"What are you going to tell his mother?" he demanded. "She's already lost her husband. You can't just tell her that her son's gone too!"

The Vice Chancellor paused briefly before sighing softly.

"I promise you," she voiced while placing a hand on his shoulder, "even though the chances are slim… the Mana Defense Corps are still looking. If he's out there, they'll find him."

...

...

The morning sun filtered gently through the dome of New Avalon City, casting golden reflections against the translucent skyline.

The streets outside bustled with drones, floating cars, and people going about their lives. But inside a house in one of the middle areas, a different rhythm played out.

Victor's mother, hummed softly as she moved around the apartment with her large belly swaying slightly beneath her robe.

She was already seven months pregnant, but no one would ever guess from how determinedly she moved about.

She swept, cooked, and even tended to her small garden beside the panoramic window.

"Mrs. Revenant, please! Just rest," the housekeeper, Calla, pleaded from the couch, where she was folding freshly laundered sheets. "You'll wear yourself out again."

Mrs Revenant waved a hand dismissively, the same way she used to wave Victor off when he'd fuss over her. "Nonsense, Calla. Sitting around all day makes me feel older than I am. Besides—" she smiled while pressing her palm over her belly, "—I have to keep moving so this little one doesn't turn lazy like her big brother."

Calla chuckled. "Lazy? I thought you said Victor was the most energetic boy you ever knew."

"Oh, he was," Elena said fondly, pausing to look at a framed photo on the wall. It was Victor's middle school graduation picture with his father. He had a cheeky, lopsided grin that radiated pure mischief. "Always running around, gaming, tinkering with things, breaking half the furniture in the house. But when it came to cleaning up or doing chores, suddenly he became philosophical."

Both women laughed softly, but there was an ache beneath her words. It had been four long months since Victor left for the Awakened Academy.

Every day, she hoped that her boy was doing fine. The academy didn't allow contact, so all she could do was wait till he was done with his first year.

Her hand lingered on her belly as she whispered to the unborn baby, "You will love your big brother very much, you know? He's the sweetest, funniest person you'll ever meet. And even though your father is gone, Victor and I will protect you… we'll make sure you never lack anything."

Calla who was quietly folding the last sheet, turned her head slightly. There was a softness in her gaze filled with sympathy, admiration, and a touch of sadness.

She had been there since Victor left so she was aware of Mr Revenant's death six months back... since the horrific Drakenar attack on the city that took him from them.

Watching Mrs Revenant still carry herself with strength and grace, despite losing such a loved one was nothing short of admirable.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Calla frowned. "Expecting anyone, ma'am?"

Mrs Revenant shook her head, still smiling faintly. "Probably another neighborhood welfare check. Go see who it is."

When Calla opened the door, her smile immediately faltered. Standing there were six officers in mana defense uniforms and shiny armor plate layered atop.

Their presence was imposing, formal and respectful, but grave. Behind them, through the window, she could see a convoy of hover-vehicles parked by the building entrance.

"Mrs. Revenant?" one of the officers asked as the entry point. "May we come in?"

Calla hesitated, then stepped aside. "Of course."

Mrs Revenant had a look of confusion. "Officers? Did something happen?"

They saluted before speaking. "Ma'am, we're from the Mana Defense Bureau. We're here concerning your son, Victor Revenant."

Her heart froze instantly. "Victor? What about him? Is he alright?"

The leading officer cleared his throat while glancing briefly at his colleagues before stepping forward. "There was… an incident during an academy educational trip. A field excursion outside the domed cities."

Mrs Revenant's eyes widened. "An excursion?"

"Yes, ma'am. During the final trip, the last two batches of first-year students was suddenly engulfed in a massive glowing rift that appeared in the sky. Records indicate that your son, Victor Revenant, acted heroically to protect the others. He reportedly… jumped in to bring them back and held an army of Drakenars long enough for the rest of the students to escape."

Mrs Revenant hand went to her mouth. A wave of matern pride surged through her heart. "That's… my boy," she whispered as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "That's exactly what he'd do."

But then she noticed the expressions on their faces. There was no relief in their eyes. No joy. Only hesitation and pity.

Her voice trembled. "Then where is he? Where's my son?"

