Damien’s first encounter with the Rift creatures was a brutal test of his skill and endurance. As the Ashenblade forces clashed with the monstrous horde, he found himself face-to-face with a creature twice his size. Its body was covered in dark, chitinous armor, and its eyes burned with a malevolent light.

The creature lunged, its massive claws slicing through the air. Damien ducked under the attack, countering with a powerful upward slash. Ebonfang’s blade cut deep, but the creature barely flinched. It roared in fury, swinging its other claw toward Damien’s exposed side.

Damien twisted, narrowly avoiding the blow. He followed up with a series of quick strikes, targeting the joints in the creature’s armor. Each hit weakened its movements, but the creature continued to press forward, its attacks relentless.

Out of the corner of his eye, Damien saw Alaric battling another monstrous foe. His father moved with precision and power, his blade cutting through the creature’s defenses with ease. The sight was both inspiring and grounding—if Alaric could hold his ground, so could he.

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The creature lunged again, its jaws snapping inches from Damien’s face. He seized the opening, driving Ebonfang into its exposed throat. The blade pierced through, and with a final, guttural roar, the creature collapsed at his feet.

Damien barely had time to catch his breath before another foe emerged from the fray. This one was smaller but faster, its movements a blur as it darted around him. It lashed out with razor-sharp talons, forcing Damien to stay on the defensive.

He parried and dodged, searching for an opening. The creature was relentless, its attacks coming from every angle. Damien focused, his movements becoming more fluid as he adapted to its speed. When the creature lunged again, he sidestepped and delivered a precise strike to its spine. The creature let out a shriek before collapsing.

Around him, the battle raged on. Selene and Kael led their forces with skill and determination, their coordinated attacks keeping the creatures at bay. But for every foe they felled, more emerged from the Rift.

“We can’t hold them off forever,” Kael shouted, cutting down another enemy. “We need to close the Rift!”

Alaric nodded, his voice carrying over the chaos. “Damien, with me! We’re going for the Rift core!”