CrossXworlds

Adventure across the joined worlds of Illia, Tryl, and H'el

[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Index I

CROSSXWORLDS: The Pocket Rift

Three worlds. One fracture.

Tryl: A near-future, Earth-like world on the brink-- divided, disillusioned, and unaware it's one of three worlds joined by ancient seams.

Illia: A hidden, magic-rich realm whose agents have quietly shaped Tryl’s fate for centuries… until now.

H'el: A monstrous Outworld of chaos magic, long sealed away-- until the Rift shattered the veil.

When a cataclysm known as the Pocket Rift exposes the gateways between realms, Tryl must confront the hidden influence of Illia-- and the rising tide of horrors from H’el.

As fear and unrest spread, Aiani, an idealistic elf from Illia’s Council, seeks a bold new plan for harmony. But a shadow faction within her own ranks plans to Surge the weakened gates, tipping the balance of power between magic and technology. Her mission collides with Davin, a cynical yet earnest streetwise native of Tryl, who may hold the key to bridging-- or breaking-- the worlds forever.

The race is on to survive the Surge, expose the truth, and choose what kind of future these worlds will share… now that they know they are not alone.

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Index & Episode Links:

Episode 1 - Aiani Crosses Worlds

Episode 2 - Into Tryl

Episode 3 - Flint and Spark

Episode 4a - Ice Warden*

Episode 4b - Enchanted Tech*

Episode 5 - Spark's Advice*

Episode 6 - A Scrying Point

Episode 7 - Hearing by Council

Episode 8 - The Council Charter

Episode 9 - Difficult Questions

Episode 10 - A Bold Proposal

Episode 11 - Exposure in Totality

Episode 12 - Hel's Bulls

Episode 13 - Demon Cow

Episode 14 - Rift Chaos

Episode 15a - Cold Conflict*

Episode 15b - Human Relations*

Episode 16a - Aiani's Dream I

Episode 16b - Aiani's Dream II

Episode 16c - Aiani's Dream III

Episode 16 - Rude Awakening*

Episode 17 - Unexpected Guest

Episode 18 - Meeting Davin

Episode 19 - A Rooftop Flame

Episode 20 - Rooftop Reverie

Episode 21 - A Paladin's Arrival

Episode 22 - Security Standoff

Episode 23 - Council Civilities*

Episode 24 - A Brief Exchange

Episode 25 - Sobering Spark*

Episode 26 - The Aiani Report

Episode 27 - A New Proposal

Episode 28 - A Counter Surge

Episode 29 - Trouble in Centrecity

Episode 30 - The Council Vote

Episode 31 - Defeat and Restlessness

Episode 32 - Welcome Distraction

Episode 33 - Hoverboard Horizons

Episode 34 - Courting Gloomspire

Episode 35 - Trouble on the Horizon

Episode 36 - Defensive Maneuvers

Episode 37 - Sky Speed Chase

Episode 38 - Tunnel Secrets

Episode 39 - Cautious Return

Episode 40 - Guarded Identities

Episode 41 - Comm Text is Everything

Episode 42 - Morning Mood

Episode 43 - Conflicting Reports

Episode 44a - Reluctant Disclosure*

Episode 44b - On Thin Ice*

Episode 45 - Plausible Deniability

Episode 46 - Pattern Matching

Episode 47 - Reluctant Spark

Episode 48 - Surge Effects

Episode 49 - Grim Outlook

Episode 50 - Local Impact

Episode 51 - Lunch Date

Episode 52 - Testing the Waters

Episode 53 - Curious Questions

Episode 54 - Caught Off-Guard

Episode 55 - Preemptive Defense

Episode 56 - The Coming Attacks

Episode 57 - Personal Attacks

Episode 58 - Trust Broken

Episode 59 - Fallout Preparation

Episode 60 - Watch List

Episode 61 - Odd Coincidence

Episode 62 - Restless For Episodes 63+ see Episode Index II

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These episodes are being posted at first draft level of story development, and will change in the revision process before the final for-publishing version is complete. I also plan to share sketches for illustrations, but those will also be developmental. The final rewrite, with the illustrations, I plan to make available as a free ebook for players of the CrossXworlds RPG that I'm co-developing, as backstory to the RPG.

The Pocket Rift story is pivotal to the history and setting of both the CrossXworlds RPG (set about 50 years later) and a CrossXworlds novel series (set about 75 years later, currently untitled), both currently in development. *UPDATE: These episodes have been updated to include Isvarae, a character I've introduced late into the first draft and am working to retcon into previous episodes.

[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Index II

Episode Index I

__________

Index & Episode Links II:

Episode 63 - Starting Signals

Episode 64 - Operations Phase

Episode 65 - Rank and File

Episode 66 - Arrest and Charges

Episode 67 - Psy-Ops

Episode 68 - Counter Tactics

Episode 69 - Pack Tactics

Episode 70 - Offensive Line

Episode 71 - Big Shakeup

Episode 72 - Aftershock

Episode 73 - Bodies in the Hall

Episode 74 - Where is Davin?

Episode 75 - Davin Unmasked

Episode 76 - A Calculated Hit

Episode 77 - Well Met

Episode 78 - Gear Assessment

Episode 79 - Tension Building

Episode 80 - Sudden Flare-up

Episode 81 - The Pocket Surge

Episode 82 - Surge Repercussions

Episode 83 - Guard Patrol

Episode 84 - Surge-Touched

Episode 85 - Change Manifested

Episode 86 - Desperate Collaboration

Episode 87 - Magical Blowback

Episode 88 - Rooftop Shelter

Episode 89 - Post-Surge Dawn

Episode 90 - Thick Skinned

Episode 91 - Organized Survivors

Episode 92 - Caravan Arrival

Episode 93 - The Sinacori Syndicate

Episode 94 - Uneasy Introductions

Episode 95 - Vaness Unbalanced

Episode 96 - Sympathy for a Mobster

Episode 97 - Talking Terms

Episode 98 - Closing Arguments

Episode 99 - Stairwell Tirade

Episode 100 - Moving Closer

Episode 101 - Trust Your Heart

Episode 102 - Self Recrimination

Episode 103 - A Missing Paladin

Episode 104 - The State of Gloomsburg

Episode 105 - Aiani's Confessional

Episode 106 - Gloomspire Confession

Episode 107 - Incriminating Details

Episode 108 - Serious Allegations

Episode 109 - Character Assessment

Episode 110 - Cutting to the Core

Episode 111 - Isilhuine's Confession

Episode 112 - Stairwell Slumber

Episode 113 - Aiani's Dream Redux

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Tumblr has a limit of 100 links per post, so I've split the master episode list.

[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Episode 113

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - Kevin W. Burke

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Little Aiani wiped her nose on her pants, sobbing, and looked up to plead again with her Ada to stay. But her father was already gone, footprints trailing over the sand dune. 

She panicked.

“Ada?”

The Stormcrawler answered instead, a shrill backwards shriek from over the dunes, moving towards the rogue Pocket. It was chasing her ada. 

He had ordered her to stay, to wait there. In her heart, behind the fear for Ada, she was angry at him for leaving her, for facing the Stormcrawler alone, for not letting her help him. 

She was a good girl, but she couldn’t obey him this time. She had to help him. One man couldn’t take on a Stormcrawler alone, but maybe with her Firebolt, they could fight it together. 

She ran after his tracks in the sand, her courage building as she ran. That is, until she cleared the last dune. She found the Stormcrawler hissing above Ada, far bigger than she had expected. Its tall legs were twitchy and stabbing, its spider shell crusted over with hardened lava, a ghoulish skeleton head in place of a spider’s head. 

Aiani’s courage wilted. But Ada didn’t flinch below the Stormcrawler as it targeted the spot in the sand where he sat crosslegged in front of the Pocket. He was methodically casting a ritual spell that Fire Elves in their clan used to release their elemental fire essence when they were preparing to die. 

With no village elders to contain it, Aiani knew her Ada’s fire essence would flare out, taking the Stormcrawler and the rogue Pocket with him. Ada wasn’t planning to go back to the village with her. He was sacrificing himself for her, and for the village. 

She screamed, calling after him, climbing the last dune. The Stormcrawler turned on her, stabbing at her with those deadly pointed legs. She dodged them and struck back, firing her Firebolt at it. 

It hissed angrily, but was unhurt. It returned fire of its own, and when it burned her, it also consumed some of her memories. Body and mind aflame, she cried out in agony, rolling in the sand. She was helpless against this monster. 

Before it could consume the rest of her, Ada hit it with his crossbow, making it chase him back towards the Pocket, saving her. But the delay would cost them both: A second Stormcrawler came through the Pocket, trapping Ada. 

He charged toward the Pocket anyway, running under the second monster and desperately rushing to finish his ritual spellcasting. 

