The darkness ahead was unnerving, a living, breathing thing that loomed over the crumbled ruins of the city. It swallowed sound, cloaked movement, and made every step feel like trespassing into the mouth of a beast. The black veins stretched farther here, slithering across the cracked pavement like diseased roots, pulsating faintly with malevolent energy. Each pulse sent a shiver down my spine.

Roran signaled us to stop with a raised hand. His sharp gaze swept the area as we gathered close. The group’s breaths were shallow, tension hung in the air. My own heartbeat felt like a drumbeat in my ears.

“Stay focused,” Roran said, his voice low but commanding. “We’re close.”

Close to what? I couldn’t help but wonder. Every step had led us deeper into this corrupted city, closer to the heart of the rift. Yet the sense of foreboding only grew stronger, pressing down like an invisible weight. My grip tightened on my sword as I forced mana through my veins, letting its warmth stave off the creeping cold of fear.

As we moved, the silence grew heavier, almost oppressive. The shattered remnants of the city loomed on either side of us—twisted metal skeletons of buildings, rusted vehicles abandoned mid-street, their shapes alien and haunting. Occasionally, a faint breeze would rattle the debris, a sound that made my skin crawl.

My thoughts wandered as I scanned the surroundings. The world felt so alien, yet parts of it sparked an odd sense of familiarity. The journal I had found replayed in my mind—the sketches of monstrous creatures, the photo of the smiling family. What had this place been like before it was consumed? And why had the specter sent me here? The weight of these questions pressed heavily on me, but I pushed them aside. There was no room for distraction here.

“Kael,” Tarn whispered, his wiry frame stiff as he walked beside me. His voice carried the edge of someone trying to mask his own unease. “Are you okay, you look lost.”

I glanced at him briefly. “Just thinking.”

“Don’t think too hard,” Dren muttered ahead of us, his broadsword resting against his shoulder. “The moment you lose focus out here is the moment you’re dead.”

I didn’t respond, but his words sank in. He wasn’t wrong.

We walked for what felt like hours, the oppressive silence amplifying every creak of armor, every step on the cracked pavement. The further we went, the thicker the air became, suffused with a cloying darkness that made every breath feel like swallowing ash. Even the light dimmed, as if the shadows themselves were suffocating it.

A guttural screech tore through the air, followed by a second, then a third. My heart jolted as a darkspawn emerged from the shadows, its elongated limbs clawing at the ground as it charged. Its glowing red eyes locked onto me, and my body reacted on instinct.

My grip tightened around the hilt of my sword, the faint hum of mana pulsing through the blade as I fell into a stance that was beginning to feel like second nature. “Form one: Drifting Breeze,” I whispered, steadying myself.

The first darkspawn lunged, its elongated claws slashing through the air toward me. I stepped aside, the movement fluid and precise, and countered with a sweeping strike aimed at its torso. My blade sliced through its shadowy form, black ichor spraying across the broken ground. It let out a guttural hiss before collapsing, its body dissolving into wisps of shadow.

But there was no time to celebrate the kill. Two more creatures surged forward, their movements erratic and unpredictable. I shifted into Swirling Gust, channeling mana into my legs to enhance my agility. The world blurred as I darted between them, their claws narrowly missing me as I weaved through their attacks. With a burst of speed, I reappeared behind one, my blade arcing upward to sever its head. The second creature snarled, its claws raking across my shoulder as I twisted away, the pain was sharp but manageable. I stepped back and swung my blade up. It sliced through the beasts arm and into its scaly neck. I kicked it back and pulled my blade out, ready to attack again. Instead the darkspawn fell to the ground and unraveled into darkness.

“Kael, on your left!” Tarn’s voice rang out, and I barely had time to react before a hulking brute charged toward me, its massive fists crashing down where I had been standing moments before. The impact sent cracks spidering across the pavement, and the force of the blow knocked me off balance. I rolled to the side, my armor scraping against the ground, and shifted into Rooted Oak.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Planting my feet firmly, I channeled mana into my core, stabilizing myself as the brute’s next attack came crashing down. My sword met its fist with a deafening clang, the shockwave rattling my bones. The strength of its blows was unlike anything I’d faced before, each strike a test of my endurance. My arms burned from the effort, but I held my ground.

As the brute reared back for another strike, I shifted into Whispering Branch. My movements became deliberate, precise, each strike aimed at weak points in its thick, shadowy hide. My blade found purchase in its knee, the cut deep enough to stagger it. I seized the opportunity, driving my sword into its chest with all the force I could muster. The brute let out a guttural roar before collapsing, its body dissolving into shadow.

