Ruler of Beyonders

Ren lived in the outer ring, in the narrowest part of Ironvale. The buildings there leaned into each other. Some windows were broken, patched with tape or cloth. Rust was everywhere.

He climbed three floors of a crooked building and knocked on the old wooden door.

A voice called out from inside.

"Ren? That you?"

He opened the door.

His mother stood there. Her hair was tied back, her eyes tired but warm.

"You are late again," she said with a sigh, pulling him into a hug.

Ren hugged her quietly.

His father stepped out from the small kitchen, wiping his hands.

"You skipped dinner again, huh?" he said, his voice deep but calm.

They sat together at the table.

His parents did not know what had happened. Not yet. But Ren could tell they felt something.

"Are you okay, son?" his mother asked, brushing his hair back.

Ren nodded.

"I'm just tired."

They did not push him.

Ren went to his room and lay down in his bed.

Ren's family was poor. His father worked in a parts factory. His mother worked in a cleaning company. They had just enough to pay rent and buy food. No luxuries. No protection. No power.

Ren had grown up knowing he could not afford school like others. He had to work part-time jobs, learn things on his own. That was why the awakening center test meant so much.

He had one chance to change everything.

And now he had awakened.

Not just awakened. Become something no one could explain.

He looked at his parents that night, both of them smiling even without knowing what he carried inside him now.

And for the first time in a long time, Ren felt afraid.

Not for himself.

But for what his power might take from him.

During those thoughts he fell asleep without realizing when his eyes closed.

The next morning came too fast.

Ren woke before the sun had fully risen. The sky outside his window was still gray, and the sounds of the city were just beginning. Workers shouting, transport rails rumbling, factory horns echoing through the lower zones.

His parents were already gone. They had left a simple breakfast on the table. Bread. Rice. A few boiled vegetables.

Ren sat and ate quietly. Every bite felt normal. Too normal.

But he knew nothing was normal anymore.

A knock came at the door.

Not loud. Not rushed.

Ren stood up slowly, walked to the door, and opened it.

A girl stood there.

She wore a school uniform, her short black hair tied into a rough ponytail. Her eyes were sharp and curious. A plastic ID card hung from her neck.

"Ren Calder?" she asked.

Ren narrowed his eyes.

"Who's asking?"

The girl smiled.

"Student reporter. Local newspaper. I heard you passed the test yesterday. I wanted to talk to you before everyone else gets to you."

Ren did not respond.

The girl tilted her head. "That's not a no."

"Not now," Ren said, and gently closed the door.

Then he went to his bedroom.

He sat on his bed, staring at the floor.

He did not remember much from his dreams last night. Only flashes. A black ocean. A glowing mark. Nyxa's voice, whispering things he could not understand.

He closed his eyes and focused.

Nothing.

She was silent now.

But deep inside, he could still feel her presence. Like a shadow under the surface of his thoughts.

Outside, the city was waking up.

In the central tower of Ironvale, deep beneath the council floor, a red-screen alert was flashing.

"UNKNOWN ABYSS TYPE CONFIRMED. NAME REN CALDER. LOCATION IRONVALE."

Men in suits gathered around the screen. One of them whispered, "So it's true."

Elsewhere, hidden guilds started moving. Old names that had not been spoken in years began to return.

And in the ruins outside the five cities, where strange beasts roamed and ancient relics waited, something in the wind began to change.

Ren sat by the window in silence.

He did not know who would come first. Reporters. Soldiers. Awakened groups. Maybe worse.

He did not care.

He had made a choice.

And in his heart, only one name remained.

Nyxa.

He did not understand her fully. He did not know where this road would take him.

But he knew what she had told him.

Become strong.

Earn the truth.

And so, as the world prepared to watch him, Ren quietly prepared to rise.

Two days passed. In those two days, Ren did not go to school. As everybody knew his identity now, he avoided becoming the center of attention. He just lay down in his bed and stayed in his bedroom.

Mira and his parents did not force him or say anything to him because they understood that this change was sudden and stressful.

From yesterday onwards no reporters came again. No agents knocked. But Ren knew eyes were already watching. From rooftops. From streets. From shadows.

He stayed quiet.

He stayed home.

But inside, he waited.

Then, on the third night, the voice returned.

"It's time."

Ren opened his eyes.

Nyxa's voice echoed gently in his mind.

"You have rested enough, Master. Now the Soul Abyss must awaken fully. And for that, you need discipline."

Then Nyxa gave him one location to explore and use for his training.

He sat up. Replied nothing. Just followed her instructions.

Outside, the city was silent. Midnight.

He stood, grabbed his jacket, and stepped out into the night. Then he walked out quietly from his home so nobody would disturb or notice his movements.

Ironvale had many forgotten places. Abandoned rooftops, ruined buildings, half-sunken tunnels. Ren chose one of them. An old train yard on the edge of the city, filled with rusted machines and empty tracks swallowed by weeds.

He stood in the center of the open yard.

Above, the moon hung low and pale.

"What do I do?" he asked.

Nyxa's voice answered, steady and calm.

"Listen to your soul. Feel the weight in your chest. That is the Abyss."

Ren closed his eyes.

And then he felt it.

Like a deep pull inside his body. A cold pressure that spread from his heart through every limb.

"Now focus," Nyxa said. "Breathe slow. Push your will inward. The Abyss does not move by force. It responds to truth."

Ren clenched his fists. His breath slowed.

The world around him faded.

In his mind, he saw it again. The ocean of darkness. The stars above. The whirlpool spinning in the distance.

It was not a dream.

It was his Soul Abyss.

"What do I do with this?" he asked.

"Shape it," Nyxa said. "Claim it."

Suddenly, pain shot through his body. His legs buckled. His knees hit the ground.

He gritted his teeth.

It felt like something inside him was burning. Not flesh. Not bone. But deeper.

"Don't resist," she whispered. "Let it come."

Ren screamed but no sound left his mouth. He suppressed it.

And then...

Black mist leaked from his skin.

His shadow stretched far behind him, bending unnaturally. The ground cracked beneath his feet. The air grew heavy, like space itself was folding.

But Ren held on.

He did not break.

Minutes passed.

Or hours.

And then, the pain stopped.

He opened his eyes.

The yard was silent again, but the mist was still there. Slowly drifting around him like smoke made from night.

And in the center of his chest, he felt it.

A spark.

Cold. Sharp. Alive.

The Abyss had heard him. He slowly focused on it and tried to understand it. Then it started moving according to Ren's imagination. It changed shapes.

Oceans. Mountains. Voids. Universes. Anything he imagined.

"You did well," Nyxa said softly. "This is just the first layer. Your Soul Abyss holds many gates. Many powers. And many dangers."

Ren stood slowly.

"I'm ready," he said.

"No," Nyxa whispered.

"Not yet. But you will be."

He looked at his hands. Black veins flickered beneath the skin, then faded.