The walk to Gorrin's cave was long. Quiet, save for the eerie rustle of wind slithering through dead trees and the occasional low roar in the distance. The Corrupted Realm never truly slept—something was always crawling, watching, moving. Caleb had stopped reacting to most sounds, unless they came too close.
Gorrin led the way, his shoulders relaxed but his eyes sharp. He never walked in a straight line for long, weaving around strange stones and scorched earth like he knew what not to touch.
"You said there's a system for grading monsters," Caleb said, his voice careful in the silence.
Gorrin glanced back. "Yeah. You ready for another lovely bit of trauma?"
"Always."
They stepped around the bloated carcass of a Riftbeast, its body already being eaten by black moss. Caleb didn't flinch anymore.
"Alright," Gorrin said. "The Rift—whether in this realm or ours—spits out monsters we call Wraithborns. They're corrupted life-forms, Riftenergy twisted into rage and instinct."
"And they're all… different?" Caleb asked.
Gorrin nodded. "Different in looks, but we classify them based on power. Five ranks, based on threat level."
He raised a finger.
"D-Class: easy fodder. They travel in packs, think like wolves, and die like weaklings. You've killed a few of them already."
Caleb thought of the snarling dog-faced creatures from earlier. "Alright. Next?"
"C-Class: stronger. Tougher skin. Faster. Sometimes they have minor abilities—venom, energy spikes, regeneration."
"Lovely."
"B-Class: dangerous. They're smart. They learn from mistakes. Usually need a team to bring them down."
They passed a shattered stone arch, marked with scratchy symbols. Caleb touched one. It was still warm.
"Then?"
"A-Class," Gorrin said, pausing as if to measure his words. "They're rare. Think of them as Rift-born generals. They command other Wraithborns. Most Riftborn heroes die trying to kill just one."
"And the last?" Caleb asked, though he could already guess.
"S-Class." Gorrin's voice was flat now. "Reality warpers. They bend Riftenergy in ways that don't make sense. Some are intelligent. Ancient. They don't attack cities. They erase them."
Caleb swallowed hard. "Have you fought one?"
"I ran from one. That counts."
They rounded a jagged ridge, and Caleb saw the cave for the first time—half-sunken into the cliff face, with rune-etched stones guarding the entrance. Crystals pulsed along the ceiling like stars trapped in stone. Despite the corrupted air, something about the space felt... stable.
"Home sweet hell," Gorrin muttered, pushing aside a heavy curtain of chain-threaded vines.
Inside, the cave opened into a wide chamber. Rough shelves held vials, weapons, pieces of armor, and what looked like Riftbeast bones carved into tools. A small firepit glowed purple in the corner.
Caleb stepped in slowly. "This is... actually kind of nice."
"Don't get used to it," Gorrin replied, tossing his pack to the ground. "The cave is shielded, but only from weaker things. We stay here too long, something smarter might sniff us out."
"Why not stay moving?"
"Because you'll need weeks—months—before your Riftenergy stops being pathetic," Gorrin said, sitting cross-legged beside the fire. "You want to survive long enough to leave this place? You learn to build your core. Sharpen your will. Control Riftenergy like it's your second breath."
Caleb sat across from him, pulling the Riftbone crystal from his pouch. "So I train here?"
"You train here. You bleed here. You scream and fight and sleep with one eye open. And if you're lucky—if the Realm doesn't break you first—you'll come out stronger."
Caleb looked at the glowing walls.
At the bones hanging like wind chimes.
At Gorrin's arms, laced with runes and scars.
He nodded. "Then let's start."
Gorrin smiled. "Good. Lesson one: forget everything you learned on Earth. Out here? Pain is your teacher. And Riftenergy
"—is my only weapon," Caleb finished.
Gorrin raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Maybe you're not a total disappointment after all."
Caleb grinned, already preparing the crystal in his palm. "Don't jinx it, old man.
Somewhere deep in the Corrupted Realm, two beings prepared to spar.