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Chapter 2 - Rift's Edge

He was never too loud when he talked to his son.

"How are you feeling?"

"The same as usual." The words tumbled from Kyrios' lips in a disinterested drone as he drew closer.

He wondered what his dad would do today. Sometimes, he told him stories about his youth or played board games. Other times, he would read books about the world. Today, however, a strange glimmer stood in his eyes like an unspoken secret. His gaze showed tenderness, yet not the kind of sincerity one could hope for. Deceit, perhaps.

Reaching down, he cradled his son's hand, with fingers slightly shaking as he stroked the back of Kyrios' palm.

"Happy birthday, son. You're already fourteen today. You kids grow up so quickly in an old man's eyes."

"Thanks. What did you need to talk about?"

"Nothing much, actually. I just wanted some alone time with you." His voice bore an off-putting uncertainty as he leaned in closer. "Like a father and son moment. But I got a present for you."

"Oh, you're giving me my present now? I thought we would wait until tonight like usual."

"I know, but... I can't put it off any longer." His eyes flickered, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. "I… ehh."

"Dad, what's wrong?"

He glanced up at Kyrios and squeezed his hand, his smile a thin facade.

"Nothing. I'm just excited." He took a step back, released Kyrios' hand, and tossed him a blindfold from his pocket. "Catch!"

"A blindfold?"

"Say, why don't you put this on, and I'll take you out to see your present?"

"Is it really that big?" Kyrios asked with a nervous chuckle. He'd usually give his son a toy to play with, but he wasn't that young anymore. Last year, he gave him the ball they were playing with earlier, but Kyrios had given it to his friends since he couldn't play alone.

"Well, I suppose you'll have to see for yourself." He grinned, reaching out to tie the cloth around his son's eyes. "I think you'll be really excited about it."

"I'll be excited?" Kyrios asked. Skepticism laced his voice. His father's words didn't quite align with his demeanor, leaving Kyrios uneasy. Nevertheless, he played along, allowing his dad to blindfold him with the cloth. If there was one person he could trust, it was him; he was his dad and only family, after all. But even so, he felt vulnerable. His behavior felt different, off-kilter from his usual warm, jovial self. The feeling gnawing at Kyrios' gut: he couldn't shake it off.

He tilted his head to the side when he finished tying the blindfold. "Why do I have to wear this? That doesn't make sense."

"Don't worry about it. It's a surprise, after all. If I told you too much, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore." He chuckled as he adjusted the fabric, ensuring it was snug against Kyrios' skin.

"But, Dad. This isn't like you. What's really going on?" Kyrios inquired. He tried to maintain a calm façade, hoping to coax the truth out of him.

"Dummy, it's a surprise. It's no fun if you find out."

Kyrios rubbed his cheek against the blindfold and pursed his lips. "Fine, fine. I'll do it."

His father didn't reply. Instead, he tugged his son into his wheelchair and began to push him forward. Kyrios clutched the arms tightly as they started their journey. He wanted to know where his dad was taking him and what he'd done to prepare.

Was he leaving the village for the first time in months? Was this some game? His father rarely brought him this far out, so he couldn't imagine what his dad had in mind. Perhaps he was pretending to be suspicious to make the surprise more unexpected? Maybe it was all an act. Either way, there wasn't much a cripple like him could do neither against his father nor the Rift.

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And as he led Kyrios along the labyrinthine paths of their familiar town, his heart sped up.

Trepidation.

The world beyond his blindfold transformed into an impenetrable abyss, leaving his stomach somersaulting in concern. With each step they took, the familiar warmth of home grew more distant, and his thoughts began to wander with excitement over where their secret adventure might take them. Yet, the initial thrill began to wane, slowly usurped by a jagged unease that coiled from within.

Continuing forward, the weight of silence enveloped them. Suffocating and relentless. It left them both yearning for a word. A reassurance. Anything to quell the rising disquiet.

Eventually, he stopped.

"Hey, son. Remember what you kept telling me about when you were little?"

Kyrios thought back to his childhood and remembered trying to communicate with him about the things he had seen, heard, or felt. His dad had always been very kind and often indulged Kyrios' stories with patient interest, although he had never believed him.

