They came. Faster than thought. A blur of limbs and talons andmemory. One touched the edge of my magic andscreamed, unraveling into black ash and jagged light.
But more poured in. Behind them, the Riftwidened. The arch strained, runes burning blood-red, and something massive moved just beyond.
I glimpsed it—just once.
A god, if gods were made of teeth and silence. Its form waswrong, shifting, folding in on itself and reforming, eyes opening where there were no faces. It hadn’t crossed the threshold, but itwantedto.
And it was usingherlight toanchoritself.
Cleo’s chest flared, and a bolt of gold fire erupted into the air.
It arced across the ceiling, struck the stone, and carved a glowing sigil in midair.
I felt it. A heartbeat. Not mine. Not hers.Ours.
My knees buckled. The ground cracked again. The Rift pulsed once, twice—and vomited another wave of creatures.
These were different. Larger. More complete.
Wraithborn, but not twisted by madness—perfected. Controlled. Armored in shadow. Their blades were made ofweeping metal, their robes stitched from stolen names. One stepped forward and looked at me—andsmiled.
Not friendly. Recognition.
Brother.It’s voice slithered into my mind.
I spat blood. “Not in this lifetime.”
He raised his blade. I realized too late—I couldn’t beat them. Not alone. Not even with all my power at full strength.
And Cleo… Cleo wasdying. Drained, fading, burning up from within.The Rift was taking her. I had minutes. Maybe seconds. The darkness wasn’t just pressing in.
It waswinning.
15
~Cleo ~
Pain wasthe first thing I felt—a searing, all-consuming fire that coursed through every fiber of my being. It wasn't just physical; it was as if my very essence was being unraveled, thread by thread.
I opened my eyes to chaos.
The Rift loomed before me, a gaping wound in reality, its towering arch of obsidian and bone-white stone pulsing with malevolent energy. The runes etched into its surface flickered erratically, casting eerie shadows that danced like specters.
From within the Rift, horrors emerged—twisted, wraith-like creatures with limbs that defied anatomy, eyes that glowed with a hunger for destruction. They moved with a predatory grace, their forms shifting and undulating as they advanced.
Devin stood between me and the oncoming tide, his stance defiant despite the exhaustion etched into his features. Shadows coiled around him, a dark aura that both repelled and attracted the creatures.
I tried to rise, but my limbs were like lead. The ritual had drained me, siphoning my Starfire until only embers remained.
But then, amidst the cacophony, I felt it—a tether, fragile yet unbreakable, connecting me to Devin. It pulsed with a rhythm that wasn't mine alone. Our bond, though fractured, still existed.
I reached for it, drawing strength from the connection.
"Devin," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the din.
He turned, eyes meeting mine, and in that instant, understanding passed between us.
We couldn't defeat this darkness separately.