The officer took a deep breath. "Ma'am… he didn't make it through before the rift closed. All contact and signal readings from the tracker in his uniform were lost immediately afterward. The academy officially lists him as missing in action… presumed lost beyond retrieval."

Silence~

For one long, horrible moment, not even the buzz of the city outside could be heard.

Mrs Revenant suddenly dropped to her knees while clutching the fabric of her dress as tears streamed down her face. "No… no, no, no! You're saying my… my boy… Victor is gone?!"

The officers tried to comfort her, but she shook them off, screaming as the pain tore through her heart. "You're lying! He's fine! He's fine! He promised he'd come back to spend time with me after his first year! He promised me—"

Her words broke into sobs. Calla knelt beside her, holding her tightly as tears streaming down her own cheeks. The officers stood silently with guilt stricken expressions.

But far away... in a secure, dimly lit room, a different pair of eyes watched the entire scene unfold.

It was Cecilia Thorn, the Legendary Mage known throughout the Avalon City as a one thousand in one battle force.

A small holographic screen before her displayed the feed from a micro-camera embedded in one of the officer's uniforms.

Cecilia's hands gripped the edge of the table. "It's my fault she lost her husband," she muttered with a tone of guilt despite her composure. "Because of my arrogance… I didn't check my target properly after blasting a hole through his chest. I thought I'd annihilated the Drakenar chief, but the bastard survived. Her husband died because of my negligence."

A younger mage standing nearby, hesitated. "What are you going to do, Lady Thorn?"

"I'm going to find her son," Cecilia voiced coldly while standing up. "Even if it means scouring the entire world. I won't let her lose both of them because of me."

"But you're still on that other mission... you can't just abandon it..." a middle aged man clad in a uniform that seemed more decorated, voiced from the side.

"Watch me," she stated before turning sharply. "Get me the full testimonies from every student present that day. I want every detail about the terrain."

"Yes, ma'am."

Cecilia Thorn turned back to the screen, watching as Mrs Revenant clung to Calla while sobbing uncontrollably.

Suddenly, she suddenly gasped in pain and held belly.

"Mrs Revenant?!" Calla cried out.

A gush of water splashed onto the floor, trailing down Mrs Revenant's legs.

Her face contorted in pain as she screamed again. "The baby—! It's… it's coming early!"

The officers rushed forward in panic, calling for emergency medical drones.

But at this moment, a strange phenomenon occured.

Mrs Revenant's belly began to glow.

A radiant, pulsating light, wrapped in white mist, shone from her abdomen, illuminating the entire living room.

Calla stumbled back and shielded her eyes while the officers froze in disbelief.

"What the hell is happening?!" one shouted.

...

...

(( Two Weeks Later ))

Victor sat on a rough rock with his boots half-submerged in the thick, purplish goo that coated the ground like melted tar.

The substance bubbled every few seconds, releasing a faint hiss and a mist that shimmered with magenta light.

He wrinkled his nose as another puff of that toxic haze floated toward him.

"Achoo!"

He sneezed violently, then groaned. "Perfect. Just perfect. Stuck in hell's armpit and allergic to the damn air…"

The sound echoed through the eerie stillness, bouncing off stone pillars that jutted out of the ground like the bones of some dead giant. A

Around him, the strange vegetation, glowed faintly. Vines with translucent skins pulsed as if blood flowed through them with their tips oozing red mist that stung the throat.

A cluster of what looked like flowers tinged when the wind brushed past with their petals twitching as though aware of his presence.

And farther off, beyond the creeping jungle of alien colors, stood the silhouettes of monolithic structures.

One could see twisting towers and archways sculpted from a black metal that drank in light. They were adorned with warped statues and strange looking humanoid forms.

Some had too many arms, some none at all. Others appeared to be melting into the structures themselves.

Victor sighed deeply while rubbing his temples. "No doubt about it. We're way outside any domed city. Probably in one of those unreclaimed territories the instructors kept warning about."

He let out a soft chuckle. "Well, lucky me. I guess it was true when they said, no good deed goes unpunished."

Beside him lay the twisted remains of Commander Aiz. The Drakenar's once-commanding frame was now a grotesque heap of mangled flesh.