Scene: Skyhold Sanctuary, Time Unknown
Ben's hand trembles above the memory shard.
Lunaria watches in silence.
"If you remember him," she says, "you'll suffer twice: once from the loss, and again from what you did when you forgot."
Ben closes his eyes.
That ache in his chest—the gap—tightens.
"I need to know," he whispers.
His fingers brush the crystal.
The world shatters around him.
Memory Invasion – Fractured Visions
Ben collapses as a flood of disjointed moments pierce his mind like lightning:
Naruto laughing, saying "You're the only one I trust with my back."
Their first battle together in the Hidden Rift Forest.
Sharing ramen, bloodied, victorious, alive.
The moment Naruto cried over his body during the Riftborne corruption.
And finally—
Naruto's voice, raw: "I'll sacrifice everything—even our bond—if it means saving you."
Ben screams.
The memory fragment glows red-hot and implodes.
Ben Awakens – And He's Not Alone
Skyhold is in ruins now.
Reality flickers.
And someone claps slowly behind him.
A tall, cloaked figure steps forward—wearing a mask of golden gears and black glass.
The Architect.
"Fascinating. You chose truth over comfort. Pain over peace.
That makes you… perfect."
Ben rises, eyes burning. "Who are you?"
The Architect bows mockingly.
"I am the mind that shaped the first Rift. The hand that seeded Obsidian's fall. The one who designs outcomes."
"And you, Ben… are my next masterpiece."
Scene Cut – Naruto's Sensing Spike
Back in Konoha, Naruto jolts upright.
His heart stutters.
He feels something through the hollow bond—a phantom echo.
Ben.
Alive. Awake. Remembering.
Scene Return – The Offer
The Architect walks around Ben, studying him like a sculptor studies stone.
"Naruto chose to save your soul. But he left your strength behind."
He waves his hand—and dozens of alternate Bens appear in floating stasis pods.
Versions who became monsters. Heroes. Kings.
One wears Void Armor. Another bears the Obsidian Flame. One is simply… empty.
The Architect gestures.
"You can be any of them. I offer you a crown: the Rift King."
Ben glares. "I don't need your power."
"You will," the Architect replies, "when you learn what Obsidian has done with the last piece of your soul."
Shocking Revelation – Soul Fragment Captured
Ben freezes.
"What?"
The Architect smiles. "When Naruto used the Forbidden Scroll, he didn't just sever your bond. He split your soul—shoved part of you into a safety shell."
"Obsidian found it first. And now it fuels the next Rift Catalyst."
Ben's voice is ice. "What catalyst?"
The Architect steps aside.
A portal opens—showing a young girl, no older than 10.
Eyes empty. Body chained in Rift sigils.
The Architect says:
"She's your soul, Ben. Or the part of it twisted by loss. And in seven days, she becomes the gateway that collapses all timelines."
Ben's Rage Awakens
Ben's power surges—violet lightning rips across Skyhold.
He roars—not just from anger, but guilt.
The Rift inside him pulses again—but this time, he controls it.
"Where is she?"
The Architect grins.
"Accept my gift—become the Rift King—and I'll open the path."
Ben doesn't hesitate.
He doesn't submit—he claims it.
The Rift Crown descends, forged from broken time and lost memories.
He places it on his head.
A new symbol burns on his back: Rift Sigil, Inverted.
Ben's voice is cold and clear:
"I'll rewrite fate. My way."
Final Scene – Naruto Looks to the Stars
He senses a storm coming.
Ben's power feels different now—sharper, harder.
He whispers:
"What are you becoming, Ben?"
[CHAPTER END | NEXT: The Rift King's Crusade – Ben vs the Multiversal Chain]