Ruler of Beyonders

All the talking was happening through microphones in the chamber. They were attached for communication between the awakened and the operators.

Then they all were teleported towards Ren for testing. After their teleportation, Watson asked,

"How are you? Did anything happen to you? I was worried about you."

"I'm fine now. Feels good. Don't worry, nothing happened to me. At least not before I kill you with my own hands." Ren tried to turn the intense environment into something calm and funny because Watson was too worried about him.

All of them laughed. Then Watson replied,

"That time will never come."

"I see," Ren said with a broad smile.

After this sarcastic moment,

"What about next? Is there anything left after this? And what is that... he's not awakened yet?" Watson asked, looking at Yato.

Yato didn't answer right away.

Before he could speak, the sound of footsteps echoed through the chamber. Slow. Heavy. Calm.

Everyone in the room turned their heads.

An old man walked in.

He wore a dark grey robe with golden cuffs, and his back was straight despite his age. His hair was all white, tied neatly behind his head. His eyes, though, were sharp... so sharp it felt like he could see straight through skin and bone.

Even Yato stepped aside.

"Commander Seroi," he said with quiet respect.

Ren looked at the man, confused. He didn't know who this was, but the way everyone stood up straighter told him this wasn't just some elder.

Seroi stopped near them and looked straight at Ren.

"So… this is the boy who reacted to the Rift."

Ren swallowed, feeling the pressure from the old man's gaze.

Seroi's eyes moved to the monitor showing the results of the basic scan.

"Hmph. Nothing found. As expected," he said.

Watson tilted his head. "Wait. You expected the scan to show nothing?"

"Of course," Seroi said, walking closer. "You're using tools made to detect magic and physical changes. What awakened in this boy… isn't magic. It's something older."

Ren blinked. "Then… what is it?"

Seroi stared at him for a few seconds, then finally spoke.

"Do you know what it means to awaken, boy?"

Ren shook his head.

"It's not just gaining power. True awakening means your soul responds to something greater than yourself. A deep truth. A pain that doesn't go away. It's not forced. It's not taught. It happens when your very being refuses to stay silent."

Ren lowered his eyes. He remembered that moment. The fear, the heat in his chest, the emptiness.

"He's close," Seroi continued. "But not awakened. That mark inside him… it's a seed."

Yato nodded. "That's why we're preparing the resonance scan."

Seroi turned to the operator. "Prepare it fully. No limits. Let the chamber pull as deep as it can."

The technician hesitated. "But sir, full resonance can cause mental breaks if the subject isn't ready."

"He'll endure it," Seroi said firmly. "He has to."

Watson frowned. "Hey, he's not a weapon. He's just a kid. Why are you pushing so hard?"

Seroi looked at him. "Because if we don't, this city may burn. The Rift he saw was not random. Something crossed over. And it recognized him."

Ren's heart skipped a beat.

"What do you mean… recognized me?"

Seroi placed a hand on Ren's shoulder.

"You don't need to understand yet. Just step into the next chamber. Let it show you what's inside."

Ren nodded slowly. He didn't fully get it. But part of him… wanted to know. Needed to know.

Even if it hurt.

Yato gave him a small nod. "We'll be watching. You're not alone."

The doors to the resonance chamber opened with a soft hiss.

Cold air flowed out.

Ren stepped forward.

One more step toward the truth.

The door to the resonance chamber opened fully, and a cold mist rolled out. The air inside was thick and quiet, like something deep.

Ren stepped toward it.

Seroi raised a hand.

"Wait."

He turned to Yato. "Move him there through the inner teleport circle. I don't want his spirit reacting too early from the walk."

Yato gave a short nod. "Understood."

He pulled out a small round device from his coat and clicked it open. A soft white circle appeared on the floor beneath Ren's feet.

"Don't move," Yato said.

The circle lit up.

In a blink, Ren vanished.

He reappeared on the far side of the facility, inside the resonance chamber. It was a wide room with no corners, just a perfect dome of smooth white. The air inside pulsed gently, like a heartbeat. Strange symbols floated slowly around the ceiling, glowing pale silver.

Ren stood still at the center. He felt pressure all around him, like something pushing in from every direction. But he didn't panic.

He was ready.

Meanwhile, the rest teleported to another place. Watson and Seroi stood in the upper chamber, the observation room, looking down at Ren through a large glass panel. Screens beside them showed his heart rate, brain activity, and energy levels.

Watson folded his arms again.

"You talk like he's some kind of prophecy."

Seroi didn't look away from the glass.

"I don't believe in prophecy. I believe in patterns. Echoes. And this boy… is echoing something we thought was lost."

Watson sighed. "He's still a kid. You say he's not awakened yet, but he's already carrying too much."

Seroi turned his head slightly.

"Do you think awakening is a gift?"

Watson looked at him.

"Sometimes," he said. "But most times? It looks like pain wrapped in fire."

Seroi gave a small nod. "Then you understand. Ren doesn't need to be protected from this. He needs to pass through it. If he avoids it now, he'll never become strong enough to survive what's coming."

Watson looked at the chamber again.

Ren was standing still, head slightly lowered. The scan had not started yet. The energy inside the room was still building.

"So what's really inside him?" Watson asked.

Seroi's voice was calm.

"I don't know yet. But I felt it the moment I saw him. It's not just power. It's memory. Something old. And dangerous."

Watson narrowed his eyes. "And you're okay with dragging him into it?"

Seroi turned fully to him this time.

"You think I'm being cruel. But let me ask you something, Watson… What if Ren is the only one who can survive what's coming? What if the world breaks again, and only those who've already tasted the fracture can hold it together?"

Watson stayed silent for a moment.

He looked back at Ren.

Then he spoke softly.

"Then I'll stay by his side. No matter how far he goes."

Seroi looked at him for a few seconds, then gave a small nod.

"Good. He'll need you."

Down in the chamber, Ren opened his eyes as the silver symbols started moving faster.

The resonance scan was about to begin.

And whatever was buried deep inside him was starting to be revealed.

The silver symbols inside the resonance chamber spun faster.

Ren stood in the center, his eyes wide open. He wasn't shaking, but his breathing had changed. Slow, deep, like he was falling into something endless.

Then the lights inside the chamber dimmed.

The walls flickered, showing strange shapes. Not images... More like shadows pressing in from another place.

On the monitor, the energy levels spiked.

The screen glitched for a second.

Then everything turned black.