Just as he finished the spell, one of the Stormcrawlers stabbed Ada clean through with an obsidian tipped leg. His fire essence erupted in his place before the Pocket, the violent burst of fire energy causing the rogue Pocket to flicker and implode. As it did, it sucked sand, fire, and both Stormcrawlers inward. The Pop! of their molten cores bursting were barely discernible over the thunderous implosion. 

Aiani couldn’t even hear herself screaming her Ada’s name as his essence was sucked away. 

And then, just as suddenly, it was deathly quiet, except for a faint whistling wind over the dunes. 

“Ada?” she whispered. Her breathing came in gasps. 

The wind blew, sand stinging her eyes.

She stood, little legs quivering, and ran towards the place where the Pocket– and her Ada– had just been. 

There was a pit in the sand, blackened at the bottom, and smoking. 

“Ada?” she cried, her voice cracking. She knew he was gone, but a part of her fought it. 

Aiani stumbled down into the scorched pit, towards a stream of smoke trailing up from the center. There was a glow down in the sand at that spot, and she reached into it, oblivious of the heat. 

She pulled out a smoke hued nugget of glass, and as she did, the glow came with it. The glass nugget had a vague flame-like shape. The glimmer inside was smaller and much more faint than the pendant her Ada had given her, the one with Nana's fire essence inside. 

But it was there. She hadn’t lost all of her Ada. 

Suddenly the wind picked up, whirling sand around her.

A voice shrieked with the wind behind her.  

“Councilor Caladstone, hand it over!” 

Aiani spun, clutching the glass nugget in her hand defensively, her long legs planted widely in the sand for stability. She calculated her Mana reserves and quickly did a mental inventory of her available spells. 

Isvarae Sivelle floated over the nearest dune in the center of a vortex of wind and sand, one hand extended from her swirling robe strands, gesturing Aiani forward. What was the Council Delegate doing here? She didn’t belong here. 

“I won’t let you take it!” Aiani shouted defiantly over the sandstorm, “I can still save it!”

“You think you’re protecting something valuable, but you’re being selfish! That will endanger all of us if it’s left to grow!” 

“This is all I have left!" Aiani cried out, tightening her grip around the glass ember. 

“You must let it go!” Isvarae demanded, a curl of her hand causing the winds to pull at Aiani, tugging the nugget loose in her grip. 

“I will save him!” Aiani insisted through gritted teeth, clenching her fist around the glass ember.  

The torrent of wind pulled at her fist, and as she tightened her grip, the ember cracked.

“You fool!” Isvarae shrieked. 

In a flash, the ember burst in her hand, and everything went white.

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[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Interlude 15.3.5 Part X

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - 2026 - Kevin W. Burke

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Note: The following interlude takes place between the events of Episodes 15 and 16.

TRYL NODENET ARCHIVES: AFTERSHOCK

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Source: PolitEcon - NodeNet longform magazine

Timestamp: C7.T24 - 06:58 MT - Two months, six days after #riftday

Subject: The Oldest Hand in The Room

Byline: Palomaran Affairs Desk | Analysis

It was meant to be a deflection.

In the fifth hour of a strained Armistice briefing, with negotiations stalled and tempers thinning, Illia’s newly designated Elven “Special Agent to Tryl,” Aiani Caladstone, was asked a question that had already begun to circulate beyond the chamber: By what legal authority had the Illian Council on Sovereign Harmony acquired land surrounding Pocket sites across Tryl over the past several centuries?

The premise behind the Tryllian legal inquiry was simple. Illian entities, as non-Tryl actors, had never held recognized standing under Tryllian law. Their land claims, therefore, were invalid.

Caladstone did not dispute the premise.

“If Illian agents have no standing under Tryllian law,” she replied, “then Tryllian law itself has no standing.”

The laughter in the room was audible and immediate. 

To be fair, the Tryllian legal experts were already straining at incredulity since the infamous #riftday events had turned their understanding of the world upside-down. The things of children’s stories— Elves, dwarves, magic, dragons, and the like—had become sudden, brutal reality. That, they had to concede.

But this legal argument, on the other hand, felt like something the Tryllian experts knew more about than some young neophyte PR elf. So the laughter erupted. The sort of laughter reserved for statements so disproportionate they collapse under their own weight.

Laughter that lasted approximately nine minutes. Then the Council backed her up. 

I. The Documents

The Illian Council did not issue a rebuttal. It issued an archive. Not a statement, nor a clarification, but a structured release of authenticated materials spanning multiple centuries of Tryllian development—legal drafts, trade accords, advisory correspondences, maritime sponsorship ledgers, arbitration frameworks.

The implication was not argued. It was meticulously indexed.

Within hours, Tryl’s legal scholars began isolating familiar language—phrases long assumed to be products of early Palomaran governance—embedded verbatim in much older documents bearing Illian seals or signatures attributed to known Council intermediaries. Many of the intermediaries—primarily the long-lived elven and dwarves—still on the current Council body. Even for documents as old as the Federation’s founding two centuries ago.

Within days, challenges were filed. Forgery was asserted.

Within weeks, the legal challenges began to fail. Parchment, ink, and handwriting analysis showed the documents were legitimate—and many of the ancient document authors, in fact, still contemporaries in the current Illian Council.

II. The Federation Layer

The first layer of Palomaran history to give way was the most recent: the Federal Charter itself.

Every Palomaran school child has been taught the origin of the Charter—delgates from the sovereign colonial provinces, loosely allied under the Colonial Compact, had gathered to revise the Compact to address shortcomings with it, and instead emerged with an all-new Federal Charter, soon ratified by the provinces involved. What had long been treated as a uniquely Palomaran synthesis—balancing provincial sovereignty with coordinated arbitration and trade—began to show structural parallels to earlier Council-authored frameworks. Not mere inspiration, or influence...

Continuity. From Council origin.

The office of the High Envoy. The arbitration conventions between provinces. Even the limitations placed on executive consolidation—each had precedent in documents predating the Federation by decades, in some cases centuries.

The prevailing assumption had been that Palomar invented its system of checks and balances out of necessity. The emerging conclusion was less flattering: it had inherited it.

III. The Colonial Compact

Further excavation led to the pre-federal period—the Colonial Compact.

While the Colonial Compact is mostly a footnote in common historical narratives of Palomar, scholars found here that the Council’s presence became harder to dismiss as coincidence. Trade and labor reforms once credited to pragmatic colonial governance bore hallmarks of coordinated intervention: standardized contract durations, early prohibitions on indefinite servitude, and arbitration mechanisms designed to supersede local authority when disputes crossed settlement lines.

These were not organic developments of a frontier society. They were externally introduced constraints.

More curiously, correspondence between colonial administrators—long archived and rarely examined outside academic circles—revealed a pattern of external advisement. Recommendations, phrased cautiously, consistently aligned with what would later become Compact doctrine.

The advisors themselves were never formally identified. They didn’t need to be.

IV. The Break from Valyra

Beyond the Compact lay the storied Palomaran Revolution—the formal severance from the old Valyran kingdoms that initially colonized the continent.

For generations, this had been understood as a predictable outcome of distance, taxation disputes, and political misalignment. A colonial inevitability. Yet newly surfaced materials complicate that narrative.

Council-linked intermediaries appear in diplomatic margins and trade disputes years before open rebellion—advocating for colonial autonomy in terms that mirror later independence rhetoric almost exactly. Not merely supporting the break once it began, but prefiguring it.

More telling still: earlier Council efforts within old Valyra itself, predating Valyran knowledge of the Palomaran continent.

Records indicate sustained attempts to reform Valyran trade and labor systems—efforts that met resistance from entrenched monarchies and guild structures. Proposals were diluted. Compromises stalled. Structural change failed.

Shortly thereafter, Council-directed attention had shifted west to “discovery” and colonization.

V. The Palome Expedition

At the center of that westward shift sits a familiar name: Pietro Palome.

Long celebrated as the navigator who first charted the Palomaran continent for Valyran powers, Palome’s voyage has occupied a stable place in continental history—ambitious, risky, and ultimately transformative.

Less discussed, until now, is its financing.

Ledgers released in the Council archive indicate that a significant portion of the expedition’s backing did not originate from Valyran courts or merchant houses, but from entities now attributable to the Illian Council’s network.

The expedition, in other words, was not merely permitted. It was enabled.

And the risk in Palome’s voyage must also be necessarily reframed—documents showed evidence that agents of the Illian Council had themselves discovered the continent that would become Palomar in the process of meticulous mapping Pockets and their entrance into Tryl. Framed in this light, the “discovery” of Palomar becomes something closer to a redirection—an intentional pivot away from an unreformable Valyra toward a more malleable frontier. 

A new continent to act as a new vessel for old ideas. But not old to Tryl. Old to Illia, where they originated.

VI. Before the Voyage

The final layer is the least complete, and the most contested.

