The wind howled, tearing through the crumbling city as Reazeal stood at the edge of the ravaged battlefield. His breath was shallow, his chest burning with exhaustion, but his heart hammered with a relentless fury. The battle with Jackeal had taken more out of him than he expected. He could feel the weight of the rift within him, still pulsing like a living thing, its hunger never fully sated. His mind was clouded, the constant struggle to keep control wearing on him. He had always known the rift would be dangerous, but now, it felt like a ticking time bomb—one that threatened not only his life but the very world around him.
His eyes scanned the destruction that lay before him. The remnants of an ancient structure, now reduced to rubble, scattered across the battlefield like forgotten memories. The air was thick with the scent of blood and ash, and the faint groans of the fallen echoed in the distance.
He wasn't alone.
Reazeal turned sharply, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword as a shadow loomed in front of him. But it wasn't Jackeal this time. The figure that approached was clad in armor, the edges of their dark cloak flickering like smoke in the wind. Their face was hidden beneath a helm, but the aura surrounding them was unmistakable.
"You've come," Reazeal said, his voice hoarse but steady. "I wasn't sure you would."
The figure came to a halt just a few feet away, their posture rigid and commanding. "The times we live in demand action," the voice rasped, a low, gravelly tone that betrayed years of hardship. "And I've chosen my side."
Reazeal's eyes narrowed. He knew this person—knew them well—but the presence they exuded now was far more unsettling than the person he had once known.
"Lara," he breathed, his voice thick with disbelief. "You're with them now?"
Lara's helmeted head tilted slightly, and there was something in the way she moved, a subtle shift in her stance, that made Reazeal's stomach tighten. "The world is changing, Reazeal," she said, her tone cold but not unkind. "You know that as well as I do. The rift, the Beasts… there's no room for neutrality anymore. We must choose."
"But this?" Reazeal's hand clenched at his side. "Aligning with the enemy? This isn't the way. You know that."
Lara took a slow step forward, her presence looming in the silence between them. "I've seen what your path will lead to," she said softly. "The power you seek is dangerous, Reazeal. It will consume you, just as it consumed Jackeal."
He flinched, the mention of his brother's name like a physical blow. "Jackeal doesn't have to be this way. He's lost, yes, but I won't abandon him. I won't give up on him."
"Your brother," Lara said, her voice hardening, "has already chosen his path. You're both walking toward the same end, whether you realize it or not."
Reazeal's heart hammered, but he fought to steady himself. "I'm not like Jackeal. I'm in control of my choices."
Lara's gaze softened, and for a brief moment, Reazeal saw the person she used to be—the one who had fought beside him, who had trusted him. But that look quickly faded, replaced by the cold resolve he had grown to fear.
"The path you walk is one of power, Reazeal," Lara said. "But power demands sacrifice. Can you truly keep control, knowing what it might cost?"
His mind raced, the words sinking into him like daggers. The rift pulsed, louder now, its voice an insistent, insidious whisper. Give in. It urged. Embrace the full extent of your power. Take control.
Reazeal shook his head, trying to push the thoughts aside. He couldn't listen to it. Not now. Not when everything was at stake.
"You're wrong, Lara," he said, his voice low but resolute. "I'm not going to lose myself."
"You already have," she said simply.
Before he could respond, the ground trembled beneath their feet. A low rumble echoed through the air, and a terrifying roar split the sky. Something dark and monstrous was approaching, its presence so palpable it seemed to warp the very air around them.
Lara didn't hesitate. She drew her sword with a swift, practiced motion, its blade gleaming coldly in the dim light. "Whatever you think you're doing, Reazeal, you won't stop what's coming. The Beasts are here, and they're more than just mindless creatures. They're an army. An army with purpose."
Reazeal's hand instinctively moved to his own weapon, but his gaze was fixed on the horizon, where the shadows of monstrous forms loomed.
"I don't have time for this, Lara," he said, his voice filled with a mixture of frustration and resolve. "I'll deal with you later. But right now, we need to stop them. All of them."
Lara nodded, her face a mask of determination. "Then let's finish this. Together, if we must."
As the two prepared to face the oncoming storm, the first of the Beasts emerged from the darkness. Massive, hulking creatures, their bodies twisting and writhing like corrupted giants. Their eyes glowed with an eerie, unnatural light, and their roars reverberated through the very fabric of reality.
Reazeal gritted his teeth. He could feel the rift surging within him, as if the very beasts themselves were feeding the hunger inside him. But he couldn't let it take over. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.
With a single motion, he charged toward the first Beast, his sword crackling with energy. Lara followed close behind, her movements swift and precise as she cut down the smaller creatures that dared to approach. But as the battle raged on, Reazeal couldn't shake the feeling that something else—something even more dangerous—was lurking in the shadows, waiting to make its move.
End of the chapter