Part 1: Refuge in Ruin
Kael's blade sliced through the Riftspawn's crystalline carapace, sending shards flying as the creature collapsed into the dirt. He spun, shielding Liora with his body as another beast lunged from the shadows. Its serrated claws grazed his shoulder, but Kael countered with a vicious strike, cleaving it in two.
"Liora, now would be a good time to figure this out!" Kael shouted, his voice strained as he battled another monster.
"I'm trying!" Liora crouched beside the Rift Gate, frantically tracing the glowing symbols etched into its surface. The shard in her hand pulsed erratically, resonating with the gate's energy.
The ground trembled again, and Kael realized the Rift Gate wasn't just active—it was accelerating, pulling energy from the surrounding wasteland. More creatures emerged, their forms increasingly grotesque and unstable.
"Liora!"
"I think I can disrupt it!" she yelled back, gripping the shard tightly. Its glow intensified, casting a blinding light across the battlefield.
Kael barely had time to react before the light exploded outward, enveloping the gate. The Riftspawn screamed as they disintegrated, their forms dissolving into ash. When the light faded, the Rift Gate stood silent and lifeless, its glow extinguished.
Liora stumbled back, her breathing ragged. "I... I think I did it."
Kael sheathed his sword, his expression grim. "For now. But we need to move. That light show probably alerted every Riftspawn on the planet."
They made their way back to Astraea's stronghold, the oppressive silence of the wasteland giving way to the faint hum of the colony's defenses. The sight of the walls brought a fleeting sense of relief, but it was short-lived.
Inside the stronghold, the tension was palpable. Survivors huddled in clusters, their faces etched with fear. Astraea stood near the gates, her spear in hand, barking orders to her warriors. She turned sharply when she saw Kael and Liora.
"You're alive," she said, her voice flat with surprise. "What did you find?"
"A Rift Gate," Liora replied, holding up the shard. "And I shut it down."
Astraea's expression darkened. "If you shut it down, why are the Riftspawn still swarming?"
Kael frowned. "What do you mean?"
Before Astraea could respond, a deafening roar echoed across the stronghold. The gates shuddered as something massive slammed against them, and the survivors screamed.
"They've found us," Astraea said grimly, gripping her spear. "And they're not stopping this time."
---
Part 2: Secrets Revealed
The stronghold's walls groaned under the weight of the assault. Kael stood on the battlements, his sword ready, as the first wave of Riftspawn surged forward.
"These things don't give up," he muttered, slicing through a smaller creature that leaped toward him.
Beside him, Astraea fought with the precision of someone who had done this countless times before. "They're getting smarter. More organized."
Kael glanced down at the swarm below. She was right. The creatures weren't just attacking at random—they were focusing their efforts on weak points in the defenses, working together in a way that was disturbingly deliberate.
Behind them, Liora and Finnis were huddled over a table in the command chamber. Finnis, a wiry scavenger with darting eyes, pointed to a section of the map.
"That's where it all started," he said, his voice low. "The first Rift Gate. The one I helped build."
Liora's eyes narrowed. "You worked for the Rift Herald?"
Finnis flinched but nodded. "Didn't know what he was then. Thought he was just another madman with too much power. By the time I realized the truth, it was too late."
"What truth?"
Finnis hesitated, his hands trembling. "The Rift Gates weren't just meant to open portals. They're conduits. They feed on the energy of whatever they destroy... and send it somewhere else."
Liora's breath caught. "Where?"
"Back to him," Finnis said. "The Rift Herald."
---
Part 3: A Monster Within
The room fell silent, but the sounds of battle outside grew louder.
Kael burst into the chamber, his armor streaked with blood. "We've got a problem. Astraea thinks the walls won't hold."
Liora turned to him, her expression grim. "The Rift Gates are feeding the Herald. Every monster we kill is just fueling his power."
Kael's jaw tightened. "Then we stop killing."
Finnis snorted. "You can't exactly reason with a Riftspawn."
Kael's retort was cut short by a scream from outside. He rushed to the door, Liora close behind.
In the courtyard, one of the survivors had collapsed, his body convulsing. His skin began to crack, glowing fissures spreading across his frame. He let out a guttural cry as his form twisted, his limbs elongating into jagged claws.
Kael drew his sword, but Astraea stepped in front of him. "Wait!"
"There's no saving him," Kael said, his grip tightening.
"You think I don't know that?" Astraea snapped. "But if he's turning... it means the corruption is spreading faster than we thought."
The transformed survivor let out a monstrous roar and lunged. Kael's blade met its mark, but the creature's strength sent him staggering. It took three of Astraea's warriors to bring it down.
Kael stared at the lifeless form, his stomach churning. "It's not just the Riftspawn anymore."
Liora knelt beside the body, her fingers brushing the glowing cracks. "The energy... it's changing them. Turning them into Riftspawn."
Finnis stepped closer, his face pale. "This planet's been dying for years. The Herald's just speeding up the process."
---
Part 4: Defending the Stronghold
The gates finally gave way, and the full force of the Riftspawn poured into the stronghold. Kael fought alongside Astraea and her warriors, his sword cutting through wave after wave of creatures.
Liora stayed in the command chamber, the shard glowing brighter as she channeled its energy into a makeshift barrier around the survivors.
"I can't hold this forever!" she shouted, sweat streaming down her face.
Kael drove his sword into the ground, creating a momentary barrier of his own. "Do what you can!"
The Riftspawn seemed endless, but Kael noticed something strange. For every creature they killed, the shard in Liora's hands glowed brighter, as if it were absorbing their energy.
"Liora," he called out, slashing through another beast. "What's happening with the shard?"
"I don't know!" she yelled back. "But I think it's... fighting back."
Kael didn't have time to question her further. A massive Riftspawn—a towering beast with crystalline wings—descended into the courtyard, its roar shaking the ground.
The survivors scattered, their courage crumbling in the face of the monster.
Kael stepped forward, his sword raised. "Liora, if you've got a plan, now's the time."