"What do you mean? How long ago do you mean?" he asked. "You mean my old weird stories?"

"Haha, that too. I remember you spent a whole night awake, blabbering about whether a reverse animal farm would work. You know, as in humans being the livestock. You went so much into detail that it was almost uncanny. Or that there was an entire continent somewhere in the world where the devil ruled. Quite some thrilling thoughts for a kid, I must say. I still wish you were as creative as back then. Does creativity fall off with age?"

"Haha, please don't mention that; it's kinda embarrassing." Kyrios blushed, sinking his face into his legs. "So, what was your point? Making fun of me again?"

"Hey, you know. You used to talk about how you wished you could walk like everybody else. You know, if you only didn't have that disease. What was it called again? I don't remember; I didn't want to remember."

"Oh, yeah... That..." Kyrios trailed off, unsure of what to say. He wasn't sure what his dad wanted from him, so he kept his thoughts to himself. "I don't really want to talk about that anymore, and there is a reason why I haven't. I know that isn't possible. The doctor already said that. Drakewood's Disease. It's incurable, even with today's medical technology. He told me there wasn't anything to be done."

"That's true," his dad agreed. "But it doesn't mean that you shouldn't have any goals at all. That's not healthy. You can't be content to live your life as you are."

Kyrios smirked. "Don't worry... I still dream even to this day. They said I only had a few months left until my entire body is paralyzed. The rest of my life would be constant suffering, but I don't care; as long as the possibility is there, I will always want to live. I know if I don't, it'll be the greatest regret of my life."

His dad lowered his head and sighed. "I wish I could tell you that I have a cure for you. That I could whisk you away to a better place where you could be cured of your illness, but I'm afraid I can't do that."

"It's okay. I'm still happy," Kyrios comforted, leaning back in the chair. "It must be hard to raise a son like me, right? I know you're doing the best you can."

"I know that you think I am, but I'm not." Quiet sobbing shook his shoulders, and his son reached out to hold his hand. "It's my fault that you... I-I've never felt this helpless before. I don't know if I say anything else. Please don't blame your mother. She and I couldn't help but... Never mind, it's better if you never knew."

Kyrios shifted his gaze towards his voice, offering solace through his presence. "It's okay. It's not your fault. I'm going to do my best to beat the disease. And after that, I'll study even more and build a stronger body. I'll find a well-paying job so you can relax for the rest of your life. Sounds nice, right? That's my dream. I'm sure mom would've loved it."

Kyrios strained his ears, anticipating his dad's response, yet the only answer that greeted him was the wind rustling through the trees.

"Dad? You there? W-why are we in a forest?" His voice cracked, serving as the sole companion to their silent exchange

Still, no answer. Was he preparing the gift? Would he come back?

"Dad, what's going on?!" Kyrios shouted. His voice trembled in fear. "W-why aren't you here? Hey! Answer me! Where did you go? D-don't leave me alone!"

Instantly, he removed the blindfold, face shaking left and right, desperately scanning the surroundings for any signs of his father. But only a barren void greeted his eyes. His father had vanished, leaving him stranded amidst the forest's center, where a surreal tableau of enigmatic markings encircled him. They etched into the earth screamed a cryptic language like an unsettling testament to the unknown forces in this godforsaken place.

And soon enough, they began to radiate a pale blue light that soon filled the area, casting everything in a haunting hue of azure.

"These... Are they runes?!" He gasped, gaping at the sight before him.

The ground trembled, sending Kyrios scrambling back in his wheelchair as a great shadow loomed overhead. A sickening crunch echoed, and the earth split open, spilling a massive quake from its depths.

Kyrios peered through the crack, his jaw falling open at the sight of the world beneath. The scene bathed in an unnatural magenta hue, tinged with crimson at its borders. Glittering strands of iridescence drifted through the air, painting the void in an eerie gloss.

"Dad? Ilias? Theo? Where are you guys!?"

With bated breath, he leaned in closer, eyes growing wide at the terrifying sight unfolding. Something was stirring beneath, a mysterious and ominous force that birthed a void from the heart of the earth. And before he knew it, the wheels on his chair began to roll with the ground's bend, teetering over the precipice of an abyss so deep it seemed to pierce the very heavens themselves.