I stood at the crest of the hill, staring down at the rift. It stretched across the landscape like a jagged scar carved into the world itself, pulsating with a malevolent energy that sent shivers down my spine. Shadows writhed and twisted around it, alive with a purpose I couldn’t comprehend. The air was thick, suffocating, carrying a chill that clawed at my skin and seeped into my bones.
I knew this moment would come. The writing, the specter, every trial and every wound, they had all been leading me here. The rift was the answer, or at least the path to it. Yet knowing didn’t make the sight of it any easier.
It was wrong. Everything about it was wrong. The mere sight of the rift filled my mind with whispers of despair, invisible claws probing at the edges of my thoughts, seeking to unravel me. My legs locked in place as dread rooted me to the spot.
“Kael,” Roran’s voice cut through the fog.
I turned to him. He stood beside me, staring at the rift with a look of grim resolve. His jaw was tight, his face a mask of iron will, just his presence was enough to steady the storm inside me.
I nodded to him, drawing strength from the man who had become my anchor in this nightmare. Without him, I wouldn’t have made it this far. Without him, I wouldn’t have survived at all.
My eyes drifted back to the rift, and I couldn’t help but remember everything that had brought me to this point. The bear that had nearly killed me in the forest, my brother’s voice, the countless battles that had worn me down and rebuilt me into something I still didn’t fully understand. Every scar I carried felt heavier now, like weights tied to my soul.
The specter’s words echoed in my mind. Your sight’s bound by chains you refuse to see… break them, if you want to glimpse the truth. I clenched my fists at the memory. What chains? What truth?
The rift loomed, its oppressive energy pressing harder against me with every breath. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced my feet to move. One step. Then another. My body trembled, but I didn’t stop. If there were answers waiting for me beyond the rift, I would find them. If it was death, I would meet it on my feet.
“I’ll see this through,” I said quietly.
Roran turned, his brow raised. “You’re sure?”
I nodded. “I can’t turn back now.”
He studied me for a moment, his eyes sharp. Then he gave a faint huff, almost approval, and turned back to the rift. “Good,” he said simply. “Because there’s no turning back for any of us.”
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The mage stood at the front of the gathered soldiers, a figure of unshakable calm against the chaos of the battlefield. His white hair was stark against the blackened sky, and though the wind tore at his robes, he stood unmoving, an unyielding presence in the face of the storm. His very existence seemed to demand attention, his aura a weight pressing against my chest.
He raised a hand, and the air itself seemed to still. The scattered murmurs of the soldiers died as all eyes turned to him. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. The sheer force of his presence wasn’t oppressive.. it was commanding.
When he spoke, his voice resonated over the battlefield, clear and cold, cutting through the distant roars of the rift.
“This is our final stand,” he began. His words were measured, deliberate, and each one carried the weight of inevitability. “Beyond this point lies the edge of our world—the threshold to annihilation. That rift,” he gestured toward the swirling vortex, “is the source of every abomination we have faced, every nightmare that has plagued our lands. It is the wound through which this world bleeds.”
He paused, his piercing blue eyes scanning the gathered faces. For a fleeting moment, I thought his gaze lingered on me.
“There are no reinforcements,” he continued, his tone unyielding. “No armies waiting to march to our aid. No fortresses left to fall back to. This is it. We are the last line of defense. If we fail today, there will be no tomorrow. Not for us. Not for anyone.”
His words settled over us like a shroud. The soldiers around me shifted uneasily, some clutching their weapons tighter, others staring at the ground as if searching for courage. But the mage pressed on.
“Fear is not weakness,” he said, his voice sharp. “It is the acknowledgment of what is at stake. Let it drive you. Let it sharpen your resolve, steady your hands, and steel your hearts. These beasts bleed as we bleed, and they will fall as we fall. If we fight with everything we have, we can reach that rift and end this.”
He let the silence hang for a moment, the weight of his words sinking deep. Then, with a final glance at the soldiers, he spoke one last time.
“We are the last light. Burn bright, or let Anria be consumed by darkness.”
With that he turned and made his way to the rift, everyone followed.
One moment, we stood on familiar ground, the air heavy with dread and battle cries. The next, the world twisted around us, and we were spat out into something alien. The sky above was an unnatural, roiling mass of shadow and light, and the ground beneath my feet was cracked and barren, littered with jagged metal and broken stone.
Around me, Roran and a few others materialized from the swirling chaos, but everyone else were gone.
“What… is this place?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“The rift’s realm,” Roran muttered, his voice low and grim. “The dark mana warps everything, twists it into… this.”
The terrain stretched out in all directions, a vast wasteland of ruin. Towering structures, twisted and broken, loomed in the distance, their spires bent like bones left to rot. The ground was scarred with deep fissures, as if something titanic had clawed its way through this world, leaving only destruction behind.
