The old door slammed open, hitting the wall with a dull bang. Elise stood in the doorway, eyes blazing with anger but I saw the fear underneath clearly enough.
"Ethan, don't do this!" she snapped, her small fists clenched tightly at her sides. Her voice trembled slightly, betraying her real feelings.
I swallowed, keeping my gaze locked firmly on my boots as I tightened the laces. I hated seeing her like this, frightened, desperate but what choice did I have? One thing I'd learned the hard way was that you never turned down work. Especially not now.
Even as a D-rank hunter, scraping by on whatever scraps the Guilds threw my way, the pay was still leagues better than working some mundane job.
I pulled harder, laces biting into my fingers as I forced the knot tight. "Believe me, El, if I had any choice, I wouldn't take this job." My voice came out quieter than I'd intended. I didn't dare look up, afraid she'd see just how scared I really was.
"Money doesn't matter!" Elise stepped forward, voice cracking. "We can get by! Please, Ethan."
Before I could answer, she rushed forward, burying her face against my shoulder. Her hair brushed against my neck, her quiet sobs shaking against me. The ache in my chest grew unbearable, sharper than any wound I'd ever taken in the rifts.
Slowly, gently, I pushed her away, brushing the tangled strands of hair from her tear-streaked face. Her wide eyes searched mine, desperate for something, anything, to convince me to stay.
But I couldn't.
"One day you'll understand," I murmured softly. "I'm doing this for us. This job is the best chance we've had in months. We need this."
"We don't need anything! I don't need to go to school!" Elise half-shouted, voice raw. "I can get a job too, I can help!"
I sighed, frustration burning in my chest as I stood up, gesturing around our cramped apartment. Peeling wallpaper, flickering bulbs and the constant stench of mildew.
"This is exactly why you're going to school," I snapped, harsher than I meant. The exhaustion was finally catching up to me, fraying my patience. "I promised Mom I'd take care of you, and I'm not breaking that promise. This job, it's our chance to get out of this hole. You deserve better than this, Elise."
She stared back, jaw tight, eyes fierce but watering.
I stepped forward, forcing a smile as I ruffled her hair. She swiped at my hand with a frustrated huff, but even a D-ranker like me had reflexes faster than an ordinary twelve-year-old. She missed, and I pulled back, the corners of my lips quirking upward despite myself.
She pouted, the defiance melting away into a shaky, reluctant smile. For a moment, the tension between us eased.
"It's okay, El," I said gently. "You know I love you. I'm doing this for both of us. I want your first day of high school to be somewhere decent, somewhere you'll have real opportunities, not stuck here."
She wiped at a stray tear, cheeks flushed as she finally nodded. "I love you too, you big dummy."
I reached for my battered coat hanging by the door, pulling it over my shoulders and made my way to the exit.
Hand resting on the doorknob, I glanced back once more. Elise stood there quietly, eyes too old for her age, face round and scrunched up like she was desperately trying not to cry.
I gave her a faint smile and winked.
"It's just another Wednesday."
Then I stepped out into the cold morning, pulling the door shut behind me.
The morning air bit sharply into my skin as I stepped onto the busy street. Cars and pedestrians flooded the city, a chaotic mess I barely registered anymore. Neon billboards flashed overhead, promoting guild raids and hunts like they were everyday tourist attractions. Maybe they were, now.
I shoved my hands deep into my jacket pockets, pulling out my battered headphones. The moment the music filled my ears, the noise and chaos vanished. I walked on autopilot, barely conscious of the short trip to the train station.
One bitter and lukewarm instant coffee later and I was there.
The rift loomed on the horizon. A deep crimson scar splitting reality itself. Soldiers surrounded the perimeter, their guns reflecting the morning sunlight. As useless as they were, what good was a mundane weapon against mana monsters. I scoffed. I guess they're there to keep delinquents from sneaking into the rift at least.
Even from this distance, the air around it shimmered, distorted, as though reality itself was fraying at the edges.
A B-rank rift.
I paused, staring silently at the tear. People like me didn't walk away from B-rank rifts. But I didn't have the luxury of turning back.
A soldier stepped forward, hand raised firmly. "Halt."
Without a word, I pulled my Hunter's License from my jacket and flashed it at him. His eyes flicked over it quickly, and his expression softened with something that might've been pity. He stepped aside.
"Good luck," he muttered quietly.
I nodded once, forcing my feet forward. Luck wouldn't be enough.
Twenty hunters stood gathered near the rift, armored from head to toe. Their enchanted vests and exosuits gleamed in the pale dawn, mana weapons hanging confidently at their sides. I felt hopelessly out of place in my worn jeans, battered jacket, and secondhand boots.
At the front stood John. A massive greatsword hung from his back and a towering shield strapped securely to his left arm. His eyes caught mine, and he motioned me over with a casual wave.
I quickly pulled my headphones down, shoving them into my pocket, and approached.
"Alright, everyone's here," John's voice boomed clearly across the group. Hunters immediately moved closer, forming a tight semicircle. "For those who don't know me, I'm John, A-rank tank. I'll be leading this raid."
Nobody spoke. They knew exactly who he was.
John continued, his voice steady and calm. "As you know, this rift started at D-rank, but it's grown unstable. Alpha Team is already inside, clearing the rift. We're going in after to gather ores and eliminate stragglers."
He gave a few quick instructions, breaking us into teams. Then he turned, looking down at me with a hint of concern in his eyes.
"Ethan," he said quietly, nodding a greeting.
"Morning, John," I replied, forcing my voice to stay steady.
John hesitated, then leaned in, lowering his voice. "Look, kid, I'm gonna be straight with you. I pulled strings to get you here. You needed the money, and I owed your old man that much."
He exhaled slowly, eyes flicking toward the rift. "But this job? It's beyond your pay grade. You're carrying gear and ores. Nothing else. Stay out of trouble, stay alive. Got it?"
I nodded once, firmly. "Understood. I won't let you down."
John studied me, a small smile playing on his lips. Then he clapped me firmly on the shoulder, lightly for him, painfully heavy for me.
"Mia, bring the contract," he called out.
A short, sharp-eyed woman approached swiftly, shoving a stack of papers into my hands. I glanced quickly through them, already familiar with most the terms:
• Follow all Feathers Guild orders without question.
• Flat fee of $75,000.
• Death compensation: $250,000 to next of kin.
I signed without hesitation. The money didn't matter as much as the last clause. Elise would be safe, at least financially, if anything happened.
"All set?" Mia asked brusquely.
I handed the papers back, nodding grimly. "All set."
John moved toward the rift, gazing deeply into its shifting, unnatural depths, as if listening to something we couldn't hear.
"Alright," he called, turning back to the group. "Stay sharp, stick together, and above all—do not panic."
"Yes, sir," we replied in unison.
John nodded once, turned, and stepped calmly through the tear. The shimmering red swallowed him whole.
My heart hammered against my ribs. I drew in a slow, steady breath, trying to keep calm. "Just another Wednesday," I whispered.
A soft vibration pulled me from my thoughts. My phone buzzed gently, a final message blinking across the screen:
Elise: Come home safe dummy.
My throat tightened painfully, a small smile tugging at my lips as I typed my reply:
Me: Always do. See you soon.
Pocketing my phone, I stared one last time into the shifting red void ahead. No turning back now.
Then I stepped forward into darkness, and the rift swallowed me whole.