The Masked Virtuoso-Chapter 75: The Riftborn’s Curse

The Collapse of Reality

Light.

Blinding, searing, all-consuming light.

Ethan’s world shattered into a thousand burning fragments. The cavern walls that had surrounded them vanished, replaced by a white void that stretched infinitely in every direction.

He couldn’t feel the ground beneath him.

He couldn’t hear his own breath.

The only thing that existed was the whisper of something unseen.

A voice.

"You have seen the past. Now face your fate."

Ethan gasped as a force crashed into him—not physical, but existential. His golden-shadow aura flared violently, struggling against the unseen pressure that now surrounded him.

Then—pain.

Not normal pain.

Not the kind that burned flesh or shattered bones.

Something deeper.

It felt like his very existence was being rewritten.

He gritted his teeth. "Not... this... again."

He had fought the Rift. He had fought gods.

But this?

This was something else.

---

The Others Wake Up

Mia was the first to regain consciousness.

Her body ached from the fall, but as she opened her eyes, she immediately realized something was wrong.

The cavern was gone.

She wasn’t surrounded by stone and dust anymore.

She was floating.

Suspended in a weightless void.

"Okay," she muttered, forcing herself upright. "This is officially worse than dying."

Orion groaned as he stirred nearby, his rifle still in his grip. "Mia?"

"Yeah, I’m here," she muttered. "Not happy about it, though."

Kieran’s voice crackled through the void. "What... what the hell is this place?"

Nefera was already scanning their surroundings. Her sharp gaze narrowed as she pointed toward a single, distant figure.

Ethan.

He was glowing.

But not like before.

His golden aura was unstable, flickering violently like a flame fighting against the wind.

Selene exhaled sharply. "We need to get to him."

---

Ethan’s Transformation Begins

Ethan’s body wasn’t his own anymore.

His golden-shadow aura—once a perfect fusion of light and darkness—was twisting.

The golden energy flared wildly, but within it—fragments of black energy crackled like dying embers.

It felt... wrong.

Like something inside him was breaking free.

He clenched his fists, trying to stabilize himself, but the pain only intensified.

And then—

A memory that wasn’t his own crashed into his mind.

---

The First Riftborn’s Memories

Thousands of years ago.

A battle.

Not a normal battle—a war beyond comprehension.

Endless warriors, clad in armor of pure energy, clashed against beings that should not exist.

At the center of it all—a lone figure stood.

A Riftborn.

But not Ethan.

This was before him.

Before the Council. Before the war he had fought.

This was the first Riftborn.

Ethan saw through his eyes. Felt his pain.

The battle raged on, but it was clear—the Riftborn were losing.

The shadows that devoured reality weren’t just enemies.

They were themselves.

They were what Riftborn became if they failed.

The last thing Ethan saw was the First Riftborn falling.

Consumed.

Erased.

And then—darkness.

---

Back to Reality: Ethan Awakens

Ethan gasped as the vision faded.

His hands trembled. His golden aura flickered violently.

His heartbeat was different now.

Slower. Louder.

And then—he felt it.

A pulse.

A presence inside him that wasn’t there before.

And for the first time—he felt afraid.

---

The Others Reach Him

"Ethan!"

Mia’s voice cut through the void.

Ethan barely turned before she slammed into him, grabbing his shoulders.

"You better start explaining, because you look like you’re about to explode!"

Orion and Kieran landed beside them, weapons ready.

Selene’s golden aura flared. "Your power is changing."

Nefera studied him closely, her sharp gaze tracking every flicker of his energy. "No. It’s not just changing."

She exhaled.

"It’s awakening."

Ethan’s breathing was unsteady. He wanted to speak. To reassure them.

But deep down—

He knew the truth.

This wasn’t an awakening.

This was a curse.

---

The Curse of the Last Riftborn

The white void shifted.

A figure stepped forward.

Not an enemy.

Not an ally.

Something older.

The masked figure.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. "You again."

The masked figure studied him carefully. "You felt it, didn’t you?"

Ethan clenched his fists. "What did you do to me?"

The figure tilted its head. "I did nothing."

A pause.

Then—the truth.

"This is what happens when a Riftborn survives too long."

Ethan’s blood ran cold.

Mia stiffened. "What?"

The masked figure continued. "You weren’t supposed to live this long. None of you were."

They gestured toward the shadows still shifting in the void.

"Every Riftborn before you—failed. They either died in battle, or they became something else."

Kieran’s voice was barely above a whisper. "The Forgotten Ones."

Nefera’s expression was unreadable. "The ones we saw in the cavern."

The masked figure nodded. "Yes. The first Riftborn fell. The second. The third."

They stepped closer.

"But you, Ethan Cross—you are the last."

Their voice was quiet.

"You are the only Riftborn who has ever lasted this long."

Ethan’s heart pounded.

Selene’s voice was sharp. "What does that mean?"

The masked figure exhaled.

"It means he’s running out of time."

Silence.

Then—

Ethan felt it again.

A sharp, burning pulse deep inside his core.

A reminder that something inside him was changing.

That if he lost control—

He wouldn’t just die.

He would become something worse.

---

The Rift’s Final Warning

The masked figure took another step back. "You don’t have long, Riftborn."

Ethan’s jaw clenched. "Then what do I do?"

The masked figure tilted their head.

"You find the truth before it finds you."

Ethan exhaled sharply. "And where the hell do I do that?"

The masked figure turned.

Then—pointed.

Ethan followed their gaze.

And his heart stopped.

Far beyond the void—beyond the broken remnants of existence itself—stood a massive gate.

Not like the others.

Not a Rift.

Something older.

The masked figure’s voice was calm.

"The Gate of Nihilor."

The name sent a chill through Ethan’s body.

Mia’s expression darkened. "That’s a really bad name."

Orion gritted his teeth. "What’s behind it?"

The masked figure met Ethan’s eyes.

"The one who fell before you."

Ethan’s breath caught.

The First Riftborn.

Still alive.

Still waiting.

And then—the void collapsed.

The world snapped back into reality.

And Ethan knew—

His fight wasn’t over.

It was just beginning.

---

To Be Continued...