The night was a deathly quiet surrounding, with that sigh the only sound accompanied by the faint rustling of leaves moved by the wonderful cold wind. Kael moved forward, his steps careful yet deliberate. In his hand the Starforged Blade shone with a soft, ethereal light, casting an outline into the path ahead. Close behind her, Lira trailed, her dagger glinting while her piercing eyes watched the forest's black periphery.
"System," Kael whispered, his voice barely audible. "Can you locate the source of the energy signature?"
[Answer: Energy signature originates from 300 meters northeast. Nature of energy: Unstable. Recommended action: Proceed with caution.]
Kael tilted his head slightly toward Lira. "Three hundred meters northeast," he said quietly.
Lira's lips pressed into a thin line. "Unstable energy in the dead of night? Sounds like we're walking into trouble."
Kael's grip on the blade tightened. "We don't have a choice. If it is related to the Order or the star we do need to know.
The two moved in synchronized silence, their steps muffled by the soft forest floor. Shadows, flickering in the grey cast by the gibbous moon, formed shapes that did not fully answer the gaze. The oppressive atmosphere became denser with every footstep a low hum resonating in the ground with every inch closer they got.
Kael's heart pounded in his chest. The closer they approached, the more the whirr of the Starforged Blade seemed to hum in response [and the glow of the blade intensified and pulsed rhythmically to the beating of his own heart].
No matter what it is," Lira replied, cutting the vacuum, "it's neither normal.
They emerged into a small clearing. It was company with a wicked, incandescent gouge in the earth, its edges blackened and bleached. Out of it there emanated a whirling cavity of black and red energy, strands of light like living beings crawling out searching as prey. The air around it shimmered with heat, despite the cold night.
[Alert: Residual celestial energy detected. Anomaly classification: Rift. Threat level: High. Recommended action: Containment or retreat.]
Kael's jaw tightened. "A rift? What does it mean?"
[Answer: Rift indicates a breach between dimensions. Such, anomalies are very unstable and capable of attracting beings from the outside of the material plane. Immediate action required.]
"Entities?" Kael echoed, his stomach tightening.
As if in answer, the fissure flared violently and a low, primal roar rasped from within. Lira took a few steps closer to Kael, dagger flashing. "I'm guessing we're about to find out what kind of entities the system's talking about.
From the rift crawled a figure—twisted, monstrous, and barely human. Its skin was a mottled gray, cracked and oozing with a viscous black fluid. Its elongated limbs ended in razor-sharp claws, and its eyes glowed with the same crimson hue as the rift behind it.
"That… is not natural," Lira muttered.
Kael raised the Starforged Blade and its light pulsed and intensified as if in counter to the creature's dark aura. "System, any advice?"
[Advice: Engage cautiously. Target's physical structure is enhanced by celestial energy. Utilize host's weapon and environmental advantages to neutralize threat.]
Even the hideousness of the creature seemed to move at incredible speed as it darted in to strike. Just in time, Kael managed to raise his blade, parrying its claws at the expense of paint in a stream of sparks. The impact sent him reeling backwards, but recovered from that impact quickly, his feet finding footing on the patchy slope.
Lira raced sideways with a very good speed and accuracy. She struck at the creature's flank, her dagger slicing through its flesh. The monster let out an ear-piercing screech, its head whipping around to face her.
"Over here! Kael shouted, swinging the Starforged Blade in a wide arc. The blade sliced through one of the creature's elongated appendages as black ichor splattered onto the ground. The monster flinched, and its phosphorescent eye sockets met Kael's gaze with absolute evil.
The system's voice chimed in.
[Energy absorption detected. Host synchronization increased by 3%. Continue engagement to further stabilize celestial energy flow.]
Kael sensed the blade became featherweight in his grasp, the strength in the blade wound through him. He capitalized on the advantage, not only increasing the rate and precision of his encounters. The monster stuttered under the heavy bombardment, its locomotion becoming more and more sluggish as black ichor trailed from its wounds.
Lira seized the opportunity, leaping onto the creature's back and driving her dagger deep into the base of its neck. The monster let out one final, guttural roar before collapsing to the ground, its body dissolving into a pool of dark energy that seeped back into the rift.
The clearing grew still except for the deep gasps of both Kael and Lira. The glow of the rift light slowly dimmed, its roots retracting back from the crack until all that was left was a barely visible mark on the surface of the earth.
Kael lowered his blade, his chest heaving. "Is it… over?"
Lira wiped her dagger on her sleeve, a look on her face grave. "For now. However, if that stuff emerged from the rift, how could anyone know there weren't more?
The system's voice interrupted their thoughts.
[Warning: Residual energy from the rift may attract additional anomalies. Recommended action: Avoid prolonged exposure to affected area.]
Kael nodded. "We need to leave. But first…" He edged towards the faint mark from the rift, his hand poised above it. "System, can you analyze this?"
[Scanning…]
[Analysis complete. Rift residue contains fragments of celestial data. Potential connection to the star's origin. Data extraction initiated.]
Kael felt a faint pulse in his chest as the system absorbed the energy. The translucent screen appeared before him, displaying new information.
[Data acquired: Rift phenomena linked to ancient celestial events. Further investigation required. Additional rifts may provide more data.]
Lira stepped up beside him, her gaze fixed on the scar. This's not the first time you've sat in front of something like this, is it?
Kael shook his head. "No. And it won't be the last."
She studied him for a moment before nodding. "Then we'd better be ready for whatever comes next."
As they turned to leave the clearing, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that their journey was only beginning. The rift was a warning—a glimpse of the battles to come. If, on the other hand, the system was accurate, the answers he was looking for remained yet again out of his grasp.