Fragments suggest that Council engagement with Tryl predates Palome’s voyage entirely—appearing in advisory roles, trade observations, and legal commentaries within late Valyran records. Peripheral at first. Then recurring. Then embedded.

Not as rulers or conquerors. Societal architects, they saw themselves, working from remote halls. 

And not just on the Valyran side of Tryl. Ancient documents, when aligned with Palomar’s indigenous nomadic tribe oral traditions, reveal a collaboration between the Illian Council’s nomadic tribe representatives and Tryl’s pre-Palomaran tribes to foster the concepts of sovereignty of tribal lands ahead of Valyra’s arrival on what would become known as the Palomaran continent.

VII. The Question That Remains

None of this, on its own, proves malign intent. 

Every intervention can be read as stabilizing. Every reform, as progressive. Civilized. The erosion of feudal structures, the limitation of indefinite servitude, the spread of arbitration-based governance—these are, by most measures, improvements.

But taken together, across centuries, a different question begins to assert itself:

Not whether the Illian Council influenced Tryl. But whether Tryl, as it exists, was ever entirely its own.

Caladstone’s remark was dismissed as absurd when it was first spoken.

It is no longer being laughed at.

Comments:

- nodeMatrix: What else isn’t really from Tryl? Next we’re going to find out Illia invented pizza, beer, and pushup bras?

- spark_anon: Bruh, Illian Dwarves invented beer and Illian Gnomes invented pizza, lol. We kept it clean too. Cheese and vegetables, no Tryl meat stack abominations. Pushup bras are 100% on you though.

- grimlingprophet: Since Pietro freaking Palome? Are you kidding me? I’ve been saying they’ve been here for years, but this… this is too much. This goes all the way back. 

- TrylFirstBro: So what, we’re just going to pretend this is fine? They wrote our laws. They shaped the system. Maybe that elf chick was right—none of this is legitimate. Maybe it’s time to build something that actually belongs to us. 

- civitas_legal: If even half of this holds up in arbitration, every land claim near a Pocket is going to be litigated into oblivion. But with Council magic users on every Pocket perimeter… maybe litigation will be less relevant than incantation. 

- dockhand77: “Societal architects, not conquerors.” Yeah? Come down to Crosshaven again and architect your way outta that!

 - blueharbor: Everyone’s jumping straight to conspiracy. The Council pushed labor limits and killed feudal systems. That’s not nothing.

- ironveil: Or they optimized us to be better cattle. There’s a difference.

- midreach_mom: I don’t care who wrote what. I just want to know what’s coming through those Pocket things and why nobody told us! __________ END INTERLUDE

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[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Episode 112

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

The stairwell door clacked open, a shaft of afternoon light pouring in and widening as the door swung. The light fell across Aiani, seated on the top stair where she had scried with Councilor General Isilhuine. She was slumped against the wall, eyes closed, her chest softly rising and falling in sleep. Her right hand had settled into her lap; her Comm had come to rest in a balance between a leg and two of her fingers.

Davin stepped inside the doorway, easing the doors quietly closed behind him. He sat down quietly on the first step beside Aiani, smiling and shaking his head at her. He raised his feet one step higher so that his knees were raised, laying his head on them to watch her sleeping. 

After a few minutes, his eyes fully dilated to the dim light, Davin stood and stepped down a couple of stairs, beneath her. He placed one foot up on a stair beside her for leverage, and bent as if to pick her up. He paused before doing so, putting a hand on her forehead, and then on her cheek. 

Carefully sliding the Comm out of her fingers, Davin placed it in his pocket. He bent and scooped an arm around her back under her arms, and another under her legs above the knees. He raised Aiani up, pulling her into him, her head coming to rest in the crook between his head and shoulders. 

He paused another moment, pressing his face into her curls. After a deep breath, he walked her down into the darkness of the stairway, towards her floor.

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[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Interlude 15.3.5 Part IX

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - 2026 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

Note: The following interlude takes place between the events of Episodes 15 and 16.

TRYL NODENET ARCHIVES: AFTERSHOCK

__________

Source: The Huracanian - NodeNet Edition

Timestamp: C7.T19  - Two months, two days after #riftday

Headline: Sinacori Charges Dismissed In Corruption Trial

GLOOMSBURG, Huracan — Vincenzo “Vincent” Sinacori, head of the Sinacori Logistics Group, was cleared by a Gloomsburg court on charges of extortion, racketeering, and conspiracy, along with secondary charges alleging the bribery of a utilities contractor to sabotage local businesses.

The prosecution argued that Sinacori sought to consolidate control of the regional logistics market through a combination of shell companies, coercive pressure, and legitimate competitive practices. While the Sinacori Logistics Group itself remained formally compliant with regulatory standards, prosecutors contended that affiliated entities were used to exert pressure on competitors, clients, and prospective partners.

Central to the case were allegations surrounding Mercer Freight, a mid-sized Gloomsburg firm and outspoken critic of what it has described as the city’s “culture of civic corruption.” In a sequence of maintenance failures overseen by an independent utilities contractor with loose ties to Sinacori-linked entities, port water was misrouted, a sluice gate remained open, and a flood sensor was disabled. The resulting inundation of the Gloomsport lower warehouse district caused significant property loss, destroyed records, and disrupted segments of the city’s supply chain.

Prosecutors established indirect links between the contractor and a company believed to be associated with a Sinacori lieutenant. However, they were unable to demonstrate a direct connection between those actions and Sinacori himself.

Testimony from Gloomsburg Metro Police Department Chief Detective Bendric Bunning further weakened the case. Bunning’s financial audit and investigation did not identify evidence directly tying Sinacori or his primary business holdings to criminal conduct.

Following the collapse of the primary racketeering charge, the remaining allegations were dismissed.

In a statement outside the courthouse, Sinacori praised the court and cited the outcome as “a complete exoneration,” describing it as confirmation of both his “innocence and transparency.” __________

Source: Gloomsburg Metro Police Department Press Release 

Timestamp: C7.T22 - 13:20 WT - Two months, four days after #riftday

Subject: RE: Sinacori Logistics Group and Vincent Sinacori 

To Whom It May Concern,

Recent public statements by Vincent Sinacori regarding my testimony in the city court proceedings mischaracterize both my role in the investigation and the conclusions that can be drawn from it.

For clarity:

The racketeering charge failed because prosecutors could not establish the existence of a coordinated criminal enterprise beyond reasonable doubt.

The infrastructure sabotage allegation was legally dependent on that enterprise claim. When the primary charge failed, the secondary allegation did not meet the burden of proof on its own.

My investigation did not establish direct evidence linking Mr. Sinacori to criminal conduct.

It also did not establish the absence of such conduct.

That is a legal outcome.

It is not a character reference.

— Det. Bendric Bunning

Gloomsburg Metro Police Department

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[crossxworlds]

Changes coming:

I'm starting this series over on Substack. I may post one or two new episodes here while I get the Substack series up and going, but once set up, episodes that I post here on tumblr for this series will be a small selection or summary of the episode and a link to the Substack post for that episode.

And they will start over from the beginning of the story, so *new* new episodes will be a ways off, although each episode that includes content from previous tumblr episodes will have changes and additions not found in the original tumblr episodes. The Substack episodes will incorporate 2 - 3 tumblr episodes plus any new characters or revisions, so the episode numbering will change. Why am I doing this? First, I've gotten a better idea of what the story needs as I've written through it. That's meant the addition of new characters and new methods of revealing parts of the world that the main character's POV alone doesn't permit, and THAT has meant reworking early episodes and even adding additional episodes between existing episodes.

Second, the growing size of the story requires an index to navigate but Tumblr's link limitation per post makes a single index post unworkable, and managing and updating multipart index posts is a growing chore as I add earlier episodes.

Finally, tumblr and long text posts don't always get along, especially when most of my followers of my main @graylok blog are there for the pics I reblog. I'll decide as I go whether I'll keep the existing episodes and index posts here on tumblr, but if I do, I won't keep updating the tumblr episodes.

[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Episode 111

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - Kevin W. Burke

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Isilhuine leaned back, folding her arms, looking satisfied. 

“While we’re making confessions then, there’s something I haven’t told you, Aiani. Also to avoid incriminating certain parties.”

Aiani nodded again, listening.

“I’ve been part of this council for a long time. Since I was an intern, younger than you. There’s no one left on the Council besides me who remembers this. Your grandmother’s reputation is deeply revered on the council now. But when I was a girl, she had an entirely different reputation.”

Aiani straightened up, eyes widening.

“In the months after the battle had been won against the Wizard’s Alliance, the Council was on the verge of collapse. All of the different nations and races that had worked together to defeat a common enemy, now had a greater working knowledge of each other’s strengths and weaknesses than they had ever had, and certain factions started to exploit that. 

