A deafening roar echoed through the sky as space tore open, ripping through reality itself. From the rift, a figure plummeted, dazed and half-unconscious, free-falling through the air.

When he finally regained consciousness, he realized he was still falling—fast. Acting on instinct, he channeled his ether energy, steadying himself just in time to land safely on the ground.

He barely had a moment to breathe before someone else came crashing down—right on top of him.

Then it happened again. And again. And again.

Pinned beneath a pile of bodies, the first man let out a loud groan. “Holy crap, you guys are heavy as a truck. Get off me!”

The others scrambled off, each groaning from the rough landing. They sat on the ground, catching their breath before introducing themselves.

The man who had been crushed first spoke up. “I’m Orion.”

Orion wore a black hooded suit, his long-sleeved black cloak swaying slightly as he adjusted his position. The next to speak was the one who had landed directly on top of him—a muscular man with tanned skin, battle scars, and wild red hair.

“I’m Garrik,” he said. “And… sorry, Orion.”

Next, a girl with short black hair, dressed in a sleek bodysuit, introduced herself. “I’m Nyx.”

Beside her, a robed girl quickly bowed her head apologetically to Orion before saying, “I’m Lysara Valen. I’m a mage.”

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The last of them, a man wearing a high-tech armored coat, crossed his arms. “I’m Vex.” His sharp gaze landed on Orion. “You’re unusually composed. Do you know anything about this place?”

Orion ignored him completely and turned to Lysara. “Are you from a medieval period?”

Lysara nodded. “Yes.”

Vex, annoyed at being ignored, tried again. “Orion, do you know anything about this place?”

Once again, Orion ignored him.

Nyx, watching the exchange, struggled not to laugh. She turned to Orion and repeated Vex’s question. “Do you know anything about this place?”

Orion finally answered. “No. But this is a rare—yet not impossible—occurrence when someone is swallowed by a rift. Only one person in history ever made it back… and they instantly aged and died.” He paused before asking, “By the way, are you from the future?”

Nyx nodded. “Yeah.”

That was the last straw for Vex. His patience snapped. “Are you even listening to me?!”

Orion glanced at him. “I’m right next to you. No need to scream. You look so young, but you act like an old man.”

Vex scowled. “I’m not an old man.”

Orion smirked. “Yes, you are.”

Vex glared. “No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

“NO, I’M NOT—”

“Old man. Old geezer. Gramps. Uncle—”

The group finally lost it. Nyx covered her mouth, shaking with laughter. Garrik clutched his stomach. Lysara giggled behind her hand.

Vex’s face darkened. His patience was gone. He pulled out his weapon and aimed it at Orion. “I’ll kill you.”

Orion, unfazed, kept talking. “This place feels terribly similar to Star Wars, so we should probably avoid both the Empire and the rebels.”

Nyx blinked, amused. The others, however, exchanged confused looks.

“What’s Star Wars?” Lysara asked.

Vex, growing more enraged, snapped, “Are you chickening out of this fight?”

Orion smirked. “Fine. Come at me.”

The two of them stood up. Nyx watched with interest, while Garrik cheered them on.

Vex gripped his spear. “What’s with the mask? Too embarrassed to remove it?”

Orion adjusted his hood. “No. If I take it off, I’ll be surrounded by girls, so I prefer to keep it on. Even your wife would leave you for me.”

Vex twitched but said nothing. Instead, he lunged.

Vex’s instincts flared, and he jumped back just in time. No openings, huh?

Deciding to go on the offensive, Orion closed the distance between them in a blink. In one swift motion, he snatched the gun from Vex’s waist, grabbed his elbow, and twisted it behind his back, forcing the spear from his grip.

Vex gritted his teeth. Damn, he’s fast. Unable to break free, he lashed out with his leg, aiming for Orion’s head.

Orion dodged, releasing his hold. Vex saw an opening. He aimed his spear at Orion’s shoulder—only to have it snatched away once more.

In a flash, Orion cocked the gun and aimed it directly at Vex’s heart.

Vex’s breath hitched.

“You know,” Orion said casually, “if I can take my enemy with me… it’s not so bad.”