The Riftborn

The Astraea drifted through the void, a single spark in the infinite black. Commander Elena Voss peered at the anomaly on the viewscreen: a shimmering rift, like torn fabric in the fabric of space. Waves of light cascaded outward, pulsing with unearthly colors.

“Scan results?” she asked, gripping the edge of her console.

“Still incomplete,” replied Lieutenant Kieran Voss, her younger brother and science officer. His brow furrowed as he adjusted the ship’s scanners. “But it’s emitting temporal distortions. Whatever this thing is, it’s bending time around it.”

“We’re getting dangerously close,” warned Helmsman Aris Zhao. “Shall I hold position?”

Elena hesitated. This was the first contact with anything like the Rift. The Astraea had been sent to investigate strange disturbances near the Andaris Sector, but no one expected… this.

“Hold position,” she said. “Kieran, try a low-frequency ping. Let’s see if we can get its attention.”

“You think it’s alive?” Zhao asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Elena didn’t answer. She wasn’t sure what she thought. Kieran activated the ping, and the ship sent a low hum reverberating into the void. The Rift responded instantly. Its edges rippled, and from its depths, something emerged.

The bridge crew froze. A figure—humanoid but translucent, shimmering like glass filled with starlight—floated out. It stood in open space, gazing directly at the ship.

“Is that… a person?” Kieran whispered.

“Open comms,” Elena ordered. She cleared her throat. “This is Commander Elena Voss of the Astraea. We mean no harm. Can you understand us?”

The figure raised a hand, and the ship’s comms crackled to life.

“Voss,” a voice echoed, layered with a chorus of tones. “You stand at the threshold.”

“The threshold of what?” Elena asked, her voice steady despite the chill running down her spine.

“The Rift,” it replied. “The birthplace of the Riftborn. We were once like you, but we have transcended.”

“Transcended?” Kieran leaned forward. “Are you saying you evolved into… whatever you are now?”

The figure tilted its head. “The Rift grants passage, but only to those who prove they can wield time without breaking it.”

Elena frowned. “Wield time? What does that mean?”

“Step forward and see,” the Riftborn said, gesturing to the glowing portal.

“Elena, this is reckless,” Kieran said. “We don’t know what’s in there.”

Elena exhaled. “We came here for answers, Kieran. If I don’t go, we’ll never know.”

She turned to Zhao. “Maintain position. If anything goes wrong, retreat to the nearest base.”

Before anyone could stop her, Elena stepped into the Rift. Light swallowed her whole.

---

Inside, she floated in a kaleidoscope of shifting moments. Memories of her childhood, her rise through the ranks, and even her death—potential futures flickering like sparks—rushed past her.

“The test,” the Riftborn’s voice echoed. “Will you shape time, or will time shape you?”

Elena reached out, and the Rift resisted, pulling her in all directions. Gritting her teeth, she focused on a single thread—a vision of her crew, safe and thriving. With a surge of will, she bent the Rift’s energy, forcing it to stabilize.

When she emerged, the Riftborn was gone, and the anomaly had sealed. Kieran and the crew stared at her, stunned.

“What happened in there?” Kieran asked.

Elena smiled faintly. “We’ve got a lot to report. Set course for Earth. They’ll want to hear this.”