The Expanding Crisi
The room inside the central tower felt heavier than before.
Kael stood in front of the large magical projection, his eyes locked onto the glowing red marks scattered across the map. Each one represented a newly detected gate—unstable tears between worlds that had begun appearing at an alarming rate.
There were too many.
Far too many.
Leon leaned against the wall, arms crossed, staring at the map with narrowed eyes.
"So it's not just one or two," he muttered. "It's everywhere."
Seraphine stood beside the projection, her expression calm but serious.
"Yes," she replied. "This is a coordinated event."
Kael didn't look away from the map.
"Someone is opening them," he said quietly.
Seraphine nodded.
"Not just someone. An organization—or something beyond that."
The room fell silent.
Professor Valen stepped forward, placing his hand on the control panel.
"Our scouts confirmed that some of these gates are already active," he said. "Creatures similar to the one that attacked the academy have been sighted."
Kael clenched his fist.
That creature had nearly overwhelmed him, even with his current power.
And now there were more.
Dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
"We can't stay here and wait," Kael said.
Leon smirked slightly.
"Finally, something I agree with."
Seraphine turned toward Kael.
"You're thinking of going out there."
Kael nodded.
"If we don't close the gates early, they'll stabilize."
Valen hesitated.
"That's extremely dangerous."
Kael finally looked away from the map.
"So is doing nothing."
The truth was clear.
This was no longer just about the academy.
This was a war beginning to unfold across the entire continent.