“One of the factions was the alliance of elemental elves, who had long resented the supremacy we Stone Elves have held over the affairs of elves. Other factions began to exploit that resentment, and it became a wedge of contention that threatened the whole collaboration. Relations between the different clans of elves had grown practically hostile.

“Until your grandmother, in the exercise of her duties of exploring all the Pockets, found herself in Fire Elf country… Morinar. And in defiance of the directives of her elven superiors, she refused to renounce her forbidden love for a young man, a Fire Elf she’d met there. 

“The Council members said she was reckless, rebellious, and a danger to the security of the Council. But it was the love and loyalty of your young grandparents to each other that turned the tide in Elven relations, and in the process, set the example for continued collaboration for all the rest of the Council races and nations. She would have never taken credit for this, but she was the glue that held the Council together.

“I see a lot of her in you, Aiani. I need you to fill her footsteps. To be that glue.”

Aiani nodded, breathing deeply, stifling her sniffles. Isilhuine was right. Her grandmother had never told her any of this.

“Thank you, ma’am. I will do my best.”

Isilhuine looked around the chambers again. 

“The Council body will reassemble any minute to continue their damage control efforts from this blasted Surge plan. You and I have kept each other from our own business for far too long. But one more thing.” 

“Yes, Councilor?”

“As soon as I’ve cleared up this business with Gallwraith and Stormweaver, I’ll call another regular Council Meeting. No promises, but I suspect that when I’m done, the rest of the Council will be open to reconsidering a proposal, should you be inclined to raise one.”

Aiani grinned.

 “Yes ma’am!”

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[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Interlude 15.3.5 Part VIII

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - 2026 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

Note: The following interlude takes place between the events of Episodes 15 and 16.

TRYL NODENET ARCHIVES: AFTERSHOCK

__________

Source: NodeBuzz - NodeNet longform magazine

Timestamp: C7.T17 - 06:58 MT - Two months after #riftday

Subject: The Transformation of CentCityCutie [selected excerpts]

By now everyone on the Chirperverse is aware of the spat this weekend between documentary filmmaker M.L. Lesse and tease influencer CentCityCutie. But it was this exchange of chirps between them that brought full circle just how far Cutie has come since her rise to notoriety on the NodeNet:

@mllesse: “@centcitycutie was never serious about her take on the Illia Rift issue, it was always branding for her. Her sudden change in position can't be taken seriously now.”

@centcitycutie: “@mllesse is still salty over the time I refused his DM request for more revealing pics than I share publicly.”

This wasn't just a clapback, it was a flashback– to a simpler world before the Pocket Rift, and a simpler Cutie before her foray into policy.  

When she began accumulating followers, Cutie– whose real name is Corinne Weller– might have appeared indistinguishable from any number of NodeNet influencers. But her social node savvy has resulted in a huge base of both male and female followers. Her strategic pivots in content emphasis have been based on engagement– including her previously most successful emphasis on dating and her ironically lonely relationship status. And her careful control of what images she releases and how they’re used, has managed to leave that enormous follower base always wanting more. 

It’s no surprise that Cutie’s tragic Centrecity Sky Corridor run-in with a dragon on the now infamous Riftday event would generate a largely empathetic response from the general public. But Cutie didn’t stop at empathy. 

That event became a catalyst for a number of transitions Cutie has made:

From sexy tease influencer and lonely relationship blogger to “cyber body positivity advocate.” 

. . .

Once her condition was stable, though, Cutie quickly pursued all options available to her to address her impromptu amputee status. Given the net worth her online empire had accumulated, her options were much wider than the average person– including the artificial limb augmentations she chose. 

She didn’t keep her choice quiet either, from documenting her journey in the discovery, selection, and augmentation process, to the post-augmentation glamour photos she released– her new augment limbs carefully positioned to obscure parts she never discloses. 

Even in this, she was still strategically toeing the line she’d always walked– always teasing, never revealing. 

From famously single, to quietly off the dating scene, to in a relationship with her rescuer. 

This began as a tease in the immediate aftermath of her recovery: A pale, barely-stable Cutie livestreaming from her MedArc bed to introduce her viewers to her brave rescuer– who didn’t even know who Cutie was. Die-hard Cutie fans were delighted to see deliveryTimeDave’s live bedside reaction as he innocently loaded Cutie’s channel on his Comm, and watched his face go from raised eyebrows, to flushed cheeks, to quietly pocketing his comm device, reverting to concerned questions about her medical condition. 

. . .

Another tease came at Cutie’s appearance on the Auren Montrose Show. Initially a solo interview, Auren covered Cutie’s recovery, her cybernetics, how her life changed, and the cost of being a symbol. And then, to the surprise of both Cutie and Dave, it became a couple’s interview, as Auren’s team arranged with SkyGrab corporate to put Dave on a delivery at Auren’s studio backstage. 

. . .

[Cutie and Dave, helmet still awkwardly tucked under his arm, seated together on a studio couch facing Auren and the audience.]

Dave: “So yeah, as soon as the dragon was distracted, I swung in there and pulled her out of the AutoPod wreckage, got her to a safe place where I could do triage care on my board. The livestream picks up from there.”

Auren: “You didn’t help her just so you could go viral.”

Dave: [Shakes head]

Auren: “You didn’t know who she was.” 

Dave: [Flushing] “Not until she told me, in recovery.” 

Auren: “You just delivered.”

Dave: [Shrugs]

. . .

Auren: “Prior to this, Cutie, your channel had been focused on dating and relationships. So many NodeNet fans– and literally all of my staff– have been dying to know: Are the sparks we’ve been sensing between the two of you for real?”

Dave: [Flushes, cradles his helmet, looks at Cutie.]

Cutie: [Smiles, meets Dave’s gaze, rests a hand on his shoulder.] “What’s real is that Dave is an amazing person.” 

Auren: “I don’t want to add fuel to the fire, but your answer doesn’t do anything to dispel the rumors.”

. . .

More curated disclosure came– not by what she said, but what she didn’t say– Cutie quietly stopped streaming date setups. Her tease streams became more tame– less fan service, more fashion. Speculation ran rampant. 

. . .

Finally, in a career first, Cutie revealed something fans had been asking for– in a joint livestream between Cutie and Dave, they publicly announced they were in a relationship. 

. . .

From largely apolitical to outspokenly anti-Illian influencer, embraced by a growing public anti-Illia movement. 

After their relationship announcement, deliveryTimeDave’s channel content continued as it had always done, albeit less frequently. Cutie’s channel shifted dramatically, but this time not based on engagement. To the contrary, many of her fans protested as her livestreams dropped wardrobe changes and picked up the talking points of the rapidly growing TrylFirst movement. 

She called her accident unnecessary, her loss of limbs preventable, and targeted the “secretive and deceptive” agenda of the Illian Council on Sovereign Harmony as their role in the Pocket Rift– and in Tryllian affairs for centuries– began to be understood.

Two comments surfaced the most frequently from fans on all her posts: “Angry isn’t cute,” and “Shut up and tease.”

For groups like the TrylFirstBros– a loose, aggressively online nationalist movement– Cutie was heralded as brave. Fights in the comments section became common between the original “fashion & relationship” fans and her newfound anti-Illia fans.

. . .

From being in a celebrated relationship, to signs of relationship strain, to painfully single again.

Crucially, the person who appeared to be increasingly uncomfortable with the anti-Illia company Cutie began keeping, was deliveryTimeDave– Dave Fieldsmith. What started as Dave avoiding appearance in any of Cutie’s streams that weren’t solely focused on their joint activities, turned into Dave actively ducking questions about his thoughts on Cutie's activism. Then came the leak of a 3rd party video taken of Cutie and Dave, in a public but secluded space where they clearly thought they had privacy. Although the audio was undiscernable, the strain in their expressions was clear. 

The final straw came after the Crosshaven Pocket incident, where the appearance of a so-called “rogue” Pocket and members of TrylFirstBros– who were there protesting Crosshaven’s known, stable, Illia-protected Pocket– collided into a display of Tryllians exercising heinous violence against unarmed, presumably innocent Illians. The type of violence that had been quickly condemned by Tryllian leaders following the Pocket Rift incident, and had agreed to cease as part of the armistice agreement that had followed with Illia. 

Cutie quickly disavowed any affiliation with the TrylFirstBros and spoke out against violence from either side. But within the week of Crosshaven, she made a tearful livestream announcing a break-up after her 6-week relationship with deliveryTimeDave– over “philosophical differences.” 

Back to teasing, Cutie let slip a comment, “you think you know someone, and then…” but changed the subject and wouldn’t elaborate. 

Dave was also tight-lipped about it, completely avoiding the topic on his delivery livestreams, which have become increasingly infrequent. 

. . .

From the NodeNet’s most influential activist in the anti-Illia movement to a neutral analyst and commentator. 

