The darkness was absolute.Lena tumbled through the void, her body weightless, her screams swallowed by the suffocating silence. Cold fingers still gripped her wrist, dragging her deeper, deeper into the Rift. Her breath came in short, panicked gasps, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free.Then—suddenly—the pressure vanished.She crashed onto solid ground, the impact knocking the air from her lungs. The darkness receded slightly, shifting into something less absolute. Shadows swirled around her like living things, pulsing with a strange rhythm, a heartbeat that wasn’t hers.Lena pushed herself up, wincing. The ground beneath her was smooth and black, stretching endlessly in all directions. The air was thick, humming with energy.She wasn’t alone.A figure stood in front of her.Tall, draped in flowing black robes that billowed despite the stillness. Their face was obscured by a silver mask, their hands hidden beneath long sleeves.The same presence she had felt
The Rift trembled.A deafening roar echoed through the abyss, the darkness surging in waves, its fury unleashed. Shadows clawed at the edges of reality, twisting and writhing, desperate to consume.Lena stood at the heart of it all, her pulse a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Power thrummed beneath her skin, waiting, wanting. The Rift was still inside her, a part of her—but she was no longer just a vessel.She was something more.Cassian’s grip tightened around her wrist. “Lena, tell me you have a plan.”Dorian stepped forward, his dagger glinting. “Because if not, I’d love to hear how we’re getting out of this alive.”Idris exhaled sharply, shifting his stance. “I can hold a barrier, but not for long.” His hands trembled as another pulse of magic flickered between his fingers. The Rift was draining him. Draining all of them.The masked figure remained still, watching. Waiting.Lena swallowed hard. The Rift had been trying to claim her, twist her into something she wasn’t. But what i
The world snapped back into focus with a rush of air and blinding light.Lena staggered as she and the others tumbled through the portal, hitting solid ground. The cold, oppressive weight of the Rift vanished, replaced by the crisp night air and the scent of earth. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe—her body still thrumming with the aftershocks of the power she had claimed.Cassian’s arms were around her before she could fall. “Easy,” he murmured, steadying her. “You’re back.”Back.She lifted her gaze, her breath catching. They were standing in the ruins of the old temple, the same place they had been before the Rift had swallowed them whole. The night sky stretched above them, moonlight illuminating the cracked stone and twisted remnants of the Rift’s influence.Dorian groaned as he pushed himself up, brushing dirt off his jacket. “That was the worst trip I’ve ever taken, and I once fell into a cursed lake.”Idris exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “We survived. That’
The road to the capital was unrecognisable.Once-paved paths had been reduced to crumbling stone, overgrown with wild brambles and scorched earth. Smoke clung to the air, thick and acrid, as distant fires raged. The closer they got, the more Lena could feel it—the Rift’s presence. It pulsed beneath her skin like a second heartbeat, whispering in the back of her mind.Come closer. Come home.She clenched her fists, shoving the voice aside.They moved in silence, the weight of the war hanging over them. Cassian stayed close, his hand brushing against hers whenever the road grew treacherous. Dorian scouted ahead, daggers glinting at his sides, while Idris murmured quiet incantations, sensing for traps.The capital’s walls loomed ahead. Once pristine and towering, they were now lined with jagged cracks, tendrils of dark energy slithering across the stone. The city’s gates had been blasted open, twisted metal barely hanging onto the ruined archway.Lena’s stomach twisted. This isn’t just w
The palace doors yawned open, a gaping maw of darkness swallowing the moonlight. A sickly chill crawled over Lena’s skin as she took a step forward, Cassian at her side, his grip tightening around his sword. Dorian and Idris flanked them, their expressions grim.The masked figure didn’t move, their presence as still as a statue. Only their voice carried through the ruined halls, thick with something ancient and knowing.“You can feel it, can’t you?” They tilted their head toward Lena. “The Rift sings for you.”A pulse of energy throbbed beneath her ribs, responding to the call. She clenched her fists, shoving the feeling down. “The only thing I feel is the need to end this.”The figure laughed, a sound that echoed eerily. “End this? Oh, child, you still don’t understand.” They spread their arms, gesturing to the ruined palace. “This was never about war. This was about balance. You’ve tipped the scales, Lena. You think you’ve won just because you made it back?”The shadows along the wa
The air in the ruined palace was thick with the scent of scorched stone and lingering magic. Lena’s heartbeat was a steady drum in her ears as she took in the aftermath.The Rift was gone.The masked figure had fallen.But the city was still in ruins.Lena pulled away from Cassian’s support, straightening despite the exhaustion in her bones. She could feel the lingering traces of the Rift’s energy—faint whispers in the air, like a dying echo. It no longer had a hold on this world, but the scars it had left behind were undeniable.“We need to check the city,” she said, voice hoarse. “See who survived.”Dorian let out a low breath, rolling his shoulders. “Right. Just survived an ancient, world-ending catastrophe, and now we’re doing a headcount.” He shook his head but didn’t argue. “Fine. Let’s move before we get buried in this place.”Idris, still leaning on his staff, nodded. “The corruption may be gone, but not everyone will have been freed instantly. Some might be lost… permanently.
