The Riftlord struck first. A jagged wave of dark energy rippled through the air, forcing Kiran and Drayk to dive in opposite directions. The attack carved deep grooves into the ground, sending dirt and debris flying.
"Stay sharp!" Drayk barked, already moving to flank the Riftlord.
Kiran gripped the light-blade tighter, its glow pulsing in rhythm with the sigil on his wrist. The Key's energy hummed through him, urging him forward. He dodged another attack and swung the blade, its radiant arc clashing with the Riftlord's swirling energy.
The collision sent a shockwave rippling through the forest, bending trees and scattering leaves. The Riftlord hissed, its form flickering briefly.
"You've grown bold, Bearer," it snarled, reforming. "But boldness won't save you."
The Riftlord extended both hands, summoning shadowy tendrils that lashed out like whips. Kiran ducked one and parried another with his blade, but a third caught his arm, burning his skin through his tunic.
Drayk surged in from the side, his blade slashing through one of the tendrils. "Focus, Kiran!" he shouted. "Don't let it overwhelm you!"
As the fight raged, Kiran began to notice something strange. Each time his blade struck the Riftlord, its form flickered, revealing glimpses of something beneath the shadows: a gaunt face, pale and scarred, with eyes that glowed faintly blue.
"Who are you?" Kiran demanded, pushing forward with a flurry of attacks.
The Riftlord faltered, its energy retreating momentarily. "I was once like you," it said, its voice tinged with bitterness. "A Bearer, chosen to protect the Key. But the Rift does not choose lightly. It tests, it twists, and it consumes."
"Morvas said the same thing," Kiran said, his blade raised. "Why do you follow him if you hate what you've become?"
The Riftlord laughed, the sound hollow. "Follow? No, little Bearer. We are bound. Morvas is not our leader—he is our jailer. The Riftlords are prisoners of the Rift, enslaved by the same power you now wield."
Kiran hesitated, the revelation sinking in. "Then why fight me? Why not break free?"
"Because there is no freedom!" the Riftlord spat, lunging forward. Its attack was more desperate now, its movements erratic.
Drayk intercepted the strike, his blade locking against the Riftlord's claws. "Kiran, stop talking and finish it!"
But Kiran couldn't shake the Riftlord's words. He felt the Key pulse, its energy vibrating with something that felt almost like fear.
Summoning his resolve, Kiran channeled the Key's energy into his blade. The weapon flared brighter, illuminating the battlefield and forcing the Riftlord to retreat.
"Enough!" Kiran shouted, his voice echoing with an otherworldly resonance. He swung the blade, unleashing a wave of light that cleaved through the Riftlord's defenses.
The shadowy figure crumpled to the ground, its form dissolving into faint wisps of energy. All that remained was a man, frail and broken, his blue-glowing eyes dim.
"You… are stronger than I was," the man rasped, his voice barely audible. "Perhaps you can succeed where we failed."
Kiran knelt beside him. "What do you mean? What did you fail to do?"
"To control the Rift," the man whispered. "It promised us power, but it lied. Morvas… he seeks to break the cycle. He thinks he can bend the Rift to his will. But he is wrong."
Before Kiran could ask more, the man's body dissolved into ash, carried away by the wind.
As the dust settled, Drayk approached, wiping his blade. "You let him talk too long," he said, but his tone was less harsh than usual. "Still, we learned something."
Kiran stared at the spot where the man had fallen. "The Riftlords are prisoners. They don't want this any more than we do."
Drayk sighed. "Maybe not, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous. The Rift twists everything it touches, Kiran. Don't let their stories cloud your judgment."
Kiran looked at his glowing sigil. "What about Morvas? If he's trying to break the cycle, isn't that a good thing?"
Drayk shook his head. "Not if it means unleashing the Rift entirely. Whatever Morvas is planning, it's bigger than you or me. He doesn't just want freedom—he wants control. And that kind of power will destroy everything."
A Glimpse of the Rift's Goal
As they prepared to leave the area, Kiran felt a sudden pull from the Key. It was faint but insistent, tugging him toward a nearby Rift shard embedded in the ground.
"What is it?" Drayk asked, watching Kiran approach the shard.
Kiran placed his hand on the shard, and a surge of energy shot through him. His vision blurred, and he saw flashes of another world: a realm of endless chaos, where shadowy figures loomed over a sea of twisting energy.
In the center stood Morvas, his form towering and radiant, his mask cracked to reveal burning eyes. Around him were the other Riftlords, bound in chains of light and shadow.
"The Key will open the Rift," a voice whispered in Kiran's mind, deep and resonant. "And with it, the cycle will end."
Kiran pulled back, gasping. The shard crumbled to dust in his hand.
"What did you see?" Drayk asked, his tone urgent.
"Morvas," Kiran said, his voice trembling. "He's not just trying to escape. He's trying to end the Rift entirely."
Drayk's expression darkened. "And if he succeeds, our world might go with it."