Just as David was about to speak, a blood-curdling scream tore through the chamber. It was high-pitched, desperate, and filled with raw terror, reverberating off the stone walls like a warning bell.

Everyone stood frozen, their hands tightly clutching their weapons, eyes wide with shock. Zack, bracing himself, readied to unleash his earth power.

David whirled around, his heart thundering in his chest. A member of the RiftWalker group, whom Zack had referred to as Henry during a conversation David had overheard while passing through the passageway, lay collapsed on the ground, his face contorted in sheer terror.

His body twitched unnaturally, and his mouth opened as though he were trying to say something, but no words came out, only an agonized gasp.

Before anyone could react, the shadows near Henry rippled, distorting like reflections in disturbed water. Something unseen slithered across the floor, gradually taking shape, a formless silhouette shifting in and out of visibility, before returning to Henry.

David quickly became aware of a translucent, hand-like apparition lodged within Henry's mouth, its grip tightening around his cervical vertebrae before brutally wrenching it free through his throat.

His body crumpled to the ground, a torrent of fresh blood cascading from his shattered neck and gaping mouth.

Alas, Henry was no more.

David's stomach churned. "It's a shapeshifter!" Captain Zack shouted, recognizing it as the worst possible scenario.

The shapeshifter had begun its hunt.

It moved with unnatural speed, its body morphing and shifting as if it was made of smoke and shadow. One moment it was formless, and the next, it was wearing Henry's face, mimicking his very form as it stood to its full height.

The eerie doppelgänger locked eyes with the group, its expression a grotesque parody of the terrified man it had just consumed.

“Stay together!” Zack barked, his sword drawn in an instant. His voice cut through the tension, and the rest of the group snapped into action, forming a defensive circle.

David’s mind raced as his eyes darted from shadow to shadow. The Shapeshifter could be anywhere.

"Damn it, where are you?"

The Shapeshifter's twisted form darted between the group, its presence flickering like a bad memory. Each time it appeared, it was different sometimes as Henry, other times as members of the group, and at one terrifying moment, it wore David’s own face.

David’s breath quickened. His instincts screamed at him to run, but he knew there was no escape. Not until they found the core of the Rift. And now, with the Shapeshifter loose, the real hunt had begun.

Somewhere, deep within the maze, the heart of the chamber pulsed with dark energy, the Rift's core waiting to be claimed. But David knew one thing for certain, this was no longer a quest for Shards. This was a fight for survival.

The shapeshifter glided through the chamber like a shadow, assailing the remaining survivors with unnerving swiftness.

Captain Zack's eyes meticulously scanned the chamber, despite the radiant glow of arcane symbols illuminating the space, intent on detecting even the faintest hint of the elusive creature's presence.

Each fleeting appearance of the shapeshifter was followed by an equally swift disappearance, leaving Zack seething in frustration, his every effort to confront the foe thwarted by its maddening agility.

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Zack cursed under his breath, "I can't wait any longer; I must take action."

Every flicker of movement in the sand or tremor in the chamber's floor made Zack act on instinct, raising walls of earth around him in a desperate attempt to trap the elusive foe.

Yet, time after time, the creature slipped through his grasp, leaving only empty space behind.

The disturbance blanketed the area in a cloud of dust, forcing everyone to scatter and making it easier for the shapeshifter to target them individually.

"The shapeshifter could be anyone," David thought. The notion twisted inside him like a knife. He concentrated on his light blade, sweat beading on his forehead.

Panic surged through the group. No one knew who to trust. Every shadow became an enemy.

Gritting his teeth, Zack prepared another earthbound prison, but this time David, standing nearby, shouted, "Zack, stop! You're using up all the space. We're getting boxed in!"

Zack turned toward David, glaring with frustration boiling over. "Then what do you suggest I do? Stand here and watch it tear us apart?"

David fell silent, his mind racing as he tried to assess the situation. His gaze swept over the chaotic scene, the confusion and panic spreading among their group as the shapeshifter’s attacks grew more relentless.

David pondered Zack's words, his brow furrowed in thought. But isn’t the shapeshifter a higher-ranked entity than mere beasts? he mused. How could something of that level be present in a D-Rank Rift?

Suddenly, something caught David's eye, a flash of familiarity. The shapeshifter had transformed, this time into Lizzie, seamlessly blending into the chaos.