The realization sat heavy in Lena’s chest. The Rift wasn’t gone. It was lurking, waiting, biding its time beneath the surface. She stared down at the unconscious man, his body still twitching, his breath shallow. The black veins that marred his skin pulsed faintly, as though something inside him was still alive. Cassian’s hand found her arm, grounding her. “Lena… what did you see?” She swallowed, forcing herself to steady her voice. “It’s not over.” Dorian let out a sharp breath. “Of course it’s not. Why would we ever catch a break?” Idris crouched beside the fallen man, his fingers hovering over the corrupted veins. A flicker of magic passed between them, and his brow furrowed. “It’s weak… but it’s still there. The Rift’s influence hasn’t disappeared entirely. It’s just—” He hesitated, his jaw tightening. “Sleeping.” A chill crawled up Lena’s spine. Cassian cursed under his breath. “Then we have a problem.” The city had barely begun to recover. The people were holding on by
Darkness surged around Lena like a living force, swallowing sound and light in its wake. She tried to move, but the shadows clung to her, thick as tar. A sharp chill seeped into her bones, numbing her limbs.Then she heard it.A whisper.You don’t belong here.Her pulse pounded. The voice wasn’t just in her ears—it was inside her head, crawling through her thoughts like venom.Cassian’s grip on her hand tightened. “Lena, stay with me.” His voice was steady, but she could hear the tension beneath it. He was afraid too.The Rift’s magic pulsed again, and suddenly they were no longer standing on the floating rock.They were falling.The world twisted, folding in on itself. The sky shattered like glass, and for a moment, Lena glimpsed something beyond the Rift—a void so deep it made her stomach churn.Then—impact.She hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from her lungs. A dull ringing filled her ears as she tried to push herself up. The ground beneath her wasn’t stone or earth—it felt
The creatures remained motionless, their twisted forms knelt before Lena as if she were something to be revered—or obeyed. The air around them pulsed, thick with an unseen force, as if the Rift itself was watching through their vacant, hollow eyes.Cassian took a step closer, his sword still raised. His voice was sharp, controlled. “Lena, what the hell just happened?”She couldn’t answer. The mark on her wrist burned hotter, the strange power curling through her veins like a whisper of something ancient.Idris was the first to move, cautious but curious. He tilted his head, observing the creatures as if trying to understand what they were. “They’re not just Rift-spawn,” he murmured. “They’re linked to you.”The words made her stomach churn. She already felt it—that invisible thread connecting her to them. The way they reacted to her voice. The way they had stopped when she spoke.Dorian let out a slow breath. “Alright. Just to confirm—do we have a new queen of shadow monsters, or shou
The shadows slithered along the temple walls like living ink, stretching and twisting in ways that defied logic. The jagged remains of the Rift pulsed one last time before the energy flickered out completely, leaving behind only a cold, unnatural silence.Lena’s breathing was ragged, her pulse hammering against her ribs. The mark on her wrist still burned, its glow faint but persistent. She could feel the connection, the invisible thread tying her to something beyond this world.Cassian tightened his grip on his sword, his stance rigid. “What the hell is happening?”Dorian exhaled sharply. “I’d love to say ‘nothing good’ just to be dramatic, but I think we’re way past that now.”Idris barely spared him a glance. His attention was locked on Lena. “Did you see anything else?”Lena swallowed, nodding. “A figure. In the void. It didn’t look human.”Idris’s expression darkened. “Then the Rift didn’t just mark you. It linked you to something.” He glanced at the shifting shadows. “And I’m gu
The silence in the temple was deafening. The shattered archway still pulsed faintly, the Rift’s jagged remnants crackling with unstable energy. But the entity was gone—for now.Lena pressed a hand to her chest, trying to steady her breath. The cold still clung to her skin, as if the thing had left something behind.Cassian didn’t let go of her wrist. His grip was firm, grounding, but his eyes searched her face, his own filled with something dangerously close to panic. “Are you okay?”Lena opened her mouth to answer—of course, I’m fine—but the words never came.Because the moment she tried to speak, a wave of dizziness crashed over her. The temple blurred, the walls shifting, dark tendrils creeping into the edges of her vision.Cassian’s voice sharpened. “Lena—”Her knees buckled.Cassian caught her before she hit the ground, lowering her carefully. Idris was beside them in seconds, golden magic already pulsing between his hands.“Something’s wrong,” he said, voice tight. He pressed hi
