As the group approached the massive structure at the centre of the arena, silence enveloped them. Rex, Zoe, and their personals all stood in a line, eyes fixed on the rippling rift core ahead. The air around it hummed with potent energy, crackling with a palpable force. The rift core itself seemed to pulse and breathe, as if aware of their presence, but neither Rex nor Zoe approached it.
Rex's personals immediately took up positions around Zoe's group, stopping them before they could get too close. Zoe's personals, confused by the halt, exchanged uncertain glances. It wasn't until the substitute captain of Rex's group stepped forward, his voice steady and calm, that the mystery was explained.
"The rift core is not the only danger here," he said, his eyes scanning the area around them. "Every rift core has a guardian, a boss that protects it"
"And this one is no different."