When Brian mentioned blaming the Federation, he was specifically referring to their failure to stop and apprehend the culprits before the situation escalated to this point.
Being a man of few words, he didn’t bother explaining further, leaving Michael to interpret his meaning on his own.
On Michael’s side, his emotions grew more tangled as he observed the growing crowd on the streets.
What frustrated him most was how, despite the evident panic, people seemed more focused on recording the spectacle and posting it online.
These people clearly had no grasp of the imminent danger they faced, having been so heavily sheltered by the Federation.
Their survival instincts were practically nonexistent—worse than those of a chicken, Michael thought grimly.
Not long ago, he had been just like them.
Only after becoming a supernatural did he finally see a crack with his own eyes.
Ironically, despite cracks being such a significant part and history of the world, their dangers were never truly emphasized—not even in textbooks.
Monsters were only depicted in textbooks, and even then, the images were neither detailed nor terrifying.
They were often presented as simple black-and-white diagrams, used as mere examples rather than true representations of the horrors they posed.
Had these people understood the horrors that lurked behind the cracks, perhaps they’d be rushing to evacuate rather than creating what would likely be their last memories in this world.
Michael had his own worries to focus on.
His family.
Brian’s voice came back again and broke through his thoughts.
“The cracks won’t fully open for another twenty minutes or so. That’s just enough time to appreciate being alive. Prepare yourself, boy. This will be your first major trial as a warrior of the Federation.”
Michael noticed the yearning in Brian’s voice vanish, replaced by his usual composed tone.
“And don’t worry about those two. I’ll handle them. Knowing their type, they’ll definitely try something to make the chaos worse. Do your best to survive. You could run, but if you do, you’ll be branded a traitor to the Federation—someone who abandoned their responsibilities. Trust me, you won’t like the consequences.”
Brian paused for a moment, then added with a strange finality, “Seems like a new era is about to begin…”
With that, Brian vanished, leaving Michael to his spiraling thoughts.
Shaking off his daze, Michael quickly connected his vision to that of his undead, wanting to see the suspicious duo tied to this madness.
However, what he saw was a fading magic circle.
There was no sign of the culprits.
Teacher Brian must’ve taken them, Michael realized. And he’d done so effortlessly.
Michael stopped bothering about that matter.
Without wasting another second, Michael left the alley and reappeared near the duo’s last known location.
He then swiftly retrieved his undead into his storage space.
With nothing else to do at this place and the looming threat of the cracks breaking in the sky, Michael had only one thing left to do:
Go to his family.
He never thought he’d be rushing home because of something like this.
Just as he turned to leave, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
The constant buzzing made it clear it wasn’t just a text. empire
Michael felt a flash of impatience, tempted to ignore the call, but in the end, he pulled out his phone.
The caller ID surprised him. It was his aunt.
Michael’s hand trembled as he answered immediately. “Aunt Mia?”
“Michael? Are you okay? Can you come home now? It’s not safe outside, Michael. Please, come home-“
He could hear the desperation in her voice, a tone that pierced his heart.
Aunt Mia wasn’t just his aunt; she was the only maternal figure he had ever known.
After spending more than a decade together, from childhood to now, she was more like a mother. And Lily, her daughter, was a sister figure to him.
Their bond had deepened over years of being a family of three.
It was obvious his worry about them wasn’t one sided.
“Don’t worry, Aunt Mia. I’m on my way. Just wait for me,” Michael said softly, his voice steady as he tried to calm her down.
“Okay, but hurry, okay?” she pleaded.
“I will,” Michael reassured her before the call ended.
Hearing her voice eased his tension and renewed his resolve.
Just as he was about to put the phone back in his pocket, another call came in.
This time, the name on the screen made his breath hitch.
It was another familiar person.
Mira.Michael hesitated briefly, his gaze fixed on the cracks in the sky.
The ominous red glow around them intensified, slowly painting the heavens crimson.
With a deep breath, he answered the call.
“Are you seeing this too?” Mira’s sharp voice cut straight to the point.
“I’m right under it,” Michael replied, his tone grim.
“Do you know what’s going on?” she pressed, though her tone made it clear she wasn’t expecting much of an answer.
Unexpectedly, she got one.
“Yeah, it’s demonic cultivators,” Michael said bluntly, dropping the bomb without further explanation. “Stay safe. It’s about to get messy. We’ll talk later if things go well. I need to be with my family.”
Without waiting for a response, Michael ended the call.
At any other time, this would have been considered rude, even disrespectful, but right now, he couldn’t care less.
With a deep breath and a face devoid of emotion, Michael disappeared from the spot.
—
A while later.
Knock. Knock.
“Who’s there?” a cautious voice called from behind the door.
“It’s me, Aunt Mia. It’s Michael.”
He could hear hurried footsteps approaching, and soon the door swung open, revealing Aunt Mia’s tired face.
Behind her, Lily peeked out, curiosity and worry written all over her young features.
“I’m back,” Michael said, forcing a smile.
*****
On Mira’s side, her face twitched as the call with Michael abruptly ended.
That guy, she thought bitterly.
Her hands clenched at her sides as she resisted the urge to curse out loud.
Still, she couldn’t ignore what Michael had said before cutting her off.
His family.
Mira turned to glance at her mother, who was staring out the window, her eyes fixed on the ominous cracks in the sky.
Mira couldn’t quite put it into words, but ever since her awakening, she had noticed subtle changes in her mother.
She seemed to be regaining the cheerfulness she had lost after Mira’s father’s death, as if awakening had brought hope back into their lives.
Mira didn’t want that to stop.
A determined expression settled on her face as she picked up her phone and dialed a number.
The call connected immediately.
“Lilian—”