Elara's heart hammered in her chest as she drew closer to the rift, the shadows curling around her like an old friend, beckoning her deeper into the darkness. She could feel the pulse of the Void beneath her skin, a rhythmic thrum that synced with her heartbeat, growing stronger with each step. It was both terrifying and seductive, a promise of power mingled with the knowledge of inevitable destruction.
Aiden's voice was a distant echo behind her, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. Not now.
The air grew thick, oppressive, as though the very atmosphere was being consumed by the Void. It reached out, tendrils of dark energy curling at the edges of her vision, the rift above her seething with an unnatural energy. Her hand gripped the Codex tighter, its pages pulsing with light, trying to steady her, to keep her grounded. But the Codex's power was fading, its glow weak, as if it too was being drained by the darkness that surrounded them.