Following the Crosshaven incident, and Cutie’s subsequent disavowal, Cutie’s ViewTime Channel and other social node accounts went silent for two weeks– nearly forever in NodeNet influencer time. 

When she emerged, she issued an even stronger disavowal of the TryFirst movement– “I won’t be your mascot” – and in true Cutie fashion, announced another pivot. She would still comment on Illia and Tryl relations, as she had been. But this time as a neutral commentator with a focus on opposing oppression and authoritarianism in any form, regardless of world origin, party, or affiliation. 

“People are suffering from this conflict, just as I suffered, and most of them are innocent victims, just as I was. I can’t look at their suffering indifferently just because of where they were born or what they look like.”

. . .

Of course, this has not settled well with the TrylFirst movement, whose comments on her content have quickly gone from laudatory to predatory, with demands to “pick a side,” and inferred threats if she picks the “wrong” side.

. . .

With her track record of pivots, there’s no telling where Cutie will go from here. But one thing is clear– whether she’s in a camera’s focus, a dragon’s jaws, or the TrylFirstBros’ crosshairs, don’t count Cutie out. 

__________

< Last Episode | Episode Index | Next Episode >

[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Episode 110

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

Lyra Isilhuine’s expression sobered.

“But there’s one more thing I need to clear up with you before I go along with the conditions of this mobster boss your Davin is recommending.”

“Ok.”

“Do you love him?”

Aiani choked. 

“Ma’am?”

“You heard me.”

Aiani’s heart pounded, her breathing quickened. It was a question she had been avoiding to voice even in her own head, let alone discuss with the Councilor General. A dozen thoughts collided in her mind in search of a way to deflect the question. None of them were adequate.

She looked at Isilhuine pleadingly as if to be pardoned from answering it. The councilor general just stared back, waiting.

“But—Councilor as you’ve said, I’ve only known him for days,” Aiani protested, stalling. 

Lyra leaned her head forward, one eyebrow raising. 

“But…?”

Aiani’s eyes darted around as she searched in desperation for a cover story that would satisfy Isilhuine. 

Then she thought again of Davin’s hand on her chest. His challenge to be true to her heart. Her ache as he pulled away from her.

The emptiness when he walked away.

A sob built up in her chest and heaved itself out of her. 

“Oh, I’m so scared of losing him!” Aiani cried out. “He’s been so strong and tried so hard through all of this, and yet he’s so fragile and human, and he won’t let me protect him!”

Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, and she clenched her teeth to keep herself from saying any more. She’d already admitted too much.  

A slight smile crept into the corner of Lyra’s mouth. 

“So that’s a yes, then?”

Aiani nodded, sniffling, tightening her chest to suppress further sobs.

“You realize, as a human, that he's going to live a fraction of your lifetime. That you'll always be facing the fear of his fragility. That's what you're signing onto when you love him.”

Aiani sighed, wiping her cheeks, nodding. Isilhuine was cutting the matter to the core. 

“How old are you?”

“Fifty five, ma'am.”

Isilhuine shook her head. “So young. Not as young as I was, but… And Davin, how old is he?”

“Twenty eight.”

Lyra shrugged, tilting her head. “Just old enough for a human to have his head on straight. You could do worse. If you're lucky, you might get to spend a quarter of your life with him.”

Aiaini flushed, embarrassed at the straightforward way the Councilor General was plotting the prospects of her future life with Davin. 

“And he doesn't mind the difference in your years?”

“What do you mean?”

“Twenty eight and fifty five. Sometimes that matters to the shorter lived races.”

“But everybody knows that elves are long-lived,” Aiani said. “Of course our coming of age is later.”

“Everybody on Illia knows,” Isilhuine corrected. “But does Davin know?”

“I– it didn't even occur to me!” Aiani stammered.

“Word for the wise,” Isilhuine said, “you might find a way to bring it up. Maybe on your next hoverboard ride for your life.” The Councilor had a wry smile.

Aiaini suppressed a giggle.

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[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Interlude 15.3.5 Part VII

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - 2026 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

Note: The following interlude takes place between the events of Episodes 15 and 16.

TRYL NODENET ARCHIVES: AFTERSHOCK

__________

Source: Centrecity Tribune news article 

Timestamp: C5.T19 - 08:15 MT - Two days after #riftday

The Centrecity City Council has appointed City Councilor Jornaton Gallwraith as Acting Mayor of Centrecity. The action was ratified in the city council session held last evening, Tuesday, Cycle 5, Turn 19. The action followed a vote of no-confidence that Gallwraith called for against the sitting mayor, who had been revealed as an Illian agent the previous day, in the midst of a rash of similar revelations triggered by the so-called Riftday events on Monday, C5.T17.

As CEO of the security services company Gallwraith Security (GallSec), Jornaton Gallwraith had been involved in Centrecity’s security concerns at the private business, financial service, and government level for over a decade before his successful bid for his position on the City Council 4 years ago. 

Regular city elections had just concluded earlier in Cycle 5, resulting in the re-election of both Gallwraith as City Councilor and the now-outed Mayor. The city council plans to announce an emergency election schedule in the next council session.

__________

Source: Tryl Associated Media (AM) raw news feed segment

Timestamp: C5.T24 - 12:05 WT - One week after #riftday

Moderator: “…and now, Illia’s official statement.”

[Multiple feeds auto-sync. Audio levels fluctuate for the first few seconds. Aiani steps forward to a lectern. She waits. The room quiets. She leans forward– too closely– to the lectern mic.]

Aiani Caladstone: “Uh, hello–”

[Mic feedback squeals. Aiani repels from the sound, looks side-stage for guidance. Side-stage, a gnome in a brightly colored shirt pantomimes grabbing a mic and moving it away. She imitates his motion with the mic and then leans back into a more natural stance.]

Aiani: “Hello, my name is Aiani Caladstone, of Morinar, in Illia. Councilor General Isilhuine of the Council on Sovereign Harmony has asked me to speak on behalf of the Council.”

[She looks around, a split second of hesitance, then clears her throat and continues.]

Aiani: “Last night, the Huracan Continental Guard forcibly entered what the Council recognizes as Illian-owned private property, located at the Woodrock Apartments here in Gloomsburg suburbs. They succeeded in temporarily overwhelming Council security forces and led an armed incursion through the Gloomsburg Pocket into Illia. 

“Once in Illia, Tryllian forces lost coordination and were quickly subdued by the Council Guard. The incursion was pushed back out through the Pocket, and away from Illian-owned property. 

“I understand the fear and anger surrounding last night’s events. I will answer any questions that I can, as honestly as I can. I apologize in advance if I misuse any of your protocols.

Reporter (Gloomwire): “Ms. Caladstone, can you confirm whether there are Illian forces occupying the Woodrock Apartment complex, and whether there are Huracan Continental Guard personnel being detained against their will?”

Aiani: “Thank you. I– I want to be very clear about this. There are no military forces occupying Woodrock. This is first and foremost an apartment complex with Tryllian human civilians living here. There also exists a long-established presence of Council security, science, and arcane experts here, assigned to monitor and safeguard the Pocket itself and the surrounding civilian structure.”

[A pause. She nods once, as if confirming her own phrasing.]

“As for the members of the Huracan Continental Guard who crossed through the Pocket– yes, several of them are being held in Illia. They are not being harmed. Medical care is being provided and they are being treated as protected detainees under Council charter accords.”

Reporter (TrylNow): “Detainees. So prisoners.”

[A ripple moves through the room. Aiani exhales, then answers anyway.]

Aiani: “They are being held to prevent further loss of life on either side. This engagement is not something the Council sought or initiated, but we responded with the restraint appropriate to the circumstances.”

Reporter (independent NodeNet feed, off-mic): “Restraint with magic.”

[Aiani’s gaze flicks towards the sound. She doesn’t smile.]

Aiani: “Yes, with magic.

“Deliberately non-lethal magic, despite significant provocation and–”

[She stops herself, forcing a smile.]

Aiani: “–despite the imbalance of conditions created by the intrusion.”

Reporter (Gloomsburg Live News 5): “Are you saying Tryl forces were unprepared? Or that they were set up to fail once they crossed over?” 

[Aiani hesitates– just a beat too long. Cameras click loudly in the pause, lenses zooming in on her. A sentiment index flickers across the press pool HUDs: CONFIDENCE -12%.]

Aiani: “What I am saying is that Illia is not Tryl. The rules– physical, energetic, ecological– are different there. Entering without coordination, without shared safeguards, was dangerous.”

[She leans forward, hands visible on the lectern.]

Aiani: “Remember, Tryl initiated this incursion, not Illia. We have spent centuries preventing exactly this kind of misunderstanding from turning into a catastrophe. The events of last night show why that caution existed.”

Reporter (Gloomwire): “So you’re saying the secrecy was justified.”

