Kael's boots crunched over jagged crystalline debris as he scanned the broken landscape. The air shimmered with faint blue distortions—the unmistakable signature of a rift-tainted world. Ahead, Liora crouched over a heap of rubble, her gloved hands carefully prying apart fragments of a ruined altar.
"This is it," she said, her voice edged with excitement. "The readings are strongest here."
Kael adjusted his grip on his sword, the polished steel catching the dim, fractured light of the floating shards overhead. "I don't like this. The air feels... wrong."
Liora didn't glance back. "It's always wrong. That's why we're here."
Kael sighed, stepping closer to shield her as she worked. His eyes darted to the horizon, where the jagged remains of distant structures loomed like broken teeth against a sickly sky. Every instinct in his body screamed danger.
"What exactly are we looking for this time?" he asked, his tone flat but laced with tension.
"An artifact." Liora's voice softened, as if speaking the words gave them weight. "It's tied to the rift—something ancient, maybe from before the fracture."
Kael frowned. He'd heard her say the same thing on three other worlds, each time leading to chaos. "And this artifact... it won't attract any unwanted attention?"
A rumble beneath their feet answered his question. The ground quaked violently, throwing Liora off balance. Kael grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet just as a section of the altar collapsed, revealing a glowing crystalline shard beneath.
The shard pulsed with an eerie, rhythmic light. Liora's eyes widened. "That's it!"
"Time to move," Kael growled, already raising his sword.
The first Riftspawn emerged from the shadows of a shattered spire—a hulking, serpentine creature with too many limbs and jagged, crystalline growths sprouting from its carapace. Its distorted roar sent a wave of nausea rippling through Kael's chest.
"Get behind me," he ordered.
"No way," Liora shot back, her fingers scrambling to extract the shard from the altar. "We can't leave without this!"
Another Riftspawn emerged, smaller but faster, skittering across the debris with insect-like precision. Kael lunged forward, meeting it head-on. His blade sang as it clashed with the creature's crystalline claws, sparks flying in the dim light.
"Liora!" he shouted, swinging his blade in a wide arc to fend off another attacker. "Hurry!"
"I'm trying!" she snapped, sweat beading on her brow as she pried the artifact free.
The larger Riftspawn charged, its massive form barreling toward Kael. He braced himself, driving his blade deep into its side. The creature let out a guttural howl, thrashing wildly before collapsing in a heap of fractured crystal.
Finally, Liora held the shard aloft, its glow intensifying. "I've got it!"
"Then we're leaving," Kael barked, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward their ship in the distance.
The Riftspawn howled behind them, their numbers growing. Kael glanced over his shoulder, his jaw tightening. They'd stirred something—something dangerous—and it wasn't going to let them leave easily.
"Run faster," he muttered, the weight of his sword heavy in his grip as they sprinted toward the horizon.
The hull of their ship came into view, half-buried in the rubble where they'd landed. Its surface bore the scars of previous battles—jagged scorch marks and dents from their countless encounters with riftspawn. Kael reached the ramp first, slamming a fist on the activation panel.
The ship's engines roared to life, and the loading ramp descended with a hiss of hydraulic steam.
"Go!" Kael barked, shoving Liora up the ramp.
She stumbled but held tight to the shard, its glow casting eerie shadows on the ship's interior. Kael followed, turning to face the swarm of Riftspawn clawing toward them. One of the creatures, faster than the rest, leaped onto the ramp, its crystalline talons slashing inches from Kael's face.
With a single, decisive stroke, Kael severed the creature's head and kicked its limp body into the horde below. He slammed his hand on the ramp control, sealing the ship as it lifted off the ground.
Inside, Liora collapsed onto a bench, clutching the shard like a lifeline. "That was close."
Kael leaned against the wall, breathing hard. "Too close. We can't keep doing this, Liora. One day, we're not going to make it out."
She didn't respond immediately, her eyes locked on the shard. "This is different, Kael. I can feel it. This artifact... it's more than a clue. It's a key."
"A key to what?"
"To understanding the rift." Her voice was soft, almost reverent. "Maybe even to stopping it."
Kael stared at her, his jaw tightening. He wanted to believe her, but the scars on his body—and the fresh ones they'd just earned—were reminders of how dangerous her quest had become.
The ship's navigation system chimed, a monotone voice filling the cabin. "Course plotted to Cerynth. Estimated time to arrival: three hours."
Kael's brow furrowed. "Cerynth? That's where we're going next?"
Liora nodded, still holding the shard. "It's where the readings point. Something's happening there—something big."
Kael didn't like the sound of it. He crossed his arms, watching the faint blue glow of the shard reflected in her eyes.
"Whatever it is," he said finally, "you'd better hope it's worth it."