Lost In Chaos

Kaz sat across from Ryuma, their plates half-finished as they discussed their next Rift.

Since people who got Rifted together the first time usually ended up in the same place again, they had a good chance of being sent back to the desert world. But soon, they'd need an anchor.

Rifting wasn't simple teleportation. It wasn't like stepping through a doorway—it was more like being violently displaced, ripped from one place and thrown into another. For some reason, their bodies glowed brightly before being thrust into random worlds.

Maybe that glow had something to do with the Rifts themselves.

But what really bothered Kaz was how the three big clans all had anchors in different worlds.

Darkbloom controlled a city shrouded in endless twilight, where the sky was forever locked in a solar eclipse. Shadows stretched unnaturally, and even the people seemed to blur at the edges.Fallen Sword had a massive metallic moon, orbiting a dead world with an artificial sun glowing ominously overhead. A place built entirely from war and steel.Flameheart ruled over the most terrifying place—a world-sized volcano. Rivers of molten rock replaced oceans, and ashen skies rained fire.

And soon, Kaz and Ryuma's next Rift would determine their own anchor.

Ryuma had already decided to leave Darkbloom for a while, which was why he signed up for the same classes as Kaz. It was a rare choice—most people stayed loyal to their clans, but Ryuma? He wanted something different.

Kaz was lost in thought when Ryuma suddenly spoke.

"Hey, you alright? You were staring into space." He smirked. "Were you inside your Sanctuary again?"

Kaz exhaled sharply. "No."

He didn't even want to think about his Sanctuary right now. The scripts, the strange depths of his 'Beyond'… it was too much.

"I was thinking about the big clans," he muttered instead. "Someone from one of them is looking for a suitor, and my sister tried to marry me off to him."

Ryuma chuckled. "So you like guys?"

Kaz looked away, his face heating slightly. "Well… doesn't everyone?"

After all, when the planet had been on the brink of destruction, people stopped caring about things like that. It was only strength that mattered now.

Ryuma shrugged. "Fair point. Who's the suitor?"

Kaz sighed, irritated. "Some guy called Axion Scar."

At the mention of the name, Ryuma went silent.

For a moment, Kaz thought he hadn't heard him, but then Ryuma's entire demeanor changed. His confidence wavered.

"A-Axion Scar?" His voice was lower now. "You mean… from the Scar Clan?"

Kaz frowned. "Yeah, why?"

Ryuma looked genuinely uneasy now, a rare sight. He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"Because his clan… murdered the three big clans in an instant."

Kaz's jaw dropped.

"What?"

Ryuma nodded. "The three great clans—Darkbloom, Fallen Sword, and Flameheart—all at their **strongest, all prepared… and the Scar Clan wiped them out like they were nothing."

Kaz took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "Well… they'd have to gouge my Milky Way eyes out before I even think about talking to him."

He said it bitterly, but there was truth to it. His eyes weren't the same as before.

When he looked in the mirror now, his once-brown eyes were gone.

Now, they were a deep cosmic violet, filled with small glimmers of white light, like distant stars.

His hair had changed too—a deep purple, mirroring his sister's.

It seemed that becoming Riftborn meant gaining permanent, unexplainable changes.

"Well," Kaz muttered, "I still won't talk to him. Ever."

Ryuma suddenly pointed behind him.

Kaz blinked. "What?"

Ryuma just nodded toward the entrance of the cafeteria. "Look behind you."

A shiver crawled up Kaz's spine as he turned.

Standing there, a few feet away, was Axion Scar.

He had striking gray hair, strands falling lazily over his forehead. His skin was a flawless, deep onyx black, smooth as polished stone.

And his eyes…

His diamond-shaped eyes gleamed with something unnatural.

For the first time, Kaz felt something he rarely experienced.

A strange, gut-deep unease.

Axion was looking directly at him.