[Aiani blinks. This question lands harder than the last.]

Aiani: “No. That isn’t what I said.”

[Another pause. Shorter this time.]

Aiani: “I’m saying that secrecy and sudden force are both poor substitutes for cooperation. And right now, cooperation is the only path to keeping people alive.”

[She straightens, visibly bracing herself on the lectern.]

Aiani: “That is why the Council is prepared to negotiate immediately for the safe return of all personnel, and for clear boundaries around the Pocket going forward.”

Moderator: “I will take another question.”

[Three hands shoot up. The room noise spikes]

Comments:

- TrylFirstBro: Pausing to try to get her story straight– confused or lying? Hard to tell with that funny accent. 

- DeepGlitcher: Bro, elf chicks are kinda hot, not gonna lie. What’s with that tunic though?

- nodeMatrix: They’ve always been here. We’re just now starting to find out how deep the deception goes. 

- spark_anon: She makes a lot of sense to me!

- Fishdell_neighbor: This happened 2 miles from my house… There goes the neighborhood!

- sentiment.ai_beta: Trending polarity: 61% distrust. Engagement spike in Huracan province.

__________

< Last Episode | Episode Index | Next Episode >

[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Episode 109

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

“The hitmen were pretty serious too,” Aiani quipped. “Three council guards, an Orc Corp brute, and a Dark Elf assassin.”

“Those could have been regular Surge troops assembled in the halls before deployment.”

“The dark elf was an illusionist. She was wearing a disguise that matched the outfit I wore on the rooftop the night I met Gallwraith.”

Isilhuine paused.

“How did Davin escape?”

“There are now 5 body bags in the 4th floor hallway outside Davin’s apartment door.”

Councilor Isilhuine sat back. She nodded slowly, then looked around the Council chambers carefully once again. 

“Thank you for telling me this, Aiani. Don’t speak of this to anyone else on the Council until I tell you otherwise. Especially not Stormweaver. Or Delegate Sivelle.” 

Aiani nodded. 

Isihuine stewed on it a minute more. “Oh, the thought sickens me,” she said, shaking her head. “I was already worried when Centrecity operations went dark preemptively. Now this adds gravity– the prospect of losing control of the Pockets in Centrecity– the economic and technological throne of Palomar. It’s practically the center of the world of Tryl. Of everything the Council will have lost from this Surge plan, Centrecity may be the most costly.”

Aiani sighed. She would have liked to be wrong about Gallwraith, but it wasn’t looking good. 

“Well, enough of that.” Councilor Isilhuine said. “I think I have enough now to make my assessment of Davin’s character, and your judgement.”

Aiani held her breath. 

The Councilor General’s face turned hard and serious, her voice sharpening as she ran through a litany. 

“Running AWOL with a Tryllian human. Putting Illian relations with Tryl in jeopardy in a dangerous and unprofessional manner that could have escalated to arms before we were prepared. Creating a cover story for your own misdeeds in your own press conference. Disclosing council strategy with said human hours before operations launch. Aiding and abetting said human in the death of Council troops.”

“But ma’am!” Aiani protested, eyes widening. 

Isilhuine held up a hand, eyes sharp, stopping her.

Aiani held her tongue, but her eyes flared at the Councilor General over the injustice she felt. 

Isilhuine studied Aiani, unrelentingly fierce in her gaze for another long moment. Then– almost imperceptibly– a twinkle entered her eyes. 

“At least,” she said at last, “that’s how Stormweaver and Gallwraith would have wanted to present it against you.”

Aiani exhaled. 

Isilhuine whistled low, shaking her head. “You’ve got some nerve, kid! Walking into that press conference with grainy night-vision footage of yourself looping behind you, and turning it into a story that took the heat off the Council entirely?” She clicked her tongue. “You’ve got some damn nerve. That wasn’t innocence. That was choreography.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am.”

“Sorry!” Isihuine barked, then burst into laughter. “You wrapped the Council in plausible deniability, showed that our enemies had nothing they could prove, and somehow managed to come out of it looking untouched yourself.”

Her gaze sharpened again– this time it was approving. 

“Intentional or not. Ironic or not. You wore that halo beautifully.” 

Aiani shifted, uncertain, the unexpected praise landing harder than any rebuke could have. 

Isilshuine leaned back slightly, folding her hands. 

“And that,” she said, voice lowering, “is exactly why this Council needs you. Not because you’re blameless– but because when the worlds decide to burn, you know how to stand in the smoke and make it look like light.”

Aiani wasn’t sure that’s how she wanted to be seen, but she nodded, accepting it for now.

__________

< Last Episode | Episode Index | Next Episode >

[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Interlude 15.3.5 Part VI

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - 2026 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

Note: The following interlude takes place between the events of Episodes 15 and 16.

TRYL NODENET ARCHIVES

CYCLE 5 - TURN 17 // TRENDING FEED // TAG: #GLITCHDAY / #RIFTDAY

__________

Source: Centrecity News 7 - Evening Commcast - Closing Segment

Timestamp: C5.T17 - 17:50 MT

Wide shot of the News 7 Studio, showing an angled desk. Two anchors, a man and a woman, are positioned at it, facing both the camera and each other from a diagonal.

As the segment starts, the reporters are in uncharacteristically candid conversation. 

“Well Mitch, it’s no understatement that today has been a news day like none I’ve ever experienced.”

“That’s right Don, and no sign things will normalize any time soon, based on the sheer scope and scale of this so-called glitchday– or riftday, as some are beginning to call it.”

“You’ve always ended our broadcast with a feel-good story to offset some of the regular news stories, which are often frightening or depressing. Please tell me you have a story like that to offset today’s insanity.”

“Don, I have three feel-good stories today. But in true Glitchday / Riftday fashion, none of them are normal.”

Don sighs.

“We’ll take what we can get, Mitch.”

“Alright… first up, a story of a needy father who became the unexpected recipient of a gift from a generous stranger– A Centrecity man received his SkyGrab meal delivery for free when the SkyGrab hoverboard driver transformed into a glowing dwarf in the middle of the transaction. The driver kept his calm, told the customer to keep his credits and enjoy the meal, then escaped quickly on his hoverboard into SK-42 traffic. As a struggling father of four, the SkyGrab customer said the free meal couldn’t have come at a better time for his family. SkyGrab corporate is cooperating with an official investigation.

“Second, an elderly woman whose faithful dog protected her from harm’s way. The 83 year old woman went out to check her post box when a horde of goblins stormed her yard and began to threaten her with sticks and daggers. The dog rushed to her rescue, barking and scaring off the goblins. The woman had just adopted the dog last month. Animal Control is investigating the whereabouts of the goblins.”

“Finally… a heroic rescue from a traffic accident. When ViewTime personality CentCityCutie encountered a very real and very dangerous dragon in Sky Corridor traffic, she suffered a loss of limbs and may have certainly perished– if not for the intervention of a brave hoverboard courier, himself a ViewTime streamer. Half the NodeNet today watched as Cutie’s daring rescuer, deliveryTimeDave, cut through institutional red tape with his persistent livestream pleading and expert hoverboard piloting. We’re pleased to report that, thanks to his heroism, CentCityCutie is in stable condition and expected to survive.”

“Thank you, Mitch. We all need a lot more Dave after a day like today.”

“Indeed we do.”

__________

TRYL NODENET ARCHIVES: AFTERSHOCK

__________

Source: s/trylWatch channel, seenit NodeNet Forum

Timestamp: C5.T18 - 15:51 WT - One day after #riftday

Subject: You Called Me Crazy – I Am Vindicated!

Posted by: u/grimlingprophet

Hello again, my disciples– and all you smug normies who downvoted my last fortytwo posts about ZetherCorp CEO, Cam Zetherbert, being “a manipulative eldritch elf-thing hiding in human skin.”

LOOK AT HIM NOW. 

A sparkling blue, elf-skin thing running down Centrecity’s executive corridor, screaming to be left alone. 

You mocked me when I said the Synapse Systems CEO Rider Vincent was an alien. 

You mocked me when I said Senator Mitt Connel was an alien plant in the Fed Assembly. 

You mocked me & u/autopods_sukk when we said AutoPod CEO Rylan Mink was an alien. 

You mocked me when I told you there was a secret cabal of aliens controlling the world!

And then yesterday, #glitchday happened. The freaking Pocket Rift opened, or whatever they’re calling it.   

This isn’t even the full list! These are just the highlights!

A high school science teacher who’s a gnome. The Centrecity mayor’s an elf. A freaking SkyGrab hoverboard driver is a dwarf. Even CentCityCutie turned out to be dragon food!

The point is. 

I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE RIGHT IN MY LIFE!!! 

New theory: Their world is collapsing and they’re colonizing. 

Or maybe ours is collapsing and they’re escaping.

