Raith stood on the precipice of the rift, staring into a swirling vortex of destruction and possibility. The ground beneath him trembled with every pulse of energy, and the air was alive with a charge that prickled his skin. The rift stretched across the sky, its chaotic light casting shifting shadows over the ruins of San Francisco.
Juno knelt at the makeshift Nexus console, her fingers flying over the keys as she wrestled with fragmented data streams. She muttered curses under her breath, sweat trickling down her face.
"How long, Juno?" Raith demanded, his voice strained.
"I don't know," she snapped, her eyes glued to the console. "This system is barely holding together, and the rift keeps interfering. Just give me a minute!"
Behind them, Nia stood motionless, her gaze fixed on the rift. Her face was pale, her expression unreadable.
"Raith," she began quietly, her voice cutting through the tension. "There's something I haven't told you."
Raith turned to her, his brow furrowed. "Now's not the time for secrets, Nia."
Her eyes flickered with a mixture of fear and resolve. "The rift isn't just destroying our world—it's rewriting it. Every second we fight it, we're feeding it. This isn't an accident, Raith. The rift was always meant to open."
Raith stared at her, the weight of her words sinking in. "You're saying this was planned? By who?"
"I don't know," Nia admitted, her voice trembling. "But the rift isn't a disaster. It's part of something bigger. Something that's been waiting for us to trigger it."
Before Raith could respond, a deep rumble shook the ground. A massive ship descended from the rift, its obsidian surface gleaming with an otherworldly light. The air grew colder, and an oppressive silence fell over them.
"They're coming," Nia whispered, her eyes locked on the ship.
The vessel hovered above them, casting a shadow that seemed to sap the warmth from the air. A figure emerged from its depths—a tall, armored being with glowing violet eyes, the same color as the rift.
The figure's voice echoed through the air, resonant and cold. "You have reached the Nexus's core. But you are too late."