The air pressed against my skin, thick with dark mana that seeped into my lungs and clung to my senses. It whispered faintly, words I couldn’t understand but felt deep in my chest.
Roran’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword. “We need to move.”
Ahead, a column of dark energy pulsed, a beacon of dread against the warped sky. It was the heart of the rift, the source of everything. And it was waiting for us.
We moved forward cautiously, the remnants of this broken world revealing themselves with each step. Cracked roads stretched out in every direction, littered with alien remnants, strange metal constructs, shattered glass, and crumbling buildings whose purpose was long forgotten. Rusted wheels and frames lined the streets like discarded bones. This place was dead, its silence broken only by the faint, whispering wind that carried the weight of something unseen.
“What do you think this place was?” I asked, unable to keep the unease from creeping into my voice.
Roran didn’t answer immediately. His gaze swept over the jagged horizon, his jaw set. “A city, maybe,” he said finally, his voice low. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now.”
I felt a pang of unease. The buildings, their scorched and gutted frames, stood like gravestones marking the death of something vast and unknowable. Strange symbols were etched into the metal and stone, remnants of a language I didn’t recognize. It made me wonder if this could happen to my world.
The mages whispered among themselves, their voices carrying a mix of awe and dread. “This world looks like it was advanced,” one muttered. “Look at these towering buildings, surely they had something to defend themselves.”
Roran’s voice cut through the murmurs. “Power means nothing against the rift. Once the darkness takes hold, it doesn’t let go.”
I swallowed hard, my gaze drifting back to the looming column of energy in the distance. Was this what awaited us? Could we truly stand against something that had torn apart worlds.
We carried on walking for hours. The strange sky made it hard to tell the time but still, following Roran we pushed on.
The first sign of danger was a low, guttural growl that echoed through the ruins.
I froze. My hand went to my sword instinctively as shadows began to stir at the edges of the broken buildings. Figures emerged from the gloom, their forms twisted and grotesque. They were darkspawn. They were more monstrous than those I’d faced before. Their limbs were elongated and clawed, their bodies pulsing with a dark, oily substance that writhed like something alive. Red eyes burned with malice, locking onto us like predators scenting blood.
“They’re here,” Roran muttered, drawing his blade.
“Form up!” he barked, and the rest of us fell into a defensive circle.
The mages stepped to the center, their hands glowing as they prepared spells. One of them, the auburn-haired woman, raised her hands, a sphere of fire flickering to life between her palms. The other two followed suit, their mana radiating in waves that sent a shiver through me. The warrior, a scarred man, raised his shield and positioned himself near the mages, his broadsword gleaming faintly in the dim, unnatural light.
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The darkspawn didn’t wait. The first wave rushed us, a tide of writhing shadow and gleaming claws. I felt my mana stir as I shifted into Drifting Breeze. My sword felt lighter as I poured a thread of mana into it, steadying my stance as the first creature lunged. My blade flashed, cutting through its neck. It disintegrated into mist, but another took its place immediately.
“Kael, hold your line!” Roran shouted, his voice sharp and commanding.
I nodded, ducking as another darkspawn’s claws swiped toward my head. I moved into Swirling Gust, my mana heightening my speed as I sidestepped and countered with a clean strike. The creature shrieked and crumbled, but the next was already lunging for me.
Behind me, the mages unleashed their power. The auburn-haired woman thrust her hands forward, and a torrent of fire roared through the air, engulfing a cluster of darkspawn. The flames twisted unnaturally, forming spiraling tendrils that sought out their targets, incinerating them with a hiss of searing flesh.
One of the other mages, a wiry man with a jagged scar across his forehead, called out an incantation, and the ground beneath a group of darkspawn erupted into jagged spikes of ice. The creatures screamed as the icy shards pierced their bodies, their black ichor freezing in place before they dissolved into mist.
The warrior, roared as he charged into the fray, his shield bashing aside one of the darkspawn with bone-crushing force. His broadsword followed, cleaving through another’s torso in a single, brutal strike. The dark ichor splattered across his armor, but he didn’t slow, his movements a mix of raw power and unrelenting aggression.
I forced myself to focus, channeling more mana into my limbs. My muscles surged with strength, and I shifted into Rising Gale, unleashing a powerful upward strike that sent a darkspawn reeling. My blade left a faint, shimmering trail of mana in the air as I pivoted, driving my sword into the chest of another. The creatures kept coming, but I was faster now, my mana heightening every movement.
“On your right!” Roran’s voice rang out.
I spun, raising my blade just in time to block a clawed strike. The impact reverberated through my arms, but I shifted into Rooted Oak, planting my feet and redirecting the creature’s force. My mana reinforced my stance, and I pushed back, my blade slicing through the darkspawn’s throat.
