The Beast loomed before them, its massive claws dripping with an eerie, black substance. It was an abomination—both the physical manifestation of the rift's corruption and a twisted creation of malevolent power. Its eyes were pools of pure darkness, voids that sucked the light from the air, making it feel as though the world itself had been swallowed by the creature's presence.
Reazeal's heart hammered in his chest, but his mind was clear. The choice before him was undeniable—fight or die. He couldn't afford hesitation, not now, not when everything was at stake. The Beast before them was a product of the rift, a reflection of its influence on this world. If they failed to stop it, there would be no turning back. The rift would consume everything.
"Lara, cover me!" Reazeal barked, not waiting for a response. He could feel the weight of the Beast's gaze as it tracked his every move. With a grunt of effort, he charged forward, his sword raised high. The creature's massive tail lashed out, its whip-like power cutting through the air with an almost deafening crack.
Reazeal barely managed to sidestep, the force of the tail's passage sending a tremor through the ground that almost threw him off balance. The Beast didn't relent; it swung its claws, slashing at the air in a violent arc. Reazeal ducked under the swipe and rolled, narrowly escaping a fatal blow.
Lara's magic flared around her, a shield of radiant light forming in the air before her as she cast her spell, sending bolts of energy toward the Beast. The creature roared in fury, its hide crackling with the impact of the light magic. But the Beast was unfazed, its obsidian skin absorbing the magic, its form barely faltering.
"Damn it," Lara muttered, her brow furrowed in concentration. "It's not enough. We need to hit it harder."
Reazeal's eyes flicked to the Beast's exposed underbelly, its scales thinner there, but still formidable. He knew that the only way they were going to stand a chance was if they struck with everything they had. But the question remained: how?
With a deep breath, Reazeal focused on the power inside him, the surge of mana that had been growing ever since his encounter with Jackeal's fall. It was a raw, untamed energy, one that spoke of destruction, of power unchained. The rift's influence had begun to alter him, just as it had Jackeal. The temptation to give in to it, to let it consume him completely, flickered in the back of his mind. But Reazeal knew better. He had to control it. He had to use it as a weapon, not a weakness.
"Lara, hold it off!" he shouted, his voice steady but urgent.
Lara didn't hesitate, sending another burst of energy toward the Beast, forcing it to stagger back. But the creature was relentless. With a roar, it lunged toward Reazeal, its claws aiming for his chest.
Reazeal leapt into the air, his body propelled by a surge of raw power that burst from him in an eruption of energy. The world around him seemed to blur, his vision sharp and focused as the mana coursed through his veins. For the briefest moment, he felt untouchable, as if he had become one with the rift itself.
He swung his sword downward with all the force he could muster, the blade singing as it cleaved through the air. The Beast's claws grazed his side, leaving a deep gouge in his armor, but Reazeal's strike landed true.
With a sickening crack, the blade sliced through the Beast's underbelly, the black scales shattering under the pressure. The creature shrieked in agony, its massive form lurching backward as blood—black and viscous—spilled from the wound. Reazeal didn't hesitate. He pressed the attack, his sword coming down again and again, each strike fueled by a mix of desperation and fury.
Lara, sensing the opening, cast a devastating spell, the light magic coalescing into a spear of pure energy that she hurled toward the Beast's heart. The spear pierced its chest with a sound like cracking stone, and the Beast let out a final, guttural roar as its massive form crumpled to the ground.
For a moment, the chamber fell silent. The rift's pull on the air seemed to ease, and the oppressive weight that had been pressing down on them lifted, just slightly. Reazeal stood panting, his body shaking with the effort. His side was bleeding, the wound deep, but he barely noticed it. The adrenaline was still coursing through his system, driving him forward.
Lara ran to his side, her expression one of concern. "Reazeal, you're hurt," she said, her voice tight with worry.
"I'll be fine," he muttered, though he didn't feel fine. The wound was deep, but it wasn't life-threatening. Not yet. They had more pressing matters to attend to.
They both turned toward the center of the chamber, where the rift still pulsed with malevolent energy. Jackeal's form, hovering in the center, was now even more distorted. His body had become a vessel for the rift's power, his form flickering between reality and something far worse. His once human features were now twisted and alien, as if he was being remade in the image of something far older, far darker.
"Jackeal!" Reazeal shouted, his voice filled with both anguish and determination. "Snap out of it! We're not going to lose you to this!"
For a moment, Jackeal's form wavered. His eyes—those same eyes Reazeal had once known—glimmered with something, a spark of recognition, of humanity. But it was fleeting. The rift's hold on him was far too strong. His body trembled violently, and a dark, ethereal voice echoed from within him, one that was not his own.
"You cannot save him," the voice boomed, shaking the chamber. "The rift is his now, as it will be yours. You are all bound to it."
Reazeal's heart clenched, the words piercing him like a blade. But he refused to let it break him. Not now. Not when they were so close.
"Jackeal!" he cried, his voice rising in desperation. "This isn't you! Fight it! Please!"
But the rift's grip tightened. Jackeal's body jerked, and in that moment, Reazeal knew. There would be no saving him. Not now.
Jackeal's form twisted in an agonizing spasm, his mouth opening wide as he let out an earth-shattering scream. The sound was raw and primal, and Reazeal's blood ran cold as the rift exploded outward, its energy surging through the chamber in a violent wave.
"Get down!" Lara shouted, pulling Reazeal to the ground as the shockwave from the rift tore through the room. The walls cracked and crumbled, and the floor split open beneath them.
As the dust settled, Reazeal felt the ground beneath him shift, and for the briefest moment, he thought he saw Jackeal's form one last time—his eyes, filled with pain and sorrow, staring back at him.
Then, in an instant, he was gone.
End of the chapter.