Either way–

I TOLD YOU.

I. TOLD. YOU.

Oh, suddenly we’re all quiet now? 

Suddenly I’m not the crazy one?

#Vindicated #IWasRight #ToldYouSo #VictoryLap

67K upvotes

Comments:

- u/SparkAnon: bruh, simmer. u sound like u just ate 6 energy bars

- u/grimlingprophet: THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS. YOU THINK THIS IS NEW??

- u/cutiefansunited: Too soon with the Cutie snark, she’s barely stable. Low blow!

- u/node_surfer77: Bro. Calm down before the corporate lawyers come through your vents. 

- u/JustLemmeCommute: My brother in Maris, you said the same thing about pigeons.

- u/grimlingprophet: THE PIGEONS ARE NANOBOTS

u/GloomyGloom4: this thread gave me an aneurysm

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[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Episode 108

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

“Gallwraith is in on this too?” Lyra raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

“No, but he’s into something, ma’am,” Aiani said. “I’m still trying to figure out the full extent of it.”

“Explain.”

“Wednesday night, before my meeting with Gallwraith ended, one of his men interrupted us to whisper a message. I didn’t hear much of anything, but I caught the name of Stormweaver in the whisper.”

Isilhuine’s head jolted to attention. She also took a long look around the Council chambers and then lowered her head and her voice.

“Go on…”

“Gallwraith ended our meeting abruptly, but before he did, he dropped mention of his attention being needed on some unrest by the locals in Centrecity.”

Lyra’s eyes sharpened. “What time was this?”

“Before midnight, ma’am.”

“You’re sure you’re remembering the time correctly? And the details of his comments?”

“Crystal clear.”

“Hours before he was supposedly surprised by the attacks on his return,” Isilhuine mused. “An attack that was instrumental in swaying the urgency of Council’s vote on the Surge plan.”

“Exactly.”

Isilhuine straightened up. “What else?”

“Flint tried to corroborate the details of the attack with his contacts in the Centrecity BaseOps team. He couldn’t find any hard evidence of the casualties from the attack, and their Delegate is refusing to provide any, citing confidentiality of the surviving families. There was a list of casualties produced, although with one conflicting report– a dwarf agent on the casualties list who is very much alive… Davrik? He refused to talk to Flint and everyone else is reluctant to discuss how he ended up on the list, other than calling it a mistake.

“Oh, Council personnel went missing, alright,” Councilor Isilhuine said. “They were all low-level assets like Davrik, exactly the kind of nobodies whose absence wouldn’t be felt in operational stability or political impact. I hadn’t managed to pin Councilor Gallwraith down on producing the remains to return to their surviving families. Now we may never know.”

Aiani nodded. “Flint and I suspected as much. We speculate that either there are Council assets who are in on it with him, who gave up their identities to become casualties in name, or else he sacrificed assets to force the urgency of the vote. Either way, it gave us the impression of a man who would stop at nothing to get his way. Which is the real reason I feared for Davin’s life.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Gallwraith seemed particularly petulant about my connection to Davin on the rooftop the night we met. His disdain for Davin was palpable. And in the runup to the Surge plan there were Council Guard sentries placed on each floor of the BaseOps building. It felt like an effort to monitor my interactions with Davin.”

“There were what? I had no knowledge of this!” Isihuine said, incredulous. 

“I thought I was just being paranoid,” Aiani said. “But in the fog of war, on the night of the Surge attack, a hit team was sent to Davin’s apartment.”

Isilhuine stared at her. 

“Those are serious allegations, Aiani.”

__________

< Last Episode | Episode Index | Next Episode >

[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Interlude 15.3.5 Part V

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - 2026 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

Note: The following interlude takes place between the events of Episodes 15 and 16.

TRYL NODENET ARCHIVES

CYCLE 5 - TURN 17 // TRENDING FEED // TAG: #GLITCHDAY / #RIFTDAY

__________

Source: Centrecity Press drone footage, Centrecity City Hall

Timestamp: C5.T17 - 15:05 MT

At the Centrecity City Hall steps, the mayor emerges to a podium at the top of the steps, to issue a statement reassuring the public.

Among the staffers and security detail behind him, two of them begin to glow with faerie fire auras as their glamours fade, their disguises falling. 

The crowd clamors, some screaming. 

Turning to see the source of alarm, the mayor lights up as his illusion also falls, leaving his elven appearance.

Security bots whirl in confusion. One glitches, tazing the glowing staffer, who goes down in convulsions. 

The mayor raises his arms, pleading. 

“I mean no harm! I was placed here a century ago–”

Someone throws a bottle.

The security bots deploy shields, but half are protecting the mayor and half are containing him. 

The press drone spirals off course, video glitching as its telemetry systems hang.  __________

Source: Gloomsburg Live News 5 Commcast Update

Timestamp: C5.T17 - 13:07 MT Medium shot, anchor desk. News anchor Jerb Williands faces the camera. His posture is rigid, his voice measured. 

“Earlier this afternoon, Live News 5 aired a brief live segment filed by one of our autonomous field units, Nori, regarding events in the Woodrock district. 

“That segment contained language and framing that did not meet our editorial standards. In particular, the report engaged in speculative descriptions and unverified characterizations of individuals involved in an ongoing incident. 

“While the video footage captured by the unit does depict unusual environmental and situational conditions, claims made on-air regarding off-world origin, non-human identity, or extraordinary capabilities have not been independently verified at this time.

“It is not the role of Live News 5 to speculate, sensationalize, or draw conclusions while facts remain incomplete. The live feed was terminated as soon as production staff became aware of the deviation from journalistic standards. 

“For clarity: During the recorded exchange, the individual interviewed appeared cooperative, did not initiate hostile action toward civilians, and was engaged in what authorities have described as an ongoing public safety response. 

“We regret the confusion caused by the earlier broadcast and reaffirm our commitment to accurate, responsible reporting– especially during moments of public uncertainty.

“Further updates will be provided as confirmed information becomes available through official channels.”

Jerb pauses briefly, a faint shake of the head, then continues into the next segment.  __________

Source: Gloomsburg Metro Police Department Press Release

Timestamp: C5.T17 - 13:17 WT

Due to widespread incidents involving unstable spatial anomalies, localized atmospheric phenomenon, and undocumented biological incursions, residents are strongly advised to remain indoors unless an evacuation notice is issued.

Do not approach glowing individuals. 

Do not approach autonomous police dog units exhibiting erratic behavior. 

Do not approach shimmering distortions, dimensional apertures, sphere-like mirages, or any object producing harmonic vibrations, regardless of their perceived beauty.

Stay tuned to official channels for emergency information. 

__________

Source: Gloomsburg Metro Police Department internal memo

Timestamp: C5.T17 - 13:20 WT

[Yellow sticky note appended to Gloomsburg Metro Police Department Press Release, above] 

Chief,

If you ask me to issue one more absurd press release simultaneously confirming and denying the terrifying reality of today’s unusual events, I’ll retire to private detective work.

– Det. Bendric Bunning 

__________

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[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Episode 107

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

Isilhuine’s eyes narrowed as she examined Aiani.

“Then?”

“We arranged for a lunch date the following day. Saturday morning, I had a strategy meeting with the rest of the BaseOps team. That’s when I learned Spark’s fears about the likely outcome of Gallwraith’s Surge plan. Which turned into my fears for Davin. We had already been through so much together in those two days, including saving my life. I– I felt like I owed him that much, warning him.”

“So you spent the next two days strategizing with an outsider about how to subvert the Council’s strategy before we could even execute it?”

“No ma’am. I spent Saturday miserably trying to avoid the topic until he took me home that evening. He could tell something was wrong. I tried to hint at some danger in vague generalities, trying to scare him into leaving town, but all I managed to do was provoke his sense of duty to protect me. 

“So I tried telling him the unvarnished truth about the Council’s impending plans, to make him feel the full weight of the danger, to make him feel like I had betrayed him, to drive him away. But all I managed to do was provoke his sense of loyalty to me. That idiot!” 

Aiani blinked against tears in the corners of her eyes. 

“If he’d have just listened!”

Isilhuine’s mouth opened in a small “o” and then closed again. Whatever objection she had planned to raise, she suppressed. 

“We had an argument where I told him I’d never talk to him again if he wouldn’t leave town, and then I spent Sunday miserably trying to keep my promise of not talking to him while the BaseOps team and I made emergency preparations as a contingency for the possible Surge plan fallout. Apparently, that’s when Davin made contact with the Sinacoris.

“They were able to pull together an outreach plan in less than a day, launching a pre-emptive community rescue plan disguised as an emergency preparedness drill last evening before the Surge plan was launched. All without alerting the concern of the Continental Guard or local authorities.”