Roran was a whirlwind of steel beside me, his strikes precise and devastating. He moved with an ease that spoke of years of battle, every swing of his sword cutting down another foe. I caught a glimpse of him dispatching two darkspawn in a single, fluid motion, his blade flashing like a predator’s fang.
The auburn-haired mage cried out, her hands raised as a barrier of flames erupted around her, holding back a cluster of darkspawn that had broken through our defenses. The flames flared brighter, and with a sweeping gesture, she sent a wave of fire crashing into the creatures, reducing them to ash.
The wiry mage wasn’t far behind. He clenched his fists, and a surge of lightning arced from his fingertips, leaping between the darkspawn in a deadly chain. The creatures convulsed, their bodies smoking as the electricity tore through them. He grinned grimly, his mana surging as he prepared another attack.
But the darkspawn were relentless.
A larger one emerged from the shadows, its form more twisted and grotesque than the others. It stood nearly twice my height, its limbs gnarled and covered in a thick, pulsating substance that oozed with dark mana. It let out a guttural roar, and the smaller darkspawn seemed to rally around it, their movements becoming more coordinated, more ferocious.
Roran cursed under his breath. “Take it down! Focus on the big one!”
The scarred mage unleashed another bolt of lightning, but the massive darkspawn raised a clawed arm, absorbing the attack with a ripple of black energy. The creature charged, slamming into our other warrior with enough force to send him stumbling back. He grunted, raising his shield just in time to block a devastating strike, but the sheer power of the creature’s attack left him on the defensive.
I felt my breath hitch, fear clawing at the edges of my mind. But I couldn’t falter. Not now.
“Kael!” Roran’s voice snapped me out of my paralysis. “With me!”
I nodded, pouring my mana into my body as I shifted into Whispering Branch. The form demanded precision, and I focused every ounce of my will on finding the creature’s weak points. Roran darted in first, his blade flashing as he struck at the creature’s legs, forcing it to stumble. I followed, my sword darting in to slash at its exposed side.
The creature roared, its clawed arm sweeping toward me. I barely managed to evade, sliding into Swirling Gust as I ducked beneath the attack. My mana flared, driving me forward, and I plunged my blade into its torso. The darkspawn howled, but even that wasn’t enough to bring it down.
Behind me, the auburn-haired mage summoned a spiraling inferno, her face pale with concentration. “Move!” she shouted.
Roran and I dove aside as the flames tore through the air, engulfing the massive darkspawn in a roaring blaze. It screeched, its form writhing as the fire consumed it, but it still stood, its red eyes blazing with fury.
“Damn thing won’t die,” Roran growled, his knuckles white around his sword hilt.
The wiry mage stepped forward, his hands crackling with electricity. “Then let’s make sure it does.”
With a roar, he unleashed a concentrated bolt of lightning, the energy slamming into the darkspawn’s chest. This time, the creature faltered, its movements slowing as the combined attacks overwhelmed it. I saw my chance.
Switching to Rising Gale, I channeled the last dregs of my mana into a final, desperate strike. My blade shimmered with energy as I drove it into the creature’s neck, the force of the blow severing its head in a single, clean blow.
However the darkspawn didn’t stop. Even as the massive one fell, its body dissolving into the air like smoke, the smaller creatures surged forward with renewed ferocity. The ground trembled beneath their clawed feet, and the air grew heavier, the oppressive presence of dark mana pressing against my senses. My legs burned, and my breath came in ragged gasps, but I forced myself to keep moving.
“They just keep coming!” one of the mages yelled, his voice raw with frustration.
“We’re not done yet!” Roran shouted back, his sword flashing as he cleaved through another wave of attackers. His armor was streaked with ichor, his movements slower than before, but his strikes still carried the brutal efficiency of a seasoned warrior.
I gripped my sword tightly, the mana in my veins flickering weakly as I pushed into Drifting Breeze again. The form steadied my movements, allowing me to parry an incoming claw before slashing across the creature’s chest. It fell with a screech, but another replaced it almost instantly, its glowing red eyes fixed on me with predatory hunger.
Behind me, the auburn-haired mage was faltering. Her spells were still fierce—gouts of fire erupted from her hands, engulfing the darkspawn in blazing infernos—but her face was pale, and her breathing ragged. The constant channeling of mana was taking its toll.
“We can’t hold this line much longer!” she cried out, her voice breaking. “They’re endless!”
Roran’s jaw tightened, and he stepped in front of her, shielding her from a darkspawn that lunged toward her. His blade sliced through the creature, but not before its claws raked across his arm, tearing through the leather and leaving a trail of blood.
“Fall back toward the ruins!” he commanded, his voice a growl. “We’ll make our stand there!”
