The swirling energy of the portal engulfed Ravok and Lara as they stepped through, their bodies suspended in the chaos of the Void's transition. The sensation was unlike anything mortal or divine—it wasn't pain, but the overwhelming feeling of being unmade and reformed simultaneously. When the pressure finally lifted, they found themselves standing on a floating platform suspended in an endless, starless void.
All around them were fragments of broken worlds—shattered temples, jagged cliffs, and remnants of civilizations long consumed by the Void. The air was dense, laden with energy that buzzed against their skin, making every breath feel heavier.
"This is worse than the last place," Lara muttered, her daggers already drawn. She eyed the floating debris warily. "What is this, some kind of graveyard?"
"A boundary realm," Ravok said, his crimson eyes scanning the expanse. "A liminal space between dimensions. It's not supposed to exist—yet here it is."
"Great," Lara said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And what are the odds it's friendly?"
Ravok smirked faintly. "The Void isn't friendly. It's efficient."
---
The Boundary Realm
As they moved across the unstable platform, faint echoes began to surround them—fragments of voices, screams, and whispers. The sound wasn't coming from any single direction but seemed to seep out of the broken fragments floating around them.
"Those voices," Lara said, her tone cautious. "They're not random."
"They're remnants," Ravok replied, his voice low. "Pieces of those who tried to conquer the Void and failed. This place is a scar, a reminder of the cost of power."
The platform groaned under their weight, cracks spreading across its surface. The shifting debris around them began to drift closer, as though drawn to their presence.
"We're not alone," Ravok said, his expression sharp.
Before Lara could respond, the shadows around them began to coalesce. Humanoid figures emerged from the darkness, their forms twisted and incomplete. Their eyes glowed faintly with malice, and their movements were unnaturally fluid, like echoes of something once alive.
---
The Forgotten
One of the figures stepped forward, its form flickering as it spoke. "Void Sovereign," it rasped, its voice layered with echoes of despair. "You are unworthy."
Lara tightened her grip on her daggers. "You know, for echoes, they're awfully opinionated."
"They're the Forgotten," Ravok said, his tone steady. "Fragments of those who tried to claim the Void's power but were consumed by it instead."
"And now they want to drag us down with them?" Lara asked, stepping into a defensive stance.
Ravok's smirk returned, his voice cold. "They can try."
The Forgotten lunged without warning, their distorted forms moving faster than expected. Ravok raised his hand, and tendrils of Void energy erupted around him, intercepting the first wave of attackers. Lara darted forward, her daggers flashing as she cut through one of the figures, its form collapsing into flickering shards of light.
"They reform quickly," Lara shouted, leaping back as the same figure reassembled itself.
"They're bound to this place," Ravok replied, his movements precise as he slashed through another Forgotten. "Destroying them completely requires breaking their tether."
---
Uncovering the Tether
The battle raged across the platform, the Forgotten attacking in relentless waves. Ravok and Lara fought side by side, their strikes coordinated as they pushed back the advancing shadows. Despite their efforts, the Forgotten showed no signs of slowing.
Ravok's eyes narrowed as he glanced toward a large fragment floating nearby—a broken temple, its shattered pillars glowing faintly with residual energy. "That's the source."
"What?" Lara asked, parrying an attack from a flickering shadow.
"The tether," Ravok said, gesturing toward the temple. "They're anchored to that fragment. We destroy it, and they fall."
"Fine," Lara said, slashing through another Forgotten. "But if this goes wrong, I'm blaming you."
Ravok smirked faintly. "You'll be alive to complain."
---
The Ruined Temple
The two leapt from the crumbling platform to the fragment of the temple, landing amidst the rubble. The moment they touched down, the air grew heavier, and the glowing runes on the altar at the temple's center flared to life.
The Forgotten reacted immediately, their movements growing more frenzied as they surged toward the temple. Ravok stepped forward, his Void energy coiling around him like a living shield. "Hold them off."
"Why is it always me?" Lara muttered, her daggers flashing as she intercepted the first wave of attackers.
Ravok approached the altar, his crimson eyes scanning the runes. They writhed and shifted like living things, resisting his attempts to read them. He placed his hand against the altar, and the Void energy within him surged in response.
The altar resisted, its glow intensifying as it pushed back against his power. Ravok gritted his teeth, his focus unyielding. "It's bound to the essence of the Forgotten. Breaking it will sever their hold."
"And what happens to us when you do that?" Lara asked, narrowly avoiding a tendril that lashed out at her.
"We'll find out," Ravok replied, his voice steady.
---
Breaking the Tether
The runes on the altar pulsed violently, sending waves of energy through the temple. The Forgotten howled, their forms flickering as the connection to their tether began to weaken. Ravok channeled more Void energy into the altar, his control precise and unwavering.
The altar cracked, its glow dimming as the runes began to fragment. The Forgotten surged toward Ravok, their desperation palpable, but Lara intercepted them, her strikes faster and more lethal than ever.
"Any time now!" Lara shouted, cutting down another shadow.
Ravok's eyes narrowed as he unleashed a final surge of energy. The altar shattered, releasing a wave of force that sent the Forgotten howling into oblivion. Their forms dissolved into fragments of light before vanishing completely.
The silence that followed was absolute.
---
The Path Forward
As the remnants of the altar faded, a new path began to form—a glowing bridge that extended into the endless expanse. Ravok turned to Lara, his expression calm but resolute.
"The tether is broken. This realm no longer holds us."
Lara lowered her daggers, her breathing heavy. "And what's next? Another death trap?"
"Possibly," Ravok replied, stepping onto the bridge. "But the Void has plans for us. The convergence is waiting."
Lara hesitated for a moment before following, her gaze lingering on the shattered fragments of the temple. "Let's just hope it's ready for us."
The bridge pulsed with energy as they advanced, the broken expanse fading behind them. Ahead lay the convergence, the unknown, and the next step in Ravok's rise.