The woman's words echoed in Kael's mind, swirling around him like a storm that refused to subside. He had been through hell — through countless deaths, endless regressions, and unimaginable horrors. And yet, despite everything, the one thing that had always held him together was the singular goal of survival. But now, standing before this woman, that goal was no longer enough.
The choice she had laid before him was too much to ignore. It wasn't just a choice about whether or not to fight the rift. It wasn't just about protecting the world or ending the beasts. It was about something much darker.
Kael Darnis was no hero. He had never been. He had been a hunter, a killer, someone who was only ever concerned with the next fight, the next kill. But now, for the first time in his life, he was being asked to choose something greater, something that could shift the very fabric of the world.
And as much as he hated to admit it, something in him burned for that choice.
"I'm done," Kael finally said, his voice quiet but laced with an unmistakable finality. His eyes, once filled with anger and determination, now carried a cold resolve. The air around them seemed to shift with his words, as if the world itself were holding its breath.
The woman's eyes widened slightly, but she did not speak. She merely watched him, as if waiting for him to come to the realization that had been seeded in his mind. Kael took a step back, his gaze still locked on hers, but his mind was elsewhere.
He could feel it now, the magic that pulsed inside him, that twisted, almost ancient force that had been growing with each death, each regression. It wasn't just a weapon — it was his birthright.
"I can't keep fighting this," Kael said, more to himself than to her. "I can't keep going back, over and over, watching everything burn just to start again. I'm not going to fight fate anymore."
The woman's lips curled into a knowing smile, but there was no triumph in her expression. Only understanding. "You're choosing the path of destruction, Kael. You're letting the rift continue."
Kael looked at her sharply, his voice laced with a raw, bitter honesty. "I've watched the world die. I've seen the destruction. But I've also seen what it does to people. The rift isn't just tearing this world apart — it's giving people a chance to break free from a cycle that's been holding them prisoner. What if… what if it's not meant to be stopped?"
The woman stepped closer, her presence almost overwhelming. "What you're saying is that you're willing to let everything burn, to let it all unravel. Because you think it will give you freedom?"
Kael nodded. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just tired of being stuck in a loop where nothing changes. I can't save this world. I can't fix it. But maybe… maybe I can let it become something new."
The woman's eyes searched his face for a moment, as if weighing his words, as if she understood the burden that had been placed on him. And then, without another word, she stepped back, giving him space. She didn't need to convince him anymore. She had already done her part.
Kael felt it — the magic that had been seeping into his veins for years, the power that had once been a burden, now surged within him. It was no longer something to fight. It was a part of him. He didn't need to fight it anymore. He could feel it pushing him toward a destiny he couldn't outrun, one where the rift would continue.
For a brief moment, he closed his eyes, letting the magic wash over him, his mind reaching out to the rift. It pulsed in response, as if recognizing him, welcoming him. Kael felt it — the raw, untamed power of the rift, the world that could be born from it, a world without the shackles of fate.
"Let it burn," Kael whispered to himself.
And the world, as if obeying his command, began to shift.
The rift had always been a constant presence in Kael's life, a tearing at the seams of reality itself. But now, as Kael stood at its precipice, he felt something different. It wasn't the destructive force he had once feared. It wasn't the end of all things. No, this time, it felt like the beginning.
He could hear the roar of the beasts, the growl of the monsters from beyond, but they no longer filled him with dread. They were not his enemy. They were part of this new world he was choosing.
The woman stood beside him, her face unreadable, but her eyes held a glimmer of something else — a recognition of what he had just done.
"You've made your choice," she said, her voice low, but filled with a strange reverence.
Kael didn't respond. He didn't need to. He could feel it in his bones, in the air around them. The rift was no longer something to fear. It was a tool. A way to reshape everything.
His sword, still in his hand, felt lighter now. The weight of the world, the burden of the cycle, was gone. He could see the paths that lay ahead — paths filled with chaos, destruction, and endless possibilities. But for the first time in years, Kael felt a sense of freedom.
The rift was a curse, yes. But it was also a chance. A chance to rewrite the world in his image, a chance to break free from the endless cycle of pain and loss. He had been sent back countless times, only to watch everything fall apart. But now? Now, he could make it different. He could let it all burn and rise from the ashes.
And so, as the first of the rift beasts emerged from the tearing sky, Kael felt no fear. Instead, he embraced it. The magic surged within him, and the world around him began to shift.
The rift was not an enemy. It was a gateway. And Kael Darnis was its master.
He turned away from the woman, his eyes now filled with a new resolve.
"Let the rift continue," Kael muttered under his breath, as the world around him twisted and warped, ready to be reborn in the fire he had chosen to set.
The cycle would not end. It would never end.
But maybe, just maybe, this time, it would be different.