The world around Reazeal seemed to bend and crack under the weight of the rift's energy. The chamber was now a chaotic maelstrom of swirling darkness, the very air itself thick with power that threatened to suffocate them. The ground trembled beneath his feet, and distant echoes of the Lost Ones' screeches reverberated through the corridors, growing louder with each passing second.
Jackeal stood at the heart of the rift, his body glowing with an unholy light, his face twisted in an expression of both agony and determination. The energy around him hummed, its frequency vibrating in the very marrow of Reazeal's bones. It was as if the rift had taken root in Jackeal's very being, melding his soul with the abyssal force that it commanded.
"Jackeal!" Reazeal shouted, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of sound that filled the chamber. "Fight it! You don't have to do this!"
But Jackeal's eyes—once full of warmth and mischief—were now cold, unrecognizable, as if a shadow had overtaken him. The glow in his pupils was all-consuming, the same eerie hue that pulsed from the rift. The transformation was complete. Jackeal was no longer the person Reazeal had known.
"I can't fight it," Jackeal's voice came, distorted, as though the words were being spoken from the depths of a void. "It's inside me now. It's part of me. And I am part of it."
A wave of despair washed over Reazeal, but he didn't allow it to consume him. Not now. He had too much at stake. Too much to protect. But the sight of his friend, his brother-in-arms, now lost to the very force they had sought to control, gnawed at him.
Lara, ever the stalwart companion, moved to Reazeal's side, her expression a mixture of sadness and determination. "We can't save him, Reazeal," she whispered, her voice soft but firm. "He's too far gone. We have to stop him before it's too late."
Reazeal turned to her, eyes filled with a painful mix of frustration and determination. "I won't give up on him," he said through gritted teeth. "Not when there's still a chance."
But the rift was growing stronger, pulsating with an energy that resonated deep within their chests. It was calling to them, calling to Reazeal, pulling at the very fabric of his being. He could feel it—like a siren's call, offering untold power, tempting him to abandon everything and embrace it.
It would be so easy, Reazeal thought. So easy to let go, to give in to the power that beckoned. He had always been strong, but this… this was something else. The raw power surging through the rift was overwhelming, and for a brief, fleeting moment, Reazeal wondered if this was the only way to defeat Jackeal. To become as powerful as the rift itself.
But as quickly as the thought came, he pushed it aside. He couldn't give in. Not now. Not when everything they had fought for was on the line.
"Reazeal, listen to me," Lara said, her voice urgent. "We need to get out of here. The rift is destabilizing. The longer we stay, the more likely it is we'll be consumed by it too."
But Reazeal didn't move. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Jackeal, who was now surrounded by the swirling maelstrom of darkness, his body rising slightly off the ground, as if the rift itself was lifting him, urging him to ascend.
Suddenly, Jackeal's head snapped in their direction. His eyes locked onto Reazeal's, and for the briefest moment, something flickered behind them—a spark of the Jackeal Reazeal knew. But it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared.
"You should have stayed away," Jackeal's voice echoed, now a chorus of many voices, as though the rift itself spoke through him. "This was never your fight. Now, you will be the ones to pay the price."
The rift's power surged, and with a violent crack, the chamber began to collapse. The walls shook, stones crumbling and falling, the floor splitting beneath their feet. Lara screamed as she barely managed to dodge a falling pillar, her magic flaring to protect herself.
Reazeal's instincts kicked in. He grabbed Lara's arm, pulling her out of the way just as the ground gave way beneath them. The rift's power was now unbearable, the air sizzling with the energy of the unstable tear in reality. They had to get out, but Reazeal couldn't abandon his friend. Not yet.
"We need to fight him!" Reazeal shouted, his voice barely heard over the deafening roar of the rift. "We can't let him—"
Before he could finish, Jackeal's body jerked violently, and a massive burst of dark energy erupted from him, sending shockwaves through the chamber. The ground cracked open, and Reazeal and Lara were thrown to the ground, the force of the blast nearly knocking the wind out of them.
The rift's power was beyond anything Reazeal had ever experienced. It was like the very fabric of the universe itself was unraveling, and the closer they got, the more he felt himself slipping. The temptation to give in grew stronger, but Reazeal held firm. He wouldn't fall into the same trap as Jackeal.
But as he struggled to regain his footing, something caught his eye—a figure emerging from the swirling darkness.
It was the Beast.
A new one. One he hadn't seen before. Its massive form towered over him, its glowing eyes locked on Reazeal with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. This was no ordinary Beast. This was something far worse.
"Lara," Reazeal whispered, his voice shaking. "Get ready."
Without waiting for her response, Reazeal surged forward, his sword drawn. The Beast roared, its massive claws swiping at him with terrifying speed. Reazeal dodged just in time, rolling to the side as Lara unleashed a burst of light magic, aiming for the creature's exposed flank.
But the Beast was quick. It swung around, its massive tail crashing into the ground and sending shockwaves through the chamber. Reazeal's heart pounded in his chest as he barely managed to avoid the strike, but the force sent him stumbling back. He was running out of time. They both were.
"Jackeal!" Reazeal shouted again, his voice breaking. "You have to stop this!"
But Jackeal's only response was a hollow, twisted laugh, his form becoming more and more alien as the rift's power consumed him.
Lara's voice broke through the chaos. "We don't have time for this, Reazeal! The rift's pulling us in. We have to go, now!"
But Reazeal could barely hear her. His focus was entirely on Jackeal, the friend who had stood by his side, now lost to the abyss.
"Stay strong, Reazeal," Lara said softly, her hand on his shoulder. "This isn't the end, but we need to survive. We can't save him if we're dead."
Reazeal nodded slowly, his sword still raised as he prepared to face the Beast. But in the depths of his heart, he knew—this battle was far from over. Jackeal's fall was just the beginning. And the rift's true horrors were only beginning to reveal themselves.