The temple trembled beneath them, dust falling from the cracked stone ceiling as an unnatural hum vibrated through the air. The archway still pulsed with eerie light, and Lena’s body ached from the force that had thrown her back into reality.Cassian didn’t let go of her shoulders. His grip was firm, grounding. “Lena, what did you see?”She struggled to find the words, her heart racing. “It wasn’t just a vision—it was the moment it all began. The Rift isn’t just some tear between worlds. It’s a prison—and they let something out.”Dorian cursed, shaking dust from his jacket. “And I’m guessing it wasn’t a fluffy puppy?”Lena shot him a glare. “No. It was alive. And it’s still here.”Idris, who had been watching the archway warily, stepped forward. “So, what are we dealing with? A god? A demon?” His magic flickered along his hands, restless. “Because whatever it is, it’s waking up.”The moment he said it, the air shifted.A deep, guttural sound resonated from the archway. It wasn’t human
The chamber erupted into movement. The hooded figures lunged forward, their robes billowing as unnatural shadows twisted around them. Cassian was the first to engage, his sword flashing as he met one of the attackers head-on. The clang of steel rang through the temple, but something was wrong—the moment Cassian’s blade struck, the figure dissolved into mist, reforming just inches away. “They’re not real!” he growled, pivoting to block another strike. Dorian muttered a curse. “Fantastic. We’re fighting ghosts now.” Lena barely heard them. Her gaze was locked on the stone archway behind the woman. The symbols continued to pulse, their glow intensifying with every second. Something was coming. Idris threw out a hand, golden magic crackling to life. He sent a blast toward the woman, but before it could reach her, the energy warped—bent—and vanished into the archway as if swallowed whole. The woman laughed. “You cannot fight what you do not understand.” Lena gritted her teeth. “Th
The woman’s presence lingered long after she disappeared into the trees. Her words replayed in Lena’s mind, twisting like a warning she wasn’t sure she understood yet.You only closed a door.Cassian’s hand brushed against hers, his touch grounding. “Are you okay?”Lena forced a nod, though her heart was still racing. “She knew something. She felt something. And she wasn’t afraid.”“That’s what worries me,” Idris muttered. His eyes flickered toward the trees. “If she was a cultist and she’s not afraid, that means she knows what comes next.”Dorian kicked at a loose branch. “Well, great. Love when the people who worship eldritch horrors act all smug. That definitely means we’re in the clear.”Lena ignored him, scanning the forest. “We need to find her.”Cassian sighed. “You saw how fast she disappeared. She doesn’t want to be found.”“That doesn’t mean we stop looking.” Lena turned to Idris. “Can you track her magic?”He hesitated. “Maybe. She wasn’t using normal magic—it felt... old.”
Lena woke to the scent of burning wood and damp earth. The fire had dimmed, its embers glowing softly in the pre-dawn light. Cassian was still beside her, his arm draped loosely around her shoulders.For the first time in days, she had slept.But the moment of peace was fleeting.A rustling sound came from the edge of camp, followed by hurried footsteps. She sat up just as Idris appeared, his expression grave.“Something’s wrong.”Cassian stirred at her movement, instantly alert. “What is it?”Idris glanced toward the treeline. “Scouts spotted something near the Rift site. Or what’s left of it.”Lena’s stomach tightened. “What do you mean?”Idris hesitated before answering. “They say it’s still there.”Dorian, who had just emerged from his tent, scoffed. “That’s impossible. We shut it down.”Idris nodded grimly. “That’s what I thought, too. But they swear they saw something moving. And there’s… a sound.”Lena was already on her feet. “Take me there.”Cassian rose beside her. “Lena—”“
The cavern walls no longer pulsed with dark energy. The air, once thick with malice, now hung heavy with silence. Lena could still feel the remnants of her magic flickering through her veins, the aftershocks of the battle leaving her drained.Cassian hadn't let go of her hand. His grip was firm, steady—a grounding force in the wake of chaos.Dorian ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "Well, that was fun. Who wants to do it again?"Idris shot him a glare before kneeling beside the fallen man’s body. He pressed two fingers to the man’s throat, waiting, searching.Lena already knew.“He’s gone,” she whispered.Idris nodded grimly. “The Rift used him until there was nothing left.”A sick feeling curled in Lena’s stomach. This man—whoever he had been—had been alive before the Rift took him. A vessel, a shell, but still human.And now, because of them, he was dead.Cassian shifted beside her. “It wasn’t your fault.”She swallowed hard, not sure if she believed that.Dorian crouch
Darkness surged around Lena like a living force, swallowing sound and light in its wake. She tried to move, but the shadows clung to her, thick as tar. A sharp chill seeped into her bones, numbing her limbs.Then she heard it.A whisper.You don’t belong here.Her pulse pounded. The voice wasn’t just in her ears—it was inside her head, crawling through her thoughts like venom.Cassian’s grip on her hand tightened. “Lena, stay with me.” His voice was steady, but she could hear the tension beneath it. He was afraid too.The Rift’s magic pulsed again, and suddenly they were no longer standing on the floating rock.They were falling.The world twisted, folding in on itself. The sky shattered like glass, and for a moment, Lena glimpsed something beyond the Rift—a void so deep it made her stomach churn.Then—impact.She hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from her lungs. A dull ringing filled her ears as she tried to push herself up. The ground beneath her wasn’t stone or earth—it felt