John approached the swirling breach, its chaotic energy rippling through the air like a living storm. The closer he got, the more he could feel the pull of its power—disorienting, overwhelming. He steadied himself, gripping his sidearm tightly in one hand while his combat knife glinted in the other.
"Alright, EDS," John muttered under his breath. "What's the plan?"
"First, you need to stop the flow," EDS replied. Its voice had a sharper edge now, like it was concentrating. "Focus, you can disrupt the flow of time. You have the ability to reverse the events that have taken place here."
John grimaced. "How do I disrupt something that looks like it's sucking in reality itself?"
"Your time abilities can do more than just slow or stop things. You can reverse the flow if you focus hard enough. You're not just controlling time—you're controlling the flow of events. If you reverse the flow of events, this area will revert to the state it was in before the breach opened."
John's eyes widened. Reverse time for a tear in reality itself? He had barely gotten the hang of slowing time, let alone manipulating the flow of something so unstable. But there wasn't time to hesitate—he had to try. The alternative was letting more of those creatures pour into his world, and that wasn't an option.
He exhaled sharply, closing his eyes for a moment to focus. His hand trembled as he held it out toward the breach, feeling the raw, chaotic energy clawing at him. This was going to take everything he had.
"John, steady yourself," EDS instructed. "Focus on the energy flow. You have to feel it—sense the direction it's moving."
John felt the vibrations in his bones, the slow, spiraling pull of the breach as it sucked in reality, distorting everything around it. It was like standing at the edge of a black hole, teetering on the brink of being swallowed. He focused, visualizing the energy, the flow. Slowly, painstakingly, he began to push against it.
Time around the breach seemed to shudder, as if reality itself was resisting his will. The breach pulsed, growing more erratic, and the creatures that had emerged from it twitched on the ground, their forms flickering between solid and immaterial. John grit his teeth, sweat dripping down his forehead as he pushed harder, feeling the strain in his mind, his body.
The pull of the breach began to weaken. Inch by inch, it started to reverse, the swirling energy now slowing and spiraling inward. John could feel the reversal taking hold, the chaotic tear slowly collapsing in on itself. The edges of the breach flickered, destabilizing, as if reality was trying to heal.
But just as John felt a surge of relief, the breach flared violently. A blast of raw, untethered energy erupted from its center, sending John flying backward. He crashed into the pavement, his head spinning as pain exploded through his ribs.
"John!" EDS's voice rang in his head, urgent. "It's not fully closing. Something else is holding it open!"
Dazed, John forced himself to his feet, clutching his side where the impact had left a deep bruise. He glanced up at the breach, now glowing with a dark, ominous light. And then, from its center, a figure began to emerge.
At first, it was just a silhouette—tall, unnervingly human in shape. But as it stepped fully into the world, John's blood ran cold. It was unlike the other creatures. This thing was something else entirely. Its form was draped in a dark cloak, and its eyes—if they could be called eyes—were glowing red slits set in a featureless face. Its presence alone made the air feel thick, oppressive, as though the very world recoiled from it.
"What the hell is that?" John muttered, raising his weapon.
"Not good," EDS replied, fear creeping into its voice. "I'm detecting energy unlike anything from the breaches before. This… this is something ancient."
The figure raised a hand, and with a flick of its wrist, the street around John rippled as if reality itself was being bent to its will. The cars and buildings warped, distorting in unnatural ways as the ground beneath him cracked.
John's breath caught. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't just from the Rift. It could manipulate the world around it, just like he could manipulate time.
"You're no match for me," the figure said, its voice deep and resonant, like an echo from the void. "But you will serve a purpose."
Before John could react, the figure raised its hand again, and a wave of force crashed into him. Time slowed instinctively as John tried to push back, but the figure's power cut through his control, pulling him toward the breach with an unstoppable force.
"No!" John shouted, planting his feet as he struggled to hold his ground. He could feel the pull of the breach intensifying again, as if it were alive and determined to drag him in. His time control faltered as the figure's power overwhelmed him.
"John, you have to get out of there!" EDS yelled. "You can't take it on alone."
John grunted, his muscles straining as he fought against the pull. He could feel his energy draining fast—he wasn't ready for this. But something inside him refused to give up. He was the Swift Knight. He had these powers for a reason.
With one final surge of will, John focused all his energy into his time control, freezing everything around him for just a second. The pull of the breach stopped, the air went still, and for the briefest moment, John was free.
But as the figure's power crackled against his own, he realized something terrifying.
This enemy could manipulate time, too.
The moment broke, and time resumed. The figure lunged toward him, faster than John could react. Its hand wrapped around his throat, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.
"You are… interesting," it said, tilting its head as it examined him. "But ultimately, insignificant."
John's vision blurred, the world spinning as the figure's grip tightened. He was losing consciousness. Desperation clawed at him as he reached for his knife, but it was too late. The figure was too strong.
And then, just as darkness began to overtake him, EDS's voice rang out in his mind, more forceful than ever before.
"John! Use Chrono Drift - NOW!!"
John didn't have time to think. He barely had time to understand. He acted, exerting more will and power than he ever had before.
Everything exploded into light.
The world around John shattered like glass, reality itself splintering as his body was engulfed in raw, untamed energy. Time fractured, and John felt himself being torn away, pulled through the breach into something far beyond anything he could comprehend.
And then, everything went black.