David blinked, momentarily confused. In the midst of the frenzy, he found it difficult to distinguish the real Lizzie from the impostor.

Zack and the others, already on edge, lunged at Lizzie, believing her to be the shapeshifter in disguise.

Swords swung, fists flew, and the air crackled with the sound of attacks. She was barely avoiding death but had sustained minor injuries. David’s heart leapt into his throat as he realized the peril.

"Stop!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the noise. "Lizzie, heal someone quickly!"

Lizzie froze for a moment before understanding dawned. She raised her hands and began to channel her healing energy toward one of the injured.

As her powers flowed, David called out again, "The shapeshifter might be able to mimic faces and bodies, but I don't think it can copy abilities!"

The room fell still for a beat as the real Lizzie’s healing light washed over them, and David hoped his gamble would pay off.

The group, now certain of the real Lizzie’s identity, shifted their focus entirely to the shapeshifter.

A member with nature powers relentlessly tried to ensnare the creature with vines and roots. However, the shapeshifter’s speed outmatched his every effort, slipping through the nature-infused traps like water through fingers.

A realization settled on them all that speed was the key. Without it, there was no chance of catching the shapeshifter, let alone evading its attacks.

Captain Zack inhaled deeply, centering himself. His eyes sharpened as he turned.

“Focus,” he commanded in a low, steady voice. "We need precision. Use your powers to drive it toward me."

The man with nature powers nodded, this time with his hands glowing faintly green as he prepared his next move.

Zack then turned to Lizzie. “Boost my senses,” he said. “I need absolute clarity.”

She nodded. "On it." She raised her hands, channeling her energy toward Zack. Her healing power merged with his concentration, heightening his focus.

As the plan commenced, it unfolded precisely as they had predicted. The shapeshifter, flickering between transparency and visibility, was being subtly herded toward Zack.

Its form darted between them like a fleeting shadow, its movements erratic but started to become increasingly predictable.

"This is what I was waiting for, you sly fox," Zack smirked.

When it finally neared Zack, it vanished completely, turning invisible just feet away from him. Yet, Zack remained unnervingly calm, his breathing controlled, his sword steady in his hand.

In that moment, with heightened senses and unparalleled focus, he detected the faintest shift in the air, the telltale sign of the creature's presence.

In one fluid, precise motion, Zack swung his sword, slicing through the space where the shapeshifter had vanished.

For a moment, silence reigned. It seemed as though he had missed.

But then, a sharp hiss broke the quiet, and the shapeshifter reappeared, clutching its arm where Zack’s blade had grazed it.

The creature's true form began to show slightly, with a patch of scaled, green skin like that of a lizard, gleaming under the arcane light. Zack narrowed his eyes to see what it looked like while holding his blade steady.

“Got you,” he muttered, his voice cold with resolve.

He was still aware that his earth power was too slow to attack the shapeshifter, so he would likely have to rely on his sword.

The others, emboldened by this fleeting glimpse of its vulnerability, readied themselves for the final strike.

However, this merely intensified the shapeshifter's ire. He unleashed a vortex of shadow that enveloped him entirely, causing him to disappear once more, this time utterly and without trace.

No one could anticipate anything this time, and within moments, the shapeshifter claimed another victim.

It cleaved through another member's abdomen, causing his intestines to spill forth. As he frantically tried to gather his disemboweled entrails, the shapeshifter delivered a decisive, fatal stroke to his neck, bringing a swift end to his life.

Driven by a single thought, Zack dashed to Henry's dead body and shouted, "Is there anyone here who can use water powers?"

A voice called out in response, and it was Elena.

Zack loathed the idea of depending on a prisoner for help, but he had no other option.

"Use the blood dripping from Henry's body and throw it upon the shapeshifter. It might help us neutralize his invisibility."

Elena regretted having responded to Zack and found herself ensnared in contemplation about her next course of action.

Despite her imprisonment for utilizing her powers to pilfer luxuries and valuables, she had never experienced such a profound sense of degradation.

"What leads you to believe she would resort to such an abominable action?" David demanded of Zack amid the chaos of battle.

"You should appreciate what human beings are capable of when their survival is at stake," Zack replied dismissively.

Although David was at odds with Zack, he recognized that the resolution of the battle might ultimately hinge upon the decision Elena made.

So it was only a matter of time whether she would do it or not.