Chapter 44: Shadows of the Rift

A World on the Brink

The ruins of Vasthral still smoldered. The battle was over, but the scars it left on reality remained.

Eryndra stood at the edge of the shattered throne room, gazing at the endless abyss beyond. The Rift had receded, but its presence still tainted the air.

Behind her, Thalos remained silent.

She could still feel the weight of his gaze—wary, conflicted, haunted.

This was the moment she had spent years dreaming of.

She had found him.

But the man before her… was not the same.

And the Rift was not done with him yet.

A gust of wind howled through the ruins, carrying the distant sound of battle.

They weren't alone.

The Rift Strikes Again

A sickening pulse rippled through the air.

Eryndra's instincts screamed at her to move—and she did, just in time.

A blade of void ripped through the space she had been standing in, cutting through stone like it was paper.

She spun, sword at the ready.

And then—they emerged.

Riftborn.

Hollow creatures, twisted reflections of what they once were. Their bodies were wrapped in black tendrils, their faces frozen in expressions of agony.

Among them, a towering figure stepped forward—

A Harbinger.

But not just any.

An Abyss-Touched.

A being that had fully succumbed to the Rift's corruption—powerful beyond measure, yet lost to madness.

Its voice was a broken whisper, distorted and layered.

"Thalos… you should not have strayed."

Thalos tensed.

Eryndra didn't wait for him to act.

She moved first.

A Battle in the Ruins

Eryndra launched herself forward, striking before the creature could finish speaking.

Her blade met resistance.

Not from armor—from the Rift itself.

The Abyss-Touched didn't dodge. It let her attack land.

And then—it laughed.

Eryndra's eyes widened.

The wound sealed instantly.

And before she could react, it countered.

A hand wreathed in void shot forward, aiming straight for her heart.

Steel clashed against it—Thalos' sword.

He had intercepted the attack, his expression blank, but his eyes burning.

For a heartbeat, their swords locked.

Then Thalos pushed.

The force of the strike sent the Abyss-Touched skidding backward, dust and debris erupting into the air.

But it didn't falter.

Instead, it grinned.

"Ah… there he is."

Then it summoned the void itself.

The ground shattered.

A tide of abyssal tendrils erupted from the ruins, swallowing everything in their path.

Eryndra cursed and leapt back, barely avoiding being ensnared.

Thalos, however—

He didn't move.

He let the void come to him.

And then—

He took control.

The Power of the Rift

Eryndra stared.

Thalos raised his hand, and the void obeyed.

The tendrils meant to consume him halted mid-air, trembling as if resisting something stronger.

And then—they turned against their master.

The Abyss-Touched let out a monstrous snarl as its own attack recoiled, twisting in on itself.

Eryndra exhaled sharply.

Thalos had done it again.

He had bent the Rift's power to his will.

But at what cost?

His face remained unreadable, but she could see it in his stance—this was taking a toll on him.

Eryndra clenched her jaw.

She had to end this.

Now.

She gathered all of her strength, channeling celestial fire into her blade.

The sword burned white-hot, its edge shining like a dying star.

Thalos must have sensed what she was about to do.

Because this time—

He moved with her.

A Strike Against the Abyss

Eryndra sprinted forward.

Thalos did the same.

The Abyss-Touched prepared to counter, raising a shield of void—

Too late.

Their blades struck together.

Celestial fire met abyssal corruption.

For a split second, the air hummed with unnatural tension—

Then exploded.

The Abyss-Touched screamed as its form unraveled, unable to withstand the combined force of their attack.

Void and fire consumed it at once.

And then—

It was gone.

Silence fell over the ruins.

But the Rift's presence still lingered.

This wasn't over.

Not yet.

A Moment of Truth

Eryndra turned to Thalos, breathing hard.

His sword was lowered, his eyes distant.

And for the first time, she saw it clearly.

The war inside him.

Not against an enemy—but against himself.

"Thalos," she said quietly.

He didn't respond.

He didn't have to.

She stepped closer, hesitated—then reached for his hand.

And this time—

He didn't pull away.