,” Reynard confirmed. “More than that, it looks to have been fairly active recently.”

  “Then there is nothing we can do,” Byakko stated. “Our contract stands.”

  “Should this individual undergo the advance trials…”

  “Our contract stands!” Byakko repeated with a growl. “We do not make the choice on who. We are only to oversee. We are no longer of this realm and there are limits to what we can do in it now. That was part of our contract upon descending the realms. The creatures and Enlightened of this realm will have to handle the reemergence now.”

  “And if this Blood Mage is able to rise to the third realm?” Reynard asked. “Our realm?”

  “Then we will handle it there,” Byakko said simply. “Until such time, if the mage is of the Order than we stand down.”

  Reynard hummed in thought at Byakko’s statement. “That is one way to handle it. But there might be a way we could handle the threat now. Afterall, the Eastern and Northern Lords have never been shy about interfering with the beings on this realm.”

  “They are not responsible for the actions and decisions of their brood,” Byakko said. “Their children are of this realm and therefore not bound as we are. You know this to be the case. We have discussed this before.”

  “We have,” Reynard agreed. “Still, it is rather vexing that we are denied that loophole.”

  “It is not a loophole,” Byakko growled. “This is how it has always worked, and children have never been a part of either of our paths.”

  Byakko laid his head down again. The discussion was over as far as he was concerned.

  “Indeed,” Reynard acknowledged. “Even if they were, there is none suitable to bear our children on this realm, but I mentioned a change taking place. A series of circumstances that might just give us a chance at exploiting a different looph… I mean a chance to take advantage of an opportunity normally denied to us.”

  Byakko turned back to the fox Lord. “What are you planning?”

  “Nothing that would break our contract,” Reynard assured him. “But opportunities exist to be seized, do they not? Shall I tell you what has taken place during your recent slumber?”

  “Get on with it,” Byakko growled. “I am tiring of this conversation.”

  “Very well,” Reynard said. “The first then. The child has completely awakened.”

  “Hardly news,” Byakko said. “The child has been sentient for a long time.”

  “But only in the last few centuries has it been on the verge of ascending,” Reynard said. “You are aware what that will mean.”

  “Ascending is not easily done,” Byakko said. “And the child will never ascend while it is stuck in that place.”

  “I have reason to believe that won’t be the case for long,” Reynard said. “But that was only the first. The second is that there is another candidate besides the Blood Mage.”

  “Strange,” Byakko said. “But not worthy of note. Even during the Order’s height in power, there were several Candidates, but few ever took the steps to becoming a Chosen. The ones that did, never succeeded.”

  “That brings me to the third event of note,” Reynard said. “That same Candidate has chosen one of the Akashic Champion classes and the Akashic Craftsman class.”

  “Then they are a fool,” Byakko said dismissively.

  “Perhaps so,” Reynard said. “There was no one to guide the Candidate to those classes and yet this one chose it anyways.”

  “A mistake then,” Byakko grimaced. “Unfortunate.”

  “Quite possible,” Reynard said. “But in it lies the opportunity. After discovery of the breach of the Northern Lord’s children. I did some searching and found that while the Beastmaster may have been involved in breaking the seals. He was not the only one to find the city or opportunities within.”

  “You wish to use this individual?” Byakko growled. “Manipulate a child into accomplishing your own personal desire?”

  “He has formed a contract with the Order,” Reynard said. “I have observed these Enlightened for some time now, and their goals are similar to ours. I will not need to manipulate anyone. And even without any prodding provided, he has committed himself to the Order three times now. That makes him the last true member of the Order left in this realm. Perhaps he doesn’t know what that means, but we do. Without an Elder to guide this member, it falls to us. Afterall, there is no one else.”

  “I see you already made up your mind about this,” Byakko said. “Do as you will.”

  “Then I have your blessing in this?” Reynard asked.

  “You have my promise not to interfere, so long as you do not breach the contract,” Byakko said. “I will stand aside. But it will fall to me to enforce it if you cross the line. After all this time, I'd hate to have to kill you now.”

  “Understood,” Reynard said. “And thank you.”