We moved as one, retreating step by step toward the crumbling remains of a shattered building. The mages unleashed spell after spell, their magic lighting up the battlefield in bursts of flame, ice and lightning, but their exhaustion was evident. Each spell took longer to cast, their movements slowing as the dark mana sapped their strength.
The wiry mage stumbled, nearly falling as a darkspawn lashed out at him. The other warrior was there in an instant, his shield bashing the creature aside before his broadsword cut it down. The warrior grunted, pulling the mage back to his feet. “Keep moving!” he barked.
We reached the ruins, the remnants of stone walls offering a semblance of cover. The mages formed a protective barrier of mana, their combined efforts creating a shimmering dome that kept the darkspawn at bay. For a moment, there was a lull, the creatures pacing just beyond the barrier, their red eyes glaring at us with feral intensity.
I sank to my knees, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. My sword felt like lead in my hand, and the faint flicker of mana in my core was barely enough to keep me upright. Around me, the others were in similar states. The warrior leaned heavily against his shield, his face set in a grim scowl. The mages knelt on the ground, their hands trembling as they maintained the barrier.
But the darkspawn weren’t done.
The largest of them stepped forward—a towering, hulking beast with limbs that rippled with unnatural muscle. Its red eyes burned brighter than the others, and its body seemed to pulse with dark mana, the shadows around it writhing like living things.
The auburn-haired mage’s eyes widened in terror. “What is that,” she whispered.
The creature raised one massive claw and struck the barrier. The shimmering dome cracked, the sound sharp and jarring. The mages cried out, their combined efforts barely holding the barrier together as the creature struck again, each blow sending shockwaves through the air.
“It’s going to break through!” the scarred mage shouted, his voice laced with panic.
The auburn-haired mage’s hands trembled as she stood, her expression hardening. “Then I’ll stop it.”
“No!” Roran stepped toward her, his hand reaching out, but she shook her head.
“There’s no other way,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. “Someone needs to reach the rifts heart, or we’re all dead.”
Before anyone could stop her, she stepped outside the barrier, her hands glowing with mana. The air around her ignited, flames swirling like a storm as she channeled every ounce of her strength into a single, devastating spell.
“Get back!” she shouted, her voice echoing with raw power.
The rest of us fell away, retreating into the ruins as the flames around her grew brighter, hotter. The massive darkspawn lunged at her, but she met its charge with a torrent of fire, the sheer force of the spell driving it back. The creature roared, its body engulfed in flames, but it pressed forward, each step slower as the fire consumed it.
The auburn-haired mage screamed, a sound of defiance and desperation, as she unleashed one final burst of energy. The explosion lit up the battlefield, a blinding wave of fire that tore through the darkspawn and left the ground scorched and blackened. When the light faded, the massive creature was gone, reduced to ash.
So was she.
The silence that followed was deafening. The darkspawn that remained hesitated, their movements sluggish and disoriented. It was as if her sacrifice had severed the conduit that connected them to the rift. For the first time, they seemed unsure, their red eyes flickering like dying embers.
Roran didn’t waste the opportunity. “Press them back!” he roared, his voice filled with fury. “Don’t let them regroup!”
I charged, my exhaustion forgotten in the face of her sacrifice. The other warrior was a wall of iron, his shield smashing through the smaller darkspawn as his broadsword cut them down with relentless precision. The scarred mage summoned a storm of lightning, the bolts arcing through the enemy ranks and scattering their formations. I moved with them, my mana flaring weakly as I pushed into Rising Gale, my strikes heavier, more desperate, as much as I wanted to help, I was spent.
The darkspawn began to retreat, their cohesion broken. One by one, they slipped back into the shadows, their guttural growls fading into the distance. Finally, the battlefield was still.
We stood amidst the ruins, the acrid smell of burned flesh and scorched earth filling the air. My legs trembled as I sheathed my blade, my body sagging with exhaustion. Around me, the others were silent, their expressions grim as they took in the aftermath.
Roran knelt beside the spot where the auburn-haired mage had fallen. There was nothing left of her but scorched earth and faint embers. His jaw tightened, and he bowed his head, his greying hair falling over his eyes.
“She gave us a chance,” he said quietly. “Let’s not waste it.”
The scarred mage placed a trembling hand on his shoulder, his face pale but resolute. “She knew what was at stake. We all do.”
I swallowed hard, the weight of her sacrifice pressing down on me like a stone. She had given everything so we could keep going, so we could reach the heart and finish this. The thought was sobering, but it also lit a fire in my chest. I couldn’t let her sacrifice be in vain.
“We move at first light,” Roran said, rising to his feet. His voice was hard, but there was a faint tremor beneath it. “The rift’s heart isn’t far. We end this tomorrow.”