"What are World Rifts?"
The light was piercing, and Mira An could not distinguish whether it was worth answering that question. Her colleague had said it simply, eyes ebbing with curiosity. But from the intensity of the white light she was looking up at, her eyes began to strain, and when Mira finally met his gaze, her own held a still, almost mocking amusement --- as if the question had the most obvious answer in the world.
"You don't know?" asked Mira, her voice carefree.
He leaned against his desk which was across from her own: the panels of mana-fused composite glass behind him, reflected the traces of blue in the indigo hue of the sky.
"Should I know?" he asked back, wary.
"You know, for someone who claims to be the next MRS Supervisor, you're awfully complacent." Mira remarked with a hint of irony
His face turned red. He fumbled for words, his hands tightening on the edge of the desk. It was his dream --- a dream he had idolized ever since the current Ministry of Rift Security (MRS) Supervisor had saved his mother from a dungeon disaster.
"At least, I know to keep myself informed!" he snapped, attempting to defend himself.
"... Well, I guess there's no harm in telling you" she replied dryly.
"World Rifts are essentially like Pandora's box. It's a rift inside a dungeon inside a rift" Mira said, leaning back.
"Although, it's not a normal rift — it's a spontaneous, short-lived bridge caused by ....
Hm, actually, no one really knows. But, the three prominent theories are that
1. Mana Overpressure: The dungeon's internal mana density exceeds its pocket dimension's stability limit.
2. Resonance with a Foreign Dimension: The dungeon's mana frequency matches that of another world --- like two vibrating strings syncing.
3. Catalyst Presence: A powerful source like S-Rank loot, awakened human with abnormal MRO, or a dying dungeon core acts as a stabilizing "needle" between bothrealms.
Anyways, once either of the three happens, the dungeon's fabric tears open --- forming a brief, wormhole-like connection."
"Interesting. Have you ever gone through one?" he interrupts.
"Of course not, that would be suicide."
"Why?"
"Once the World Rifts closes, we have no idea what happens to you if you go through it, and there's been no record of anyone returning for the very few who encounter one and decide to enter it"
"Do you think I'll ever encounter one?" he exclaims, face brimming with excitement.
"Not in a million years." Mira jokes.
"Huh, Why??"
"The last time an MRS team got it on record was 70 years ago. I highly doubt it'll open up just for you."
"Wait! There's teams that actually record this. I wanna be on one!"
"I wouldn't recommend that."
"Why?" he asks with innocent inquiry.
"Because a dungeon implodes right after a World Rift closes --- meaning everything inside that dungeon is wiped from existence."
"... But, you said a team got it on record?"
"I never said they made it out alive, just their drone footage did."
He pales, shaken from the words Mira uttered, he grips the helm of his trousers tightly in hopes the words uttered would pass. He wonders how can she say such things as if it were normal.
"We should go. It's late." Mira stated, grabbing her windbreaker on her way out. She had no interest in continuing the conversation. It didn't matter to her how he took the information. It was 8 PM. All she wanted to do was head home, take a nice shower, eat dinner, and take a nice nap before it became 5 AM. So, she left.
Mira An walked out of the MRS building, pondering if she had always had a cut-throat attitude. No, she thought, she was just tired. She had become accustomed to that feeling more often now, as if the fire in life was lit out as the days passed.
Mira An held her head high, in self-conscientious discipline. She had to stop, she thought: she was overthinking things. She was thirty years old. She was gonna keep getting older, not younger. Now, it was time to go home.