But there was no time to rest.

A new wave of darkspawn emerged from the ruins, their forms even more grotesque. Some were lean and fast, their movements spider-like as they skittered across the ground. Others were massive, their hulking bodies pulsing with black veins of mana. The air grew heavier, the oppressive presence of the rift pressing down on us like a physical weight.

“We’re getting surrounded!” Jorik shouted, his voice strained as he conjured a wall of ice to block an advancing group of darkspawn. The barrier slowed them, but the creatures clawed at it relentlessly, cracks beginning to form.

“Tarn, cover the flanks!” Roran commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Kael, with me!”

I didn’t hesitate, falling in beside Roran as a pack of darkspawn charged toward us. Their snarls were deafening, their glowing eyes fixed on us with unrelenting hunger. Roran’s blade cleaved through the first, the sheer force of his swing splitting it in half. I shifted into Form Five: Rising Gale, channeling mana into my strikes to increase their power. My blade sang as it cut through the air, each swing heavy and deliberate.

One of the creatures lunged at me, its claws aiming for my throat. I sidestepped, my mana enhanced speed allowing me to narrowly avoid the attack, and countered with an upward slash that caught it under the jaw. The creature collapsed, but another took its place almost immediately. My breath came in ragged gasps, sweat dripping down my face as I fought to keep up with the relentless onslaught.

“Tarn, behind you!” Jorik’s warning came too late. A darkspawn leapt onto Tarn’s back, its claws sinking into his shoulder. The mage cried out in pain, his lightning spell faltering as he struggled to shake it off.

I moved without thinking, mana flooding into my legs as I surged forward. My sword arced downward, severing the creature’s spine and freeing Tarn. But the damage had been done—blood seeped from the mage’s shoulder, his face pale as he staggered back.

“I’m fine,” he muttered through gritted teeth, though his trembling hands said otherwise.

The respite was brief. A new sound filled the air—a deep, guttural growl that sent a shiver down my spine. From the shadows emerged a creature unlike any I’d seen before. It towered over the others, its body massive and grotesque, with limbs that twisted unnaturally. Its eyes burned brighter than the rest, and its claws dripped with a black substance that hissed as it hit the ground.

“Focus on the big one!” Roran barked.

The creature lunged, its movements deceptively fast for its size. Roran met it head-on, his blade clashing against its claws in a shower of sparks. I circled around, looking for an opening, but the smaller darkspawn swarmed to protect it, cutting off my approach.

I shifted back into Swirling Gust, using my enhanced speed to weave through the chaos. My blade struck out in quick, precise movements, cutting down the smaller creatures as I worked my way toward Roran and the bigger monster. The mana in my core burned, my reserves dwindling with each passing second as I kept channelling mana into my sword art and body.

Finally, I saw my chance. The monsters back was exposed as it engaged Roran, its focus entirely on the warrior. I shifted into Falling Leaves, the rapid, layered strikes overwhelming its defenses. My blade bit into its shadowy flesh, each strike carving deep gashes that oozed black ichor. The creature roared, its massive arm swinging toward me in a blind rage.

I barely managed to dodge, the force of the attack sending me sprawling. Pain lanced through my side where its claws had grazed me, but I forced myself to my feet, my sword at the ready.

“We’ve almost got it!” Roran shouted, his strikes growing more ferocious as he drove the creature back.

The others rallied, their spells and blades striking the big monster in a coordinated assault. Lightning crackled through the air, ice shards piercing its flesh, and Roran’s blade cleaving through its limbs. My own strikes added to the onslaught, each one fueled by sheer determination.

Finally, with a deafening roar, the monster collapsed, its massive body dissolving into shadow. The remaining darkspawn faltered, their cohesion breaking as they scattered into the ruins.

The battlefield fell silent, save for the ragged breaths of our group. Bloodied and battered, we stood amidst the carnage, the weight of the battle settling over us like a heavy shroud.

I sheathed my blade, my legs trembling as I sank to my knees. My chest heaved with each breath, the faint flicker of mana in my core barely enough to keep me upright. Around me, the others tended to their wounds, their faces grim but resolute.

Roran placed a hand on my shoulder, his expression unreadable. “You held your own,” he said simply.

The words meant more than I could say, but I nodded, too exhausted to respond. The fight was over, but the journey was far from done. We had won this battle, but the rift’s heart still awaited, and with it, whatever horrors lay ahead.