The Final Rift

This time, there was no hesitation. David knew what had to be done. He gathered what little he could—supplies, research notes, anything that might help—and waited for the rift to appear again.

It didn't take long. The next night, as he sat in the darkness, the ripple formed in the air, beckoning him forward.

Without looking back, David stepped into the rift, feeling the familiar pull of the multiverse as it yanked him from his reality.

He landed in the same barren wasteland as before, the crimson sky overhead. The Nexus stood in the distance, but this time, its light was nearly gone. The world around him felt more fragile, as if it could collapse at any moment.

David approached the Nexus, his heart racing. He had to finish this, once and for all.

The voice returned, but this time it was different—darker, more urgent.

*"You should not have come back. You do not belong here."*

David clenched his fists. "I have to fix this. I won't leave until it's done."

*"There is no fixing this,"* the voice said. *"The multiverse is collapsing. You are the cause."*

The words hit David like a punch to the gut. *He* was the cause? How? Why?

*"Your presence in the multiverse has destabilized it. You cannot exist in more than one reality. The rift was never supposed to open."*

David's mind raced. He had caused the collapse by simply being here, by crossing into dimensions where he didn't belong. And now, the only way to fix it was to remove himself from the equation entirely.

*"You must choose,"* the voice said, growing softer. *"Stay here, and the multiverse will continue to unravel. Or sever your existence from all realities—permanently."*

David's throat tightened. If he severed himself completely, would he cease to exist? Would his world, his family, his friends forget him?

The weight of the choice bore down on him, but he knew what had to be done. He couldn't let the multiverse fall apart because of him.

With a deep breath, David stepped into the Nexus one last time.