The city trembled as shadows poured from the rift like a tidal wave, their monstrous forms twisting and writhing against the night sky. The Forsaken One, though wounded by Henry's blast, let out another guttural roar and lunged at Nate with terrifying speed.
Nate barely dodged in time, flipping backward as the ground cracked beneath the beast's impact. His body was still aching from The Hunter's attack, but there was no time to rest.
Henry's voice crackled in his earpiece. "Nate, you've got to shut that rift now—before more of those things come through!"
Antrasite's voice slithered into Nate's mind. "Your mortal weapons won't be enough. You need to use my power, fully. Let me take control."
Nate gritted his teeth. "Not happening."
"Then you will fail."
The Forsaken roared and lunged again, its molten claws slicing through the air. Nate countered with a blast of energy from his palms, but the creature tanked the hit like it was nothing. It swiped, and the force of the impact sent Nate skidding across the street.
Henry fired another shot from the rooftop, the energy cannon humming with power. The blast struck the Forsaken in the chest, making it stumble, but it wasn't enough to bring it down.
Henry cursed. "Nate, I can't keep this up!"
Nate wiped blood from his mouth and forced himself to stand. His glowing blue eyes flickered. He was running out of time.
The Harbinger stood beneath the rift, watching the battle unfold like an observer of fate. "You fight against inevitability, Vessel," he said, his voice calm. "The Forsaken will rise again. The rift will not close."
"Watch me," Nate growled.
Summoning every ounce of energy he had left, he shot forward. The Forsaken swung at him, but this time, he anticipated the move. He slid under its attack, then leaped onto its back. His hands crackled with energy as he slammed them against the beast's skull.
A blinding blue surge erupted from his palms. The Forsaken howled in agony, its molten eyes flickering wildly.
"Nate!" Henry shouted. "You're overloading yourself!"
Nate didn't care. He had to end this.
With one final push, he channeled all his energy into the Forsaken. The beast let out one last, ear-piercing shriek—before its body disintegrated into nothingness.
Nate collapsed to one knee, gasping for breath. His entire body ached, his vision blurring at the edges.
But it wasn't over yet.
The Harbinger raised his staff, the rift pulsating violently. "You delay the inevitable. But you will not stop it."
Nate clenched his fists. "Like hell I won't."
Drawing on the last reserves of his strength, he dashed toward the Harbinger. Energy surged through his veins, blue lightning crackling around him. The Harbinger swung his staff, but Nate dodged and slammed a fist into his chest, sending him flying backward.
The staff fell from his grasp. The moment it hit the ground, the rift trembled.
Henry shouted, "Nate, the staff! Destroy it!"
Without hesitation, Nate grabbed it. The moment his fingers wrapped around the ancient relic, a surge of dark energy flooded his senses. Visions of destruction, of endless shadows consuming the world—
Antrasite's voice boomed in his head. "Destroy it, or the human world will be lost!"
Nate let out a furious yell and slammed the staff into the ground, shattering it into pieces.
The rift let out an earsplitting shriek as it imploded, sucking the remaining shadows back into the void before vanishing entirely. The night fell silent.
The Harbinger lay motionless on the ground. The battle was over.
Nate staggered, his vision swimming. Henry caught him just as he collapsed.
"You did it, kid," Henry muttered. "You actually did it."
Nate, barely conscious, let out a weak chuckle. "Yeah... but something tells me this was just the beginning."
Above them, the sky was calm again. But in the deepest corners of the world, something else had stirred.
Something far worse.