Sarah's POV
It had been weeks since the collapse of the rift, and Axel and I were slowly adjusting to this fragile new normal. But there was an edge to the peace. like waiting for a storm to break.
I stood by the window, my fingers wrapped around a steaming mug of tea. The scent of pine and earth wafted in through the open window. The air felt still, free from the weight of lingering dread. Axel was out in his workshop, the faint sound of tools echoing from the back of the cabin. His hands were always busy these days, crafting pieces of furniture as if creating something tangible could ground us in reality.
A knock at the door startled me. It was sharp, deliberate. My heartbeat quickened as I set down the mug, suddenly hyper-aware of the stillness that followed. No one ever came this far out to the woods.
I crossed the room, my bare feet silent against the wooden floor and I hesitated as my fingers brushed the door handle. "Axel?" I called, my voice trembling slightly.
No response.
With a deep breath, I opened the door.
Standing on the porch was a figure cloaked in black, the hood pulled low over their face. The air around them felt wrong—heavy, oppressive, like the rift itself had sent an emissary to my doorstep.
"Sarah," the figure said, the voice soft and familiar.
My breath hitched. That voice—it wasn't possible.
The figure stepped closer, pushing back the hood to reveal Celeste. Her face was pale, her ethereal glow dimmed, as if she had been drained of whatever power had once sustained her.
"Celeste?" I whispered, relief mixing with confusion. "What are you doing here? I thought—"
"There's no time," she interrupted, her voice urgent. "The rift... it's not finished with you."
Her words sent a chill down my spine. "What are you talking about? The mansion collapsed, the rift was sealed—"
She shook her head, her expression grim. "The rift was never truly sealed. Its influence runs deeper than you know. And Eren... he's not gone."
The air seemed to leave my lungs. "That's impossible," I said, shaking my head. "I saw him die. I saw him disappear."
Celeste stepped closer, her hand gripping my arm with surprising strength. "What you saw was a fragment, a shadow of what he's become. The rift twisted him, yes, but it also gave him power, enough to anchor himself to this world. He's searching for you, Sarah. He won't stop until he finds you."
I stumbled back, her words a storm of chaos in my mind. "Why? Why me?"
"Because you were the only one he actually loved Sarah," she said simply. "You were the last piece of his humanity, the one thing he couldn't let go of. And now, what's left of him is obsessed, driven by something darker than love now."
Axel's voice called from behind me. "Sarah?"
I turned to see him standing in the doorway, his brow furrowed in concern. His gaze flicked to Celeste, his expression hardening. "What's going on?"
Celeste turned to him, her presence commanding despite her weakened state. "Eren has returned," she said bluntly.
Axel's jaw tightened, his hands clenching into fists. "You said he was gone."
"I was wrong," Celeste admitted. "He's stronger now, more dangerous. And he won't stop until he drags Sarah back into the darkness with him."
Axel moved to my side, his hand instinctively finding mine. "Then we'll stop him," he said, his voice firm. "We've done it before. We'll do it again."
Celeste shook her head. "This isn't like before. The rift's power still lingers in him, but it's no longer bound by its rules. He's something else now.....something even I don't fully understand."
"What do we do?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Celeste's gaze softened. "There's only one way to truly sever his connection to you, to this world. The Blackwood mansion... it must be destroyed completely. Not just its physical structure, but its essence, its tie to the rift. That's where his power is rooted."
The words hung heavy in the air. Return to the mansion. Return to the place where it had all begun.
"How do we destroy something that doesn't exist anymore?" Axel asked, his tone edged with frustration.
Celeste reached into the folds of her cloak and produced a small, ornate dagger. Its blade shimmered with an otherworldly light, runes etched along its surface. "This blade is forged from the remnants of the rift's energy," she explained. "It's the only thing capable of severing its connection to this world. But it must be wielded at the heart of the mansion's ruins."
I took the dagger, its weight cold and foreign in my hand. "And what happens if we fail?"
Celeste's expression darkened. "If you fail, Eren's power will grow unchecked. And the rift's influence will spread, consuming everything in its path."
A heavy silence fell over us, the weight of her words pressing down like a physical force.
Axel broke the silence, his voice steady. "Then we don't fail."
__
The journey back to the Blackwood mansion felt like stepping into a nightmare I thought I'd escaped. The forest seemed darker, the air colder, as if the land itself knew what awaited us.
When we reached the clearing, my heart sank. The ruins of the mansion were still there, but they were different now—distorted, warped, as if the rift had left its mark. The ground was scorched, the remnants of the walls twisted and jagged.
And standing amidst the ruins was Eren.
He was no longer the man I remembered. His form was taller, more imposing, his features sharper and inhuman. His eyes burned with an unnatural light, and dark veins pulsed beneath his skin.
"Sarah," he said, his voice like a hiss. "You came back to me."
Axel stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body. "Stay away from her," he growled.
Eren's gaze flicked to Axel, a cruel smile curling his lips. "Ah, the loyal knight," he sneered. "Always protecting her. Tell me Sarah, Does he know the parts of you that you hide even from yourself?"
I stepped out from behind Axel, my grip tightening on the dagger. "This isn't you, Eren," I said, my voice shaking but firm. "You're not the man I married. You're a shadow, a monster twisted by the rift."
His smile faltered, his expression flickering with something almost human. But it was gone as quickly as it came. "Perhaps," he said. "But you're wrong about one thing. I'm not a shadow. I'm what you made me."
His words cut deep, but I didn't let them break me. I raised the dagger, its blade catching the faint light of the moon. "This ends now."
Eren's laugh echoed through the ruins, low and menacing. "Do you really think you can stop me? You don't even understand what I've become."
"We'll see about that," Axel said, stepping beside me.