The rift's heart trembled violently, sending cracks rippling through the glasslike ground beneath Ryn's feet. The massive crystal at the center pulsed with unstable energy, its glow growing brighter with each passing moment.
The Spirit Fox stood beside him, its glowing fur blazing with radiant light. The bond between them flared sharply, filling Ryn's mind with a rush of energy that made it hard to think.
The shard that had hovered in the air was now gone, fully absorbed into the crystal. As the rift's energy surged, the oppressive hum in the air became deafening.
"We don't have much time," Ryn said, his voice straining to be heard over the noise.
The Spirit Fox let out a sharp bark, its glowing eyes fixed on the unstable crystal.
Ryn followed its gaze, his stomach twisting. The cracks spreading across the crystal's surface were spilling tendrils of green and black energy into the air, distorting the landscape around them. The once-floating shards of rock were now crashing into one another, raining debris into the void below.
"If that thing collapses," Ryn muttered, "it'll take everything with it."
The fox growled softly, its tail flicking as it stepped forward.
"You're serious about this," Ryn said, his voice laced with both awe and fear. "You really think we can stop it?"
The fox chirped softly, the bond pulsing with quiet determination.
"All right," Ryn said, gripping his knife tightly. "Let's end this."
The ground beneath them shifted as the rift's energy surged again. Ryn stumbled but quickly regained his footing, following the Spirit Fox as it darted toward the crystal.
The closer they got, the heavier the air became. Each step felt like wading through thick mud, and the pressure in Ryn's chest grew almost unbearable.
The Spirit Fox barked sharply, its glowing claws digging into the unstable ground as it pressed forward. The bond flared brightly, and Ryn felt its strength surging through him, pushing him onward.
"We're almost there," Ryn said, his voice strained.
But as they approached the crystal, the air around them rippled, and a familiar voice echoed through the rift.
"You cannot undo what has already begun."
Ryn froze, his fists clenching. "You again."
The voice ignored him, continuing with the same eerie calm.
"The Codex is broken. The balance has shifted. The corruption is the only way forward."
"You keep saying that," Ryn said, stepping forward. "But you haven't proven it."
The crystal flared brightly, and the ground beneath them cracked violently. A massive shape began to emerge from the swirling energy around the crystal—a towering figure composed of green and black light, its jagged limbs crackling with raw power.
The Spirit Fox growled fiercely, its glowing fur flaring as it crouched low.
The voice resonated again, this time directly in Ryn's mind.
"You cannot stop the inevitable. But you... you might survive it."
Ryn gritted his teeth, his heart pounding. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The figure didn't answer. Instead, it let out a deafening roar, the sound reverberating through the collapsing rift as it lunged toward them.
The Spirit Fox blinked forward with Radiant Step, reappearing behind the massive figure as it slashed at its legs. The bond flared sharply, filling Ryn with a surge of energy as he dodged the figure's massive arm, which crashed into the ground where he'd been standing moments before.
The figure's movements were chaotic and erratic, its jagged limbs swinging wildly as it tried to crush Ryn and the fox. Each strike sent shockwaves rippling through the air, further destabilizing the already-collapsing rift.
Ryn darted forward, his knife flashing as he aimed for the figure's glowing core. His blade connected, leaving a faint crack in the figure's energy, but the force of the strike sent him tumbling backward.
"Ryn!"
The voice wasn't in his head this time. It was Mira's.
Ryn turned, his breath catching as he saw Bryn, Mira, and Jek standing at the edge of the chaotic terrain.
"You didn't think we'd let you handle this alone, did you?" Jek called, a smirk on his face despite the chaos around them.
"How did you even get in here?" Ryn shouted.
"Doesn't matter," Bryn said, gripping his sword tightly as he charged forward. "We're here now, so don't screw this up."
Mira loosed an arrow that struck the figure's shoulder, the energy from the impact spreading like cracks across its jagged form.
The Spirit Fox barked sharply, its glowing claws flaring as it leapt onto the figure's back. The bond flared brightly, filling Ryn with another surge of adrenaline as he pushed himself forward.
"Let's finish this," Ryn said, his voice steady.
Together, the group attacked the towering figure, their strikes coordinated and relentless. Bryn's sword carved deep into its limbs, while Mira's arrows targeted its core. Jek darted around its massive form, his daggers flashing as he landed precise, crippling strikes.
The Spirit Fox's movements were faster and sharper than ever, its radiant light leaving blazing trails across the figure's form.
Ryn felt the bond pulsing wildly, its energy overwhelming but empowering. He drove his knife into the figure's core, the impact sending a shockwave through its body.
The figure let out a final, deafening roar as its form began to collapse, its energy splintering into fragments that were drawn back into the crystal.
The ground beneath them shook violently, and the crystal's light intensified, blinding them as the rift's energy surged one last time.
When the light faded, Ryn found himself lying on the ground, the Spirit Fox beside him. The bond pulsed faintly, its warmth reassuring as he slowly sat up.
The rift was gone. The jagged terrain had stabilized, and the oppressive hum of energy had vanished.
Bryn, Mira, and Jek were nearby, their weapons lowered as they surveyed the now-quiet landscape.
"Did we do it?" Mira asked, her voice quiet.
Ryn glanced at the Spirit Fox, its glowing fur dim but steady.
"We did it," he said softly.
But deep down, Ryn couldn't shake the feeling that their journey was far from over.