The explosion of dark energy surged outward like a tidal wave, crashing over Mary and her companions. She barely had time to react before the world around her plunged into chaos. The force sent her tumbling backward, her body slamming into the jagged rocks that lined the base of the spire. The air was thick with the oppressive weight of the rift's energy, its pulse a suffocating rhythm that seemed to shake the very foundation of the world.
For a moment, everything went dark. The world was reduced to a blur of disorienting sensations—pain, heat, and a sharp, biting cold. The sound of her heartbeat pounded in her ears, and she struggled to regain her bearings, fighting against the swirling darkness that sought to overwhelm her senses.
But then, through the haze, she felt something—something cold, something unnatural. A presence. A dark, looming force that reached out from the very heart of the rift. It was not just a force of nature. It was a will, a sentience that seemed to be alive, watching, waiting. It was the heart of the abyss, and it was calling to her.
Mary's breath hitched as she pushed herself up, her body trembling with the aftermath of the blast. She was alive, but she wasn't sure for how much longer. Her sword—her only means of defense—lay a few feet away, its glow flickering weakly in the suffocating darkness. She reached for it, her fingers brushing the hilt just as a sickening chill gripped her heart.
Loosie was already on her feet, her face pale, but her eyes sharp. She notched an arrow and took aim at the spire, but the darkness around them seemed to warp, bending the light around them and causing the arrow to dissipate before it could even reach its target. Her expression hardened, and she shot another arrow, but again, it was swallowed by the shadowy energy.
Lela, too, was standing, her sword raised in a defensive stance, but even her confident posture wavered as the rift's influence pressed down on them like a heavy weight. "We need to destroy it. Now," she said, her voice tight with urgency.
Mary nodded, feeling the oppressive pull of the rift's power. It was everywhere. In the air, in the ground, in the very fabric of reality. The dark spire loomed above them like a malevolent sentinel, its surface crackling with dark energy, and at its peak, the black crystal pulsed, growing brighter and more vibrant with each passing second.
"I can't hold it off much longer," Loosie said, her voice strained as she fired another arrow. It disintegrated before it even reached the crystal. "There's no way we can fight it head-on like this."
"We don't have a choice," Mary replied, her voice firm despite the crushing weight of the situation. "The only way to stop it is to destroy the heart of the rift. That crystal."
Lela's gaze flickered to the spire. "You're right. But how do we reach it without being consumed by its power?"
Mary gritted her teeth. The rift was more than just a source of darkness—it was a living thing, a parasite feeding off the world's energy. It knew they were coming. It knew they were trying to destroy it. And it was fighting back with everything it had.
The ground beneath them cracked, and the air around them grew colder still. From the depths of the rift, more creatures began to emerge—twisted forms, their bodies stretched and deformed by the rift's energy. They slithered and crawled toward the trio, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly malice.
"They're coming," Loosie whispered, her voice tight with fear.
"We need to move. Now," Mary said, her voice a low growl of determination. She reached down and grasped her sword, its power pulsing in her grip. It was still weak, but it was enough. For now.
Without waiting for another moment, she sprinted toward the spire, her body moving on instinct, her mind focused solely on the task at hand. The creatures that had emerged from the rift were closing in fast, but Mary was faster. Her sword burned with light, and as she swung it, the creatures recoiled, hissing in pain as the blade cut through their bodies with ease.
Behind her, she heard Loosie's bowstring snap, followed by the sound of arrows piercing through the air, each one finding its mark with deadly precision. Lela's sword flashed in the darkness, cutting through the monsters with swift, graceful strikes, her movements honed by years of training.
But despite their efforts, the creatures kept coming. More emerged from the darkness, surrounding them on all sides. The very air seemed to be alive with their shrieks, their hunger.
Mary felt the pull of the rift's power intensify, and she knew they were running out of time. They had to destroy the crystal. It was the only way to stop the rift from consuming everything.
She pushed forward, her sword raised high. She felt a surge of energy, a connection to the rift itself, as if the very fabric of the world was opening up to her. She could feel the heartbeat of the abyss. It was pulsing, growing stronger, but she refused to let it control her.
As she reached the base of the spire, she raised her sword and struck at the dark crystal with all the power she could summon. The blade connected with the surface, and a shockwave of energy rippled outward, shaking the very foundations of the spire. The crystal cracked, but it did not shatter. Instead, a burst of dark energy exploded from it, knocking Mary backward, her body crashing into the ground.
For a moment, everything went silent. The world seemed to hold its breