The morning came too quickly. Pale sunlight filtered through the trees, but it did little to chase away the chill in the air. Ryn stood at the edge of the camp, adjusting the straps of his pack while the Spirit Fox stretched nearby, its glowing fur casting faint patterns on the ground.
Behind him, the tamers were preparing for the journey. Bryn sharpened his sword with methodical precision, Mira checked the tension of her bowstring, and Jek twirled one of his daggers between his fingers, his expression unreadable.
"Ready?" Mira asked, slinging her bow over her shoulder.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Ryn said, his voice steadier than he felt.
The Spirit Fox chirped softly, pressing against his leg as if to offer reassurance.
"Good," Bryn said, standing. He rested his sword on his shoulder and nodded toward the southern trail. "The rift's about an hour's walk from here. Stay sharp. The closer we get, the worse it'll be."
Ryn frowned. "Worse how?"
"You'll see," Jek said with a smirk, though there was no humor in his voice.
Mira sighed, shooting Jek a warning look. "The corruption gets stronger near the rift," she explained. "The air feels heavier, the beasts are more aggressive, and sometimes... you hear things."
"Hear things?" Ryn asked, his stomach twisting.
Mira hesitated, her gaze flicking toward Bryn.
"Voices," Bryn said bluntly. "Whispers, screams, stuff that gets inside your head. The rift messes with your mind. If you're not careful, it can break you."
Ryn swallowed hard, glancing at the Spirit Fox. The bond pulsed faintly, a steady rhythm that helped calm his racing thoughts.
"Great," he muttered. "Sounds like a fun trip."
Mira gave him a faint smile. "Stay close, and don't wander off. The corruption can get to you faster than you think."
Ryn nodded, gripping the hilt of his knife tightly. "Let's get this over with."
The journey south was tense. The forest seemed darker here, the trees gnarled and twisted as though they were trying to pull themselves free from the ground. The air was thick and damp, carrying a faint metallic tang that made Ryn's skin crawl.
The tamers moved in near silence, their eyes scanning the shadows for any signs of movement. Ryn stayed close to the Spirit Fox, his heart pounding as he tried to ignore the oppressive feeling pressing down on his chest.
"Feel that?" Jek asked, his voice low.
Ryn nodded. "It's like the air's... alive."
"It's the corruption," Mira said quietly. "It warps everything—the land, the beasts, even the air itself. The closer we get, the stronger it'll feel."
Bryn grunted, his gaze fixed on the trail ahead. "Don't let it get to you. Focus on the mission. We find the rift, figure out what's guarding it, and get out."
"Easier said than done," Ryn muttered under his breath.
The Spirit Fox chirped softly, its glowing eyes sharp as it sniffed at the ground.
They came to a halt at the edge of a clearing, the trees giving way to a rocky expanse littered with cracks and jagged outcroppings. The air here was heavier, colder, and the faint hum of energy seemed to vibrate through the ground.
Ryn stepped forward cautiously, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. The cracks in the earth pulsed faintly with green light, and patches of blackened vegetation clung to the rocks like a disease.
"This is it," Bryn said, his voice low. "The rift's just ahead."
Ryn's gaze shifted to the center of the clearing, where a jagged tear in the air shimmered faintly. The rift wasn't large—no more than a few feet across—but the energy radiating from it was suffocating.
The Spirit Fox growled softly, its fur bristling as it crouched low.
"What's it doing?" Ryn asked, glancing at the fox.
"Corrupted energy," Mira said. "It's reacting to it. Most beasts can't get near a rift without going crazy."
Ryn knelt beside the fox, placing a hand on its back. The bond pulsed sharply, a flicker of unease rippling through him.
"It's okay," he said softly. "We'll figure this out."
The fox chirped weakly, its glowing tail swishing.
"Stay sharp," Bryn said, his sword at the ready. "There's always something guarding a rift. We need to figure out what it is before it finds us."
The group moved carefully into the clearing, their weapons drawn and their eyes scanning the shadows. The air grew colder with every step, and Ryn could feel the weight of the rift pressing down on him like a physical force.
And then he heard it.
A faint whisper, just at the edge of his hearing.
Ryn froze, his heart pounding. "Did you hear that?"
Mira nodded, her face pale. "The whispers. Ignore them. They're just... noise."
The whispers grew louder, more insistent, swirling around Ryn like a chorus of voices.
"You don't belong here..."
"Turn back..."
"You'll die here..."
Ryn clenched his fists, forcing himself to focus. The bond pulsed again, the Spirit Fox's presence grounding him.
"Stay close," he muttered to the fox.
The whispers suddenly stopped, replaced by a deep, guttural growl that seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"Here we go," Bryn said grimly, his sword gleaming as he raised it.
The ground trembled, and a massive shadow emerged from the darkness near the rift. The creature was unlike anything Ryn had seen before—a towering, twisted mass of sinew and bone, its limbs elongated and jagged. Its eyes burned with green light, and its maw was lined with rows of serrated teeth.
"A Rift Guardian," Mira said, her voice trembling.
The beast let out a deafening roar, its corrupted energy washing over the clearing like a wave.
Ryn tightened his grip on his knife, his eyes locked on the creature.
"Ready?" Bryn called, his voice barely audible over the roar.
Ryn glanced at the Spirit Fox, its glowing fur flaring brightly as it crouched, ready to strike.
"Let's do this," Ryn said, his voice steady.
The Rift Guardian lunged, and the battle began.