Echoes of the Rift

Kael and Lira continued into the deepening twilight. The forest whispered among the unseen creatures, its information heavy with residual cosmic imprints carried by the former torn monolith. It was a serious mission, and Lira's occasional cheerleading remarks interrupted the tedium when the weight of their mission settled on their shoulders.

 "You know," Lira began, glancing at Kael, "for someone with a universe-altering system and a fancy glowing sword, you're pretty good at almost getting yourself killed."

Kael shot her a terrifying look, the dying afterglow of the Starforged Blade, a rather terrible picture, at least, of himself carved on the roughened flesh of his own face. "I'll have you know I'm very good at not getting myself killed."

 "Oh, sure," she retorted with a smirk. "You're practically a master at dramatic near-death escapes. Ever thought about putting that on your resume?"

Kael laughed at first, good and hearty. But the pressure in his chest began to abate. "And what would yours say? Professional critic of other people's life choices?"

Lira grinned. "Hey, it's a talent."

Bantling ceased and the wood floor became a wasteland. The earth was bare and parched— as if all life had been drained from it. There, ghostly fibers of dark energy evaporated into the ether, just like fog. Kael held the blade by the hilt with unyielding grip and the system's voice pierced the quiet.

[Alert: Rift anomaly detected. Source identified approximately 1.2 kilometers ahead. Residual energy levels high. Recommendation: Approach with caution.]

Kael stopped, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "There's another rift up ahead. The system says it's still active."

Lira groaned, resting a hand on her hip. "Why is it always rifts? Can't the universe at least provide us with a problem free of eldritch horror this time.

Kael's lips twitched into a small smile. "I'll put in a request."

They walked in a slow steady step towards where the noise originated and each step resulted in the hard sterile soil that would be used in the compaction process. The discreet vibration of energy increased in intensity, and did so with the equally remote, yet close, singing vibration, as if coming from everywhere but not from any specific location.

When they reached the top of a bump, the break is seen. It was a bit smaller than the one they previously observed, but no less terrifying. Breathing dark and red light, it hovered and shimmied through the void, stretching the space it travelled through. Right at the edge of the rift there were peculiar, indistinguishable, morphing entities, animals that could reform themselves, that pass in and out of the reality, that never end up rigidly structured.

"Okay," Lira said, her tone laced with exasperation. "I take it back. I'd rather deal with cultists. At least they have a shape."

Kael made the Starforged Blade and it flame cut into the darkness. "System, any advice?"

[Threat assessment: Rift-generated entities. Limited physical form. Vulnerable to high-energy strikes. Suggested strategy: Neutralize entities to stabilize area. Warning: Rift destabilization imminent. Immediate action required.]

"You heard it," Kael said, stepping forward. "We take them out before the rift gets worse."

Lira sighed, drawing her dagger. "You really know how to show a girl a good time."

The most obvious of the shadowy creatures approached it, and its pulsating outlines further altered as the entity moved toward them. It landed and Kael acted by instinct, and the Starforged Blade cut through it as a hot knife cuts through butter. It screamed in the most awful, nonhuman scream and went dark as a black hole of energy.

Lira ran toward Kael, her steps light and nimble. She cut another portion and the blade buzzed weakly past with a faint hissing sound as they cut through it. "I hate these things! They're like trying to stab fog."

Kael gritted his teeth while the system's voice counted out the hits. "Aim for their cores. The system says that's their weak spot."

"Cores? They're made of gooey shadows!" Specifically, Lira sidestepped one of the entities' assault again, and at the same time parried forcefully. "Next time, tell your system to give better instructions."

Kael could not help smiling as the Starforged Blade crashed into something else. "I'll pass along your feedback."

Shooting was aimless, the sky a veil choked with the scream of the blemish, the reverberative, starry power that held it all together. The fissure vibrated chaotically for any light flicker up and down every millisecond. Undeterred, Kael and Lira fought as a man, that psychic linkage of one to another in combined strikes and combined boosts.

As last of the entities disappeared into the nothingness, the glow of the rift died down, its edge becoming hazy and jiggling unpredictably. Kael approached cautiously, the Starforged Blade at the ready.

[Action required: Stabilize rift using celestial energy. Warning: Host may experience temporary energy depletion. Proceed?]

Kael took a steadying breath and gripped the blade firmly. "Do it."

The system reacted instantaneously, maneuvering Kael's limbs as he thrust the Starforged Blade into the maw of the rifts. Suddenly a surge of power hit him, the blade acted as a doorway between him and the weirdness. The rift created a buzzing, bluesy sonority, followed by its own implosion envelope producing an echo draught.

Kael staggered back, his legs weak. Lira got him firmly in her embrace as the very last second struck, and her features a horror and rage all at once. "You're really going to burn yourself out one of these days."

Kael managed a weak smile. "Better me than the entire valley."

Lira elicited an eye gesture, however, maintained his hand grip. "Come on, hero. We've got to go this way before anything else decides to show its face behind the trees."

However, when that escape brought one to the edge of the rift site, the same tension dissipated and the normal gossip disappeared. Victory came by way of a considerable expense, however what lay ahead of them was even more daunting and neither would back down.