The Councilor General shrugged. “Catering to their own self-interest, but impressive regardness. So you each laid low through the execution of the Surge plan, and once the dust settled, you’ve reconnected to make your deals?”

Aiani narrowed her eyes at the Councilor General. She looked around the scry image of the council chambers, ensuring they were still alone.

“Not exactly, your honor. To be candid, I’ve left out some details to avoid incriminating certain parties.”

“You’ve already done a fair job of incriminating yourself. Who else are you protecting? This Davin? The rest of the BaseOps team?”

Aiani lowered her voice. 

“Councilor Gallwraith, Ma’am.”

__________

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[crossxworlds]

The Pocket Rift - Interlude 15.3.5 Part IV

A CrossXworlds story

© 2025 - 2026 - Kevin W. Burke

__________

Note: The following interlude takes place between the events of Episodes 15 and 16.

TRYL NODENET ARCHIVES

CYCLE 5 - TURN 17 // TRENDING FEED // TAG: #GLITCHDAY / #RIFTDAY

__________

Source: Palomar Federation Advisory - Valebridge Federal Seat

Timestamp: C5.T17 - 14:48 MT

Issued by the Office of the High Envoy

Countersigned by the Assembly President

Public Notice Regarding Atmospheric Anomalies and Civic Safety

The offices of the High Envoy, the Assembly President, the Chief Arbitrator, and the Continental Commander have been made aware of irregular atmospheric and electromagnetic phenomena observed across multiple provinces during the current Whole Moon solar eclipse.

Preliminary assessments, conducted in coordination with provincial authorities and relevant continental offices, indicate that these effects are non-hostile, non-directed, and consistent with rare but previously documented natural disturbances affecting upper-atmospheric visibility, communications interference, and optical perception.

At this time, there is no credible evidence to suggest the involvement of any foreign power, coordinated hostile action, or non-human agency.

Out of an abundance of caution, residents are advised to:

Remain indoors where practicable

Avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heightened visual or electrical disturbance

Refrain from engaging with unverified reports or imagery, edited or miscontextualized broadcasts, or unfounded speculation circulating on private networks, as such activity only benefits foreign misinformation campaigns

Critical infrastructure, trade corridors, and port operations remain under active observation and are continuing to function within acceptable tolerances.

Provincial governments retain full authority over local emergency responses. Vigilante behavior only inhibits a healthy emergency response. The continental offices stand ready to assist in coordination and arbitration as requested.

The Federal Assembly remains in session.

Calm, patience, and civic responsibility are essential during periods of uncertainty.

Signed,

High Envoy Alric Veylan

Office of External Relations and Trade

Countersigned,

Assembly President Merrow Tain

Presiding Officer of the Federal Assembly

Comments:

- NomadNet: Uh… Is Valebridge really trying to speak for the sovereign provinces? 

- nodeMatrix: “Optical perception” - You didn’t see what your own eyes told you, folks!

- continentalDrift: Bwahaha! Look at these two jokers: An external ambassador and a procedural tiebreaker acting like they got something to say to all of Palomar.

- OnePalomarScot: A strong Federal response like this is exactly what Palomar needs in trying times like these!

- instaPundits: Maybe #glitchday prevented the offices of the Chief Arbitrator and Continental Commander from cosigning this farce of Federal interference. Or maybe their silence is intentional… and deafening. 

- starlight-skeptic: Rare but previously documented? Documented where? Guys… what if the glitch is letting us see things we weren’t supposed to?

- endTheDraft: The last thing the Provinces need is more federal coordination of Continental Guard units.

- ironicBart: non-human agency – What an odd thing to say! Who even asked about non-humans? Unless someone was watching the same live broadcast of PAL-PAN that I was. Maybe the powers that be have always been non-human!

__________

Source: s/autopodsucks channel, seenit NodeNet Forum

Timestamp: C5.T17 - 12:57 WT

Subject: VIDEO PROOF: Rylan Mink is NOT human! 

Posted by: u/autopods_sukk

Video of AutoPod Shareholder Update Event - C5.T17 - Gloomsburg

AutoPod CEO Rylan Mink stands on the stage with his chief engineer Jamila Rossvik and a prototype model AutoPod hovering above the stage. Mink is highlighting the armored engineering of AutoPod windows. 

He tells the chief engineer to throw a steel ball bearing at the AutoPod window. 

The engineer winds up for a throw– then drops the ball. She stares at the CEO.

A transformed Rylan Mink is now visibly taller, spikey brown hair becomes slick indigo black, skin taking a pale blueish tint, ears elongated. There’s a visible shimmer around him.

Mink: “You’re supposed to hit the window, Jamila.”

Muted gasps. Mink seems oblivious to their reaction.

Jamila: “Rylan, you’re sparkling.”

Rylan glances at his transformation in the reflection of the AutoPod window. 

“Ah, yes… Well, the human interface was just for the early investors. You’re welcome, everyone.”

Awkward, stunned silence from the shareholder audience. 

Jamila: “Gods, he’s gone full Mink.”

Mink turns to Jamila and the audience, pointing at himself: “Don’t be distracted by minor interface changes. This is what true innovation looks like.”

35K upvotes

Comments:

- u/hoverboard_harry: Ok but… he literally just turned into a glowing blue elf mid-demo. Should I be buying shares or contacting HR? This can’t be a #glitchday fake. Mind blown!

- u/skygrabz: That awkward moment when your CEO is literally not human but your stocks just hit an all-time high. Mink 2.0 is… terrifyingly efficient.

- u/jamila_approved: That look on Jamila’s face is me every morning when I check my AutoPod’s ETA. Absolute chaos, 10/10.

__________

Source: ViewTime Video Sharing Node - CommStream - deliveryTimeDave Channel

Timestamp: C5.T17 - 15:03 MT

Stream Title: NOT A DRILL – NEED MED CLEARANCE NOW

[HELMETCAM VIDEO FEED - STABILIZED / WIND NOISE / HEARTRATE OVERLAY SPIKING]

“OK ViewTimers– chat, listen to me. I need you guys now, OK?

I pulled her out of a Lift– an Autopod. Corridor forty-two. I can’t explain– Strike me, a dragon hit it. Don’t ask me– just… look.”

[Camera dips. A young blonde woman is visible, strapped prone across the hoverboard. One arm and one leg are missing on the same side. Improvised pressure wraps are soaked dark.]

“She– She’s alive. She’s breathing. Barely. 

Not for long if I get stuck in traffic. I’ve got compression on the stumps. I couldn’t find the limbs, we’re a thousand feet up. I know, I know, chat– it’s not perfect. It’s what I had. She was going into shock.”

[Board surges forward. Dave is breathing heavily. Horns and traffic buoy alarms blare.]

“If you’re watching this and you’re in Centrecity traffic control– or you know someone– clear SK-42 northbound. 

If you’re in medical– Lower MedArc, trauma bay. Now! I don’t care about permits or insurance.”

[Wind noise intensifies as he accelerates, lane-splitting through Lift traffic.]

“Chat, ping everyone you know. City, Midalon Guard, AutoPod– H’el, ping Rylan Mink himself if you have to. I’m not losing her over some striking paperwork.

Mink’s a what? Chat, I don’t need jokes right now. I need help.”

[A large shadow passes over. Dave swears, glances up– a blurred pan up as he does. A glimpse of Lift traffic, a dark winged shape. He refocuses ahead, leaning the board left.]

“It’s still up there. Going to veer off a little.” 

[A woman’s painful moan. The camera dips back to his passenger.]

“Hey– hey! Stay with me, OK? You’re doing great. You hear me? We’re gonna make it. We’re moving.”

[Helmetcam overlay flashes: SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED – TRAFFIC VIOLATION FLAGGED]

“Strike you– flag me later, Traffic Control. Ban me later, SkyGrab! Right now I need airspace and a medic who can beat the clock. That’s all I care about.”

[Camera shakes violently as he threads between stalled Lifts. He tilts the board up, bouncing off the roof of one. Horns. Shouting. Wind noise.]

“This is deliveryTimeDave– this is my delivery! You gotta let me help her. Please– please! Help me clear the way!”

[ARCHIVED CHAT EXCERPTS – VIEWTIME COMMSTREAM]

- centrecityEMS: routing trauma team to Lower MedArc now

- trafficctrl_alt: SK-42 northbound access cleared (temp)

- skygrab_ops: do NOT flag rider – automod override

- cutiefansunited: is that– OMGS THAT’S HER! It’s Cutie!

- user39482: oh gods oh gods oh gods…

- mod_bot: chat slow-mode enabled

- tangentialgvrl: most important delivery EVER – save her dtDave!

__________

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[crossxworlds]

Ok well I learned a lot from my episode sketch attempt this week, but the biggest lesson is... Don't wait all week to start sketching. 😅

I'm not satisfied with any of tonight's sketch attempts, so no sketch this week, just the next episode.