Varin stood motionless on the barren plain where the Starlight Rift once gaped, now little more than scorched earth and faint shimmering cracks in reality. His dark cloak fluttered in the gentle breeze, the sound eerily out of place in the silent wasteland. His hand clenched tightly around a small silver artifact—the only means of entry to the Rift where his apprentice, Kael Relan, was trapped.
The artifact vibrated in his palm, humming with ancient energy. Varin muttered the words of activation, his voice a low, gravelly incantation. In response, the air rippled violently, and a swirling portal tore open before him, revealing the unrelenting darkness of the Abyss beyond. Without hesitation, Varin stepped through the threshold, his figure swallowed by the portal as it sealed behind him, leaving no trace of his presence in the mortal world.
The void within the Rift welcomed him with a familiar chill, the oppressive darkness pressing in from all sides. For a moment, Varin stood still, his senses attuned to the dissonant energy swirling around him. He had been here before, long ago, and yet each return felt like venturing into a nightmare he couldn't shake.
System Notification: Mentor System Activated.
A translucent map overlayed his vision, and a faint, pulsing beacon marked Kael's location far in the distance. Varin's jaw clenched, his thoughts racing. Kael had been grinding for Dark Essence, likely battling Darkspawns with a single-minded focus on leveling up. Varin understood the drive for power, but the Rift was no place for prolonged exposure. The longer Kael stayed, the more likely the Abyss would taint him.
Without wasting another second, Varin activated Void Step.
His body flickered, phasing into the shadows as he traversed the void between reality and the Abyss. He reappeared yards ahead, each step closing the distance to Kael with unnatural speed. The blackened landscape around him blurred into nothingness as he darted through, the chilling winds of the Rift whispering at his heels.
Kael Relan stood over the dissipating remains of a slain Darkspawn, his chest heaving from exertion. His Void Daggers dripped with inky, shadow-infused ichor, and his breath clouded the air as he surveyed the twisted landscape before him. The ground beneath his feet was slick with darkness, the remnants of the abyssal creatures he had defeated. But the satisfaction of victory felt hollow. He still needed more Dark Essence, and time was slipping away.
The ever-present weight of the Abyss gnawed at his senses, a subtle corruption creeping into his core. Kael wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes scanning the horizon for his next target.
Suddenly, the air around him stirred unnaturally, and Kael's muscles tensed. From the shifting shadows, a figure materialized, dark and swift. For a split second, Kael's instincts screamed at him to prepare for an attack—until he recognized the silhouette.
"Varin?" Kael's voice cracked in surprise as his mentor, Varin Vale, emerged from the darkness, his movements fluid and deadly. Relief washed over him, but it was tinged with confusion. "How—how are you here?"
Varin halted in front of him, his gaze sharp and calculating as he assessed Kael's condition. "I have my ways." He lifted the silver artifact in his hand, its faint glow barely illuminating the abyssal gloom. "This allows me to enter and leave the Rift at will. But it has its limits."
Kael frowned. "Limits?"
Varin nodded. "I can use it only two more times before it requires recharging with Dark Essence. We'll need it at full power to escape this place, so we can't afford to waste it." His expression darkened as he met Kael's gaze. "I came to get you out. You've been in here long enough—the Abyss will start to corrupt you if you don't leave soon."
Kael hesitated, his fingers tightening around his daggers. "I can't leave yet. I still need more Dark Essence to unlock my Status Multiplier. And I still need to kill one more Advanced Darkspawn." His tone was firm, determined. "I won't leave without finishing this."
Varin's eyes narrowed, studying the young man before him. Kael had always been tenacious, stubborn in his quest for power, but Varin could see the exhaustion in his eyes, the toll this place was taking on him. Still, he wasn't one to discourage ambition—Kael needed this power, and the Rift was the only place to acquire it.
"Then I'll help you," Varin said, his voice resolute. "We'll find that Advanced Darkspawn together, and we'll make sure you get what you came for. But after that, we're leaving. No arguments."
Kael nodded, grateful but wary. His mentor's presence was a relief, but it also meant that the situation was more dire than he'd realized. If Varin was worried, that meant he was running out of time.
Together, they moved deeper into the Rift, their senses sharp as they searched for more Darkspawns. Kael led with his Void Daggers at the ready, while Varin trailed behind, his movements eerily silent, his presence almost blending with the shadows around him.
They encountered several Elite Darkspawns, monstrous creatures with twisted limbs and glowing eyes that radiated malice. Each battle was a whirlwind of shadowy strikes and summoned souls. Kael called upon his Deathcaller abilities, summoning spectral Darkspawns to fight alongside them, their ethereal forms slashing and tearing through the abyssal enemies with ruthless efficiency.
Varin fought with the precision of a master assassin. He activated Void Step, disappearing into the shadows before reappearing behind the Elite Darkspawns, his Distortion Blade slicing through their defenses. Time seemed to warp around his enemies, their movements sluggish as the Void energy distorted their reality. One after another, the Darkspawns fell to their combined onslaught.
Still, no sign of an Advanced Darkspawn.
As they ventured further, the oppressive weight of the Abyss pressed harder on them. Four hours had passed, and the landscape around them began to shift. The endless dark plains gave way to jagged cliffs and strange, unnatural structures that seemed to pulse with a faint, eerie glow.
Kael glanced at Varin. "We're running out of time."
Varin's expression was grim. "We'll find it. But stay alert—something's off."
Just as the words left his mouth, they stumbled upon an anomaly. Before them, nestled in the heart of the Rift, was a shimmering dome of energy—a shield protecting what appeared to be a small city. Buildings lined with dimly lit lanterns stood within, casting faint light across cobblestone streets. It was an impossibility—a settlement, not of Darkspawns, but of humans.
Kael froze, his mind racing to make sense of what he was seeing. "What the—"
Varin's eyes narrowed, his hand instinctively reaching for his blade. "This shouldn't exist. Not here."
Inside the shield, figures moved—human figures, going about their lives as if they weren't in the middle of an abyssal wasteland. Children played in the streets, merchants peddled wares, and guards stood watch at the edges of the city, their armor gleaming under the faint light.
Kael's heart pounded in his chest as he looked at Varin. "What the hell is going on?"
Varin's gaze remained locked on the city, his mind working furiously to unravel the mystery. "I don't know. But we need to find out."
As they stood at the edge of the shield, a chilling sensation crept up Kael's spine. This place was wrong. It defied everything they knew about the Rifts, about the Darkspawns, about the Abyss itself.
Whatever was happening here, it was bigger than any of them had imagined.