The echo of Elara's scream still haunted the warehouse as the dust settled over the sealed chasm. Aeris's knees trembled beneath her, eyes wide and unblinking, staring into the darkness where Elara had vanished.
Kael's voice was low but urgent, "We have to follow her. If she's trapped in the Rift, time is running out."
The faint hum of residual energy thrummed through the floor, vibrating beneath their feet like the heartbeat of some ancient beast. Aeris swallowed hard, steeling herself. She could feel the pendant's warmth pulse faintly against her chest — as if Elara's life was still tied to it.
"We don't even know where the Rift leads," Aeris said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "It's a realm of chaos, where reality folds and twists."
Kael knelt, examining the cracked floor, tracing the glowing fissures with his fingertips. "There's a way in... but it's not safe. The last time I entered, I barely escaped with my mind intact."
The warehouse walls seemed to close in around them, the flickering shadows cast by their flashlights dancing menacingly.
Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the room, carrying a faint, haunting melody — Elara's voice, calling out in a language neither of them recognized.
Aeris's eyes snapped open wide. "She's alive... but somewhere far deeper than we imagined."
Kael's jaw tightened. "Then we dive in — headfirst."
He extended a hand. Aeris took it without hesitation.
As they stepped onto the fractured floor, the glowing fissures surged brighter, enveloping them in a brilliant blue light that pulled at their very souls.
The world blurred.
Suddenly, they were falling — tumbling through endless voids where stars twisted like whirlpools and the air crackled with unstable magic.
They landed hard on cold stone, the ground beneath scattered with shards of glass reflecting countless fractured realities.
Aeris gasped, taking in their surroundings. Jagged cliffs stretched endlessly under a sky of swirling violet storms, and eerie lights flickered in the distance.
Kael scanned the horizon, drawing his blade. "Welcome to the heart of the Rift."
Before they could move, a figure appeared from the shadows — Elara. Her eyes were wide but glazed, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"Elara!" Aeris rushed forward, but Elara collapsed to the ground, whispering, "The Architect… he's waiting. He's not alone."
Kael crouched beside her, concern etched deep in his features. "What do you mean? Who else is there?"
Elara's voice was barely audible. "The Rift isn't just a prison… it's a trap. And we've walked right into it."
Suddenly, the ground beneath them rumbled.
From the swirling mist emerged a towering figure — draped in armor forged from shadows, eyes glowing with unnatural fire.
"The Architect has sent his herald," Elara breathed, voice trembling.
Kael and Aeris exchanged a fierce glance.
The battle was about to begin.
As the shadowed warrior raised his blade, the sky cracked open — and a blinding light descended, revealing a face from Kael's forgotten past.
"Kael... we meet again."