You said:no ryuma was saying that scar clan can destroy the big clans in an instantChatGPT said:ChatGPT

Got it! Here's the refined and expanded chapter with more clarity on the Scar Clan's power and Axion's introduction.

Chapter: Riftbound Ties

Kaz sat across from Ryuma in the cafeteria, their trays barely touched as they discussed their next Rift.

Since people who got Rifted together usually ended up in the same place again, there was a high chance they'd return to the desert world. But this time, there was something new to consider—anchors.

Rifting wasn't simple teleportation. It wasn't like stepping through a doorway; it was like being forcibly pulled away from home and thrown somewhere else.

Maybe there was a reason why their bodies glowed before being sent to new worlds.

But what really stood out to Kaz was how the three great clans each had a foothold in different worlds.

Darkbloom ruled a city where the sun never fully rose—a place of endless twilight, its skies trapped in a permanent solar eclipse.Fallen Sword had a fortress on a massive metallic moon, orbiting a dead world with an artificial sun that cast long, eerie shadows.Flameheart's domain was the most terrifying—a world-sized volcano, its rivers of molten rock replacing oceans, its skies thick with ashen storms.

Their next Rift would likely decide which world would become their anchor.

Kaz had no particular allegiance. Ryuma, however, had made a rare choice—he was leaving Darkbloom. It was why he signed up for the same classes as Kaz. Most people stayed loyal to their clans, but Ryuma wanted something different.

Kaz was deep in thought when Ryuma snapped him out of it.

"Hey, you alright?" He smirked. "You were kinda zoning out. Were you inside your Sanctuary again?"

Kaz exhaled. "No."

He didn't even want to think about his Sanctuary right now.

"I was thinking about the big clans," Kaz muttered instead. "Someone from one of them is looking for a suitor, and my sister tried to marry me off to him."

Ryuma chuckled. "So you like guys?"

Kaz looked away, a slight heat in his face. "Well… doesn't everyone?"

For a long time, humanity had been on the brink of extinction. There was no room for prejudice when survival was the only thing that mattered. Strength was the only thing people cared about now.

Ryuma nodded. "Fair point. So… who's the suitor?"

Kaz scowled. "Some guy called Axion Scar."

At the mention of the name, Ryuma stiffened.

Kaz frowned. "What?"

Ryuma was silent for a moment, then leaned in, lowering his voice.

"You mean Axion Scar… from the Scar Clan?"

Kaz raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why?"

Ryuma's face was uncharacteristically serious. "Because his clan… can destroy the big three clans in an instant."

Kaz's breath hitched. "What?"

Ryuma nodded. "The three great clans—**Darkbloom, Fallen Sword, and Flameheart—**at their strongest, at their most prepared… and the Scar Clan could wipe them out like they were nothing."

Kaz felt an unfamiliar chill creep down his spine. "You're joking."

"I'm dead serious," Ryuma said quietly. "You don't hear much about them because they don't need to prove anything. The big clans? They make all this noise, gathering anchors, showing off their Riftborn warriors… but the Scar Clan? They don't need any of that. If they wanted, they could end the balance of power in a single day."

Kaz clenched his jaw. "And yet my sister wants me to marry into that?"

Ryuma gave him a knowing look. "Maybe she's trying to protect you."

Kaz scoffed. "By selling me off? No thanks."

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I don't care who he is. I'm not talking to him. Ever."

Ryuma's expression shifted.

"Uh… you might wanna reconsider that."

Kaz raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Ryuma didn't say anything.

He just pointed behind him.

Kaz turned—and felt his entire body freeze.

Standing there, just a few feet away, was Axion Scar.

He was taller than Kaz expected, with silvery-gray hair that fell lazily over his forehead. His skin was a flawless onyx black, smooth as polished stone.

And his eyes…

His diamond-shaped eyes gleamed with something unnatural.

For the first time in a long time, Kaz felt something unsettling.

A deep, gut-deep unease.

Because Axion was looking right at him.