As Alex stood, the massive crystal began to hum. A faint voice echoed in his mind, fragmented and distorted.
"Chosen… wielder… restore…"
He staggered back, clutching his head. The voice faded, replaced by a flood of images—creatures rampaging across a ruined Earth, rifts tearing the sky apart, and figures like him standing against the chaos.
"What the hell was that?" he muttered, his breathing ragged.
The crystal dimmed, its message delivered. Alex looked at Raze, who tilted her head, watching him intently.
"I don't know what's going on," he said, "but it looks like we're part of something bigger."
He pocketed the shard and turned to the stairs. "Let's get out of here. We've got work to do."
The climb out of the ruins was grueling. The jagged stone staircase, combined with Alex's aching body, made every step feel like a battle. Raze walked beside him, her glowing blue eyes flicking toward every shadow. The further they ascended, the more the cavern's faint hum of Enerion faded, replaced by the oppressive silence of the rift's surface.
When they finally emerged, Alex blinked against the sudden brightness. The rift's endless sky stretched before him, its purple-and-orange hues casting an otherworldly glow across the shattered landscape. Towering crystalline spires dotted the horizon, each pulsating with light. Strange, jagged trees with metallic leaves swayed in a wind he couldn't feel.
"Back to the madness," Alex muttered, stretching his sore arms. Raze sniffed the air and let out a low growl.
"You sense something?" Alex asked, gripping the shard tightly.
The wolf's hackles rose, and Alex followed her gaze. In the distance, the faint outline of a hulking creature moved between the crystalline spires. It was far off, but even from this distance, Alex could see it was massive—larger than any of the beasts they'd encountered so far.
"Let's not attract that thing's attention," Alex said, keeping his voice low. "We've had enough close calls for one day."
They moved carefully, sticking to the shadows of the jagged rock formations. The rift's terrain was treacherous, filled with sudden drop-offs and glowing fissures that pulsed with Enerion. At one point, Alex slipped, nearly falling into a glowing chasm. Raze grabbed the back of his shirt with her teeth, pulling him to safety.
"Thanks," Alex said, his voice shaking. He patted her head, and she huffed in response.
As the hours passed, the faint sense of unease Alex felt began to grow. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
"Something's not right," he muttered, glancing over his shoulder. The landscape behind them was empty, but the air felt heavier, charged with an unseen threat.
Raze growled, her ears flattening. She darted ahead, sniffing the ground. Alex followed, his grip tightening on the shard.
Suddenly, a low, guttural snarl broke the silence.
Alex spun around, his heart pounding. Emerging from the shadows were a group of creatures—smaller than the dragon from earlier but no less dangerous. They were lean and wolf-like, with elongated limbs and glowing yellow eyes that burned with hunger. Their translucent skin revealed the faint pulsing of Enerion veins beneath.
"Stalkers," Alex said, the name coming to him unbidden.
The creatures circled them, their movements coordinated. Alex raised the shard, its blue light casting sharp shadows. Raze stood at his side, her fur bristling.
The lead stalker lunged, its jaws snapping. Alex sidestepped, driving the shard into its neck. The creature let out a shrill screech, collapsing in a heap. But the others didn't retreat. If anything, they seemed more emboldened.
Two attacked at once. Raze intercepted one, her powerful jaws locking onto its throat. Alex swung the shard at the other, slicing across its torso. The creature howled, stumbling back, but another took its place.
"They just keep coming," Alex muttered, sweat dripping down his face.
The fight was chaos. Alex's movements became more instinctive, his body fueled by the flickering blue energy coursing through him. He ducked, dodged, and struck with precision, but the stalkers were relentless.
Raze yelped as one of the creatures raked its claws across her side. Alex roared, grabbing the beast by its neck and slamming it into the ground. The blue energy surged in his veins, and he drove his fist into the creature's skull, shattering it.
The remaining stalkers hesitated, their glowing eyes flicking between Alex and their fallen packmates.
"Yeah, you'd better run," Alex growled, his voice low and dangerous.
With a series of guttural snarls, the stalkers retreated into the shadows, their yellow eyes disappearing one by one.
Alex dropped to his knees, breathing heavily. He reached out to Raze, examining the wound on her side. It wasn't deep, but the sight of her blood made his stomach churn.
"You're tougher than me, huh?" he said, gently pressing a hand to her side. She huffed and licked his face, her tail wagging faintly.
They pressed on, their movements slower now. The fight with the stalkers had drained Alex's energy, and the terrain was growing more unstable. The sky above darkened, and the faint hum of Enerion crystals grew louder.
"What now?" Alex muttered, glancing up at the swirling clouds.
The answer came in the form of a blinding flash of light. A bolt of Enerion energy struck the ground nearby, sending shards of glowing rock flying. Alex ducked, shielding his face as the ground trembled.
"It's a storm," he said, realization dawning.
The bolts came faster, each one leaving behind a crackling pool of energy. The air was thick with static, making it hard to breathe.
"We need to find shelter," Alex said, scanning the area. His eyes landed on a cluster of jagged rocks forming a crude overhang. "There! Come on!"
They sprinted toward the shelter, dodging the cascading bolts. One struck dangerously close, sending a wave of energy that knocked Alex off his feet. He hit the ground hard, the shard slipping from his grasp.
Raze barked, tugging at his shirt with her teeth. Alex groaned, grabbing the shard and stumbling to his feet. They reached the overhang just as another bolt struck, lighting up the sky in a dazzling display of colors.
Under the shelter, Alex collapsed, his chest heaving. Raze curled up beside him, her body trembling slightly.
"Close call," Alex said, leaning against the rock. He held up the shard, its glow dim but steady. "You think this thing's leading us somewhere? Or are we just wandering around like idiots?"
Raze didn't respond, her eyes closing as she rested her head on her paws. Alex sighed, his gaze shifting to the storm raging outside.
For the first time since entering the rift, he allowed himself to feel the weight of it all. The constant fighting, the relentless danger, the sheer alien nature of this world—it was all starting to take its toll.
But he couldn't stop.
Whatever this place was, whatever role he'd been forced into, he had to keep moving. For himself. For Raze.