Elias and his team moved swiftly, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the unsettling encounter. The forest around them seemed to close in, shadows stretching unnaturally, but they didn't stop. Not after what they had just witnessed.
Reinhardt kept a steady pace beside Elias, hammer resting on his shoulder. "So, we're just ignoring the fact that some shadow freak told us the world is ending?"
Lira exhaled sharply. "Oh no, we're not ignoring it. We're just pretending we know what to do about it."
Marco rubbed his temples. "That thing… it wasn't like the demons we fought. It spoke like it knew something. Like it was waiting for us."
Cecilia flicked a dagger between her fingers, her usual smirk absent. "And what did it mean by 'early'?"
Elias's mind raced. That figure—the way it moved, the way it bent the shadows—it wasn't normal. It wasn't just some rogue spellcaster or summoned spirit. It felt… planned. Like someone or something was orchestrating all of this.
Ivy, who had been leading the way, suddenly stopped. She raised a fist, signaling for silence.
Elias felt his heartbeat quicken. "What is it?"
Ivy knelt, brushing her fingers over the dirt path ahead. The ground was disturbed, like something massive had passed through recently.
Reinhardt peered over her shoulder. "That's not a normal trail."
Ivy stood. "No. It's too deep. Too uneven. Something heavy came through here… dragging something."
Lira swallowed. "Oh, I really hate that sentence."
Cecilia stepped forward, scanning the area. "We following it?"
Elias hesitated. They were already on borrowed time. Solmara was their goal—but if whatever left these tracks was connected to the rifts, then ignoring it could be a mistake.
Marco frowned. "We don't have time for distractions."
Ivy's gaze flicked to Elias. "Your call."
Elias clenched his fists. Every part of him wanted to stay on course, to reach Solmara as fast as possible.
But instinct told him this wasn't just a distraction.
It was a sign.
"…We follow the trail."
Lira groaned. "I knew you were gonna say that."
They moved cautiously, weaving through the undergrowth. The deeper they went, the more wrong the air felt—like the very essence of the forest was warping.
Then, the trees thinned, revealing a clearing.
And at the center of it—
A massive rift.
Not like the small one they had encountered before. This one was unstable, flickering between reality and something else entirely.
And chained to the ground in front of it—was a man.
Elias stopped cold.
The figure was bound in glowing red chains, his body barely moving, his head slumped forward. His armor—black and silver, lined with faded runes—was cracked and worn.
Marco whispered. "Is he… alive?"
Before Elias could answer, the man stirred.
A weak breath escaped him as he slowly lifted his head. His eyes opened, glowing faintly with a dull, unnatural light.
Then, in a hoarse voice, he spoke.
"…You are… too late."
A cold chill ran through Elias's veins.
Ivy reached for an arrow. "Who are you?"
The man exhaled. "A relic of a war… long forgotten."
Elias's breath caught in his throat.
"Are you…" He took a step forward, his heart pounding. "Are you Obsidian Vanguard?"
Silence.
Then the man gave a weak, knowing smile.
"Once… a long time ago."
The chains around him glowed violently, and the air cracked with dark energy.
Reinhardt tensed. "Uh… I don't like that."
The man clenched his teeth. "You shouldn't."
Then, with a pulse of energy, the rift behind him began to widen.
And something stepped through.