The ground shook beneath Aiden's feet as the towering golem loomed above them, its figure standing between the last few strides to the Hearthstone and it. Ice and flame danced around it, lightning-like crackling within the body. Its glowing blue eyes settled on Aiden and the woman, presence overwhelming in the already chaotic storm.
"Stay back," the woman said, gripping her sword tighter. "This thing is different from the others. We need to be strategic."
Aiden's heart thrashed as the golem's rocky fists slam into the ground, sending waves of ice shooting up in all directions. The air grew colder, a chill running through his bones despite his attempt to draw the Nexus energy within himself.
The woman ran forward, sword raised high, but the golem swung its massive arm, and she had to leap back just in time. The blow cracked the ground beneath her feet, sending shards of ice flying.
"Get ready, Aiden!" she called, as the golem bellowed in a low, guttural growl. The earth around them froze, becoming a sheet of ice.
Aiden stepped forward, drawing the power of the Nexus into his palms and feeling the energy rush through him like a torrent. He didn't have much time; he could already see the golem's arm winding up for another strike. He needed to act fast.
The woman, noticing his hesitation, yelled, "Don't hold back! Channel everything you have into the energy blast—now!"
Aiden nodded, focusing all his energy. He raised his hands and the patterns on his skin glowing brighter as it pulsed with the power. A cold bite of wind at his flesh as he took in raw force. It was becoming heavy in air, as if the whole storm was watching. With a forceful shout, he launched the energy toward the golem's chest with a torrent of raw light.
The explosion slammed into its rocky torso with a crack that sounded like thunder, but the golem barely lurched. It grunted and from its body shot spikes of ice, hurled at Aiden like jagged darts of death. He barely dodged in time, and the sharp edges just nicked his side. He gritted his teeth against the agony.
"Is that all you've got?" the woman taunted, her voice tinged with both determination and frustration as she circled the golem, looking for a weakness.
The creature roared, slamming its fists into the ground, causing the ice beneath them to shatter. From the cracks, more smaller ice golems emerged, clawing their way through the frozen surface like skeletal hands reaching from a grave.
"More of them?" Aiden muttered, trying to regain his footing. The small golems were closing in from all sides, forcing him to defend himself.
"We don't have time for this," the woman snapped. "Distract it! I'll go for the heart!"
Aiden hesitated then nodded, knowing that urgency was the case. The lady was their only hope in stopping this. He channeled a surge of energy into the air that caught the attention of the larger golem. Its glowing eyes blazed with fury as it turned toward him.
"That's it," Aiden growled, drawing every last bit of energy he could into himself. The air was charged with electricity as he unleashed a storm of energy blasts, each one striking the golem's limbs, forcing it to stumble backward. The smaller golems tried to close in, but Aiden lashed out with controlled blasts of power, creating a shield around himself.
His mind was racing. He had to keep the golem busy long enough for the woman to get to the heart, the source of its power.
The woman leaped into the air, her sword flashing in the storm as it sliced through the air, faster than Aiden could follow. She closed the distance and dodged the retaliatory strikes of the ice golem. As she neared the Rift Guardian, she leaped high into the air, her sword raised in a deadly arc.
Aiden gritted his teeth, his attention still fixated on the bigger golem, trying not to draw the woman's attention. The ground cracked as the Rift Guardian slams his fist towards him once more. Aiden rolled just out of the way in time, and the golem's hand crashed into the earth with another wave of ice exploding from it.
He could now see her, prepared to stab at the chest of the golem. As she descended, the passage of time was somehow retarded. She had pointed directly at the creature's heart, and now:
"No!" bellowed the golem.
It was too late, however.
In one swift powerful motion, the sword buried deep into the chest, right into the creature's heart. Energy rippled outward in a shock wave that knocked Aiden onto his backside as the golem shrieked one final agonized cry of rage.
The world held its breath in that moment.
Then, with a crack, the golem broke apart, its body breaking into chunks of ice and rock which scattered about the battlefield. The smaller golems disintegrated into nothingness, their forms crumbling into harmless snow.
Aiden slowly got to his feet, his legs unsteady under him. He was still catching his breath, his side still aching from the wound.
The woman stood over the remains of the Rift Guardian, her sword dripping with the creature's icy blood. She looked at Aiden, her expression unreadable.
"It's done," she said quietly, her voice strained but steady.
Aiden nodded, though the weight of the battle still hung heavily on him. "For now. But the rift still isn't fixed. We need to finish this."
The woman's gaze turned toward the Hearthstone, which now pulsed with a faint blue light, its corrupted energy starting to stabilize. Aiden could feel the tension in the air as the storm began to ease, the winds dying down as the Hearthstone's power slowly returned.
"Get ready," she warned. "We're not out of danger yet."
They went up to the altar and as Aiden's hand came close to the Hearthstone, a pulse of energy shot out from it and enveloped them both. It wasn't violent, at least, not like the previous realms had been; but the sensation was disorienting, like a splash in cold water followed by a fierce heat that left his skin tingling.
Aiden clenched his teeth, focusing on steadying himself with the Nexus energy. It was a power coursing through his skin, strange and foreign, as if something ancient was waking.
The Hearthstone's energy flickered again, this time steadying into a warm, stable glow. The surrounding snow melted away, revealing the jagged ice beneath.
Aiden's vision blurred for a moment. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so drained. But the woman's voice broke through his daze.
"Aiden, it's working. We're restoring it."
Aiden took a deep breath, pushing through the overwhelming exhaustion. They were close—closer than they had been in any of the other realms. But as the energy continued to stabilize, a deep rumble echoed through the ice. A shadow appeared on the horizon, flickering in and out of sight.
"No time to rest," the woman said, her voice low. "It's coming."