Axel's POV
The mansion had risen anew, but it wasn't the home I remembered. No, this was a monstrosity born of the rift. A grotesque blend of stone, shadow, and malevolence. Its windows glowed an ominous red, and the air around it pulsed with a suffocating energy.
Sarah stood beside me, her face pale as she stared at the mansion infront of us. The dagger gleamed faintly in her hand, the weapon feeling like our only anchor in this nightmare. Eren stood before the mansion's gates, his form twisted and monstrous, his burning eyes locked on Sarah with an intensity that made my blood boil.
"You can't stop it," Eren said, his voice echoing with a resonance that seemed to come from everywhere at once. "The mansion lives again, and with it, I am reborn. The rift's power flows through me, through these walls, and through her."
Sarah flinched at the last word, but she didn't waver. "This isn't power, Eren. This is corruption," she said, her voice steady. "You've become nothing but a puppet to the darkness you once tried to control."
"A puppet?" Eren repeated, his lips curling into a mocking smile. "No, Sarah. I am its master. And soon, you will be too."
I stepped forward, placing myself between him and Sarah. "Not happening," I growled. "You want her? You'll have to go through me first."
Eren's laugh was low and cruel. "Do you hear yourself, Axel? Always the protector, always so desperate to matter. But you can't protect her from me. Not now. Not ever."
"Try me," I said, my voice cold as steel.
Eren moved first, faster than I anticipated. In the blink of an eye, he was on me, his clawed hand slamming into my chest and sending me flying backward. The impact knocked the wind out of me, but I managed to roll to my feet just as Sarah lunged with the dagger.
The blade struck true, embedding itself in Eren's side. He howled, the sound unearthly and enraged, as black ichor oozed from the wound. The light from the dagger flared, and for a moment, I thought we had him.
But Eren didn't fall.
Instead, he lashed out with a backhanded swipe that sent Sarah sprawling. "You think this changes anything?" he roared, yanking the dagger from his side and tossing it aside. "You can wound me, but you cannot defeat me. Not while the mansion stands!"
I scrambled to Sarah's side, helping her to her feet. She winced but waved me off, her eyes already scanning the ground for the dagger. "He's tied to the mansion," she said breathlessly. "We destroy it, we destroy him."
"And how do we do that?" I asked, my voice tight. "It's not exactly flammable."
Sarah's gaze hardened as she spotted the dagger lying a few feet away. "We'll figure it out. But we have to get inside first."
The idea of stepping into that monstrosity made my stomach churn, but I knew she was right. Eren wasn't just guarding the mansion—he was drawing power from it, and as long as it stood, he was unstoppable.
I grabbed the dagger and handed it back to her. "Let's end this."
We moved together, keeping our eyes on Eren as we advanced. He watched us with a mixture of fury and amusement, his wounds already beginning to close. "Do you really think you can outmatch me in my own domain?" he sneered. "This place is alive, bound to me. You step inside, and it will devour you whole."
"Then we'll take our chances," I shot back.
Eren's laughter echoed as we darted past him toward the mansion's entrance. The doors creaked open as we approached, as though inviting us in, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. The darkness beyond was thick and impenetrable, the air vibrating with an eerie hum.
"Axel," Sarah said, her voice low but firm.
I glanced at her. Her eyes were locked on the doorway, her grip tight on the dagger. She didn't look scared—not anymore. She looked ready.
"Whatever happens," she said, "we don't stop. We keep moving. We find the heart of this place and destroy it. No matter what."
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "No matter what."
We stepped through the threshold, and the world changed.
The air grew heavier, the walls seeming to close in around us as the mansion came alive. The floors creaked under our weight, the shadows shifting as if they had minds of their own. I could feel the rift's power pulsing through every stone, every beam of wood, as though the mansion itself was breathing.
And then the whispers started.
Low and insidious, they crept into my ears, filling my mind with doubts and fears I thought I'd buried long ago. You're not enough. You'll never save her. You'll fail, just like you always do.
I shook my head, trying to drown them out. "Sarah," I said, my voice trembling. "Do you hear that?"
She nodded, her face pale but resolute. "Don't listen to it. It's trying to break us."
A growl echoed through the halls, deep and guttural, and the walls themselves seemed to ripple. Eren's voice followed, taunting "Welcome home, my love."
The floor beneath us began to tremble, and I grabbed Sarah's arm to steady her. Ahead, the hallway twisted and shifted, the path to the mansion's heart obscured by the mansion's living walls.
"This way," Sarah said, her voice cutting through the chaos as she pointed toward a narrow staircase.
"How do you know?" I asked.
She glanced at me, her expression grim. "I can feel it."
I didn't question her. We ran toward the stairs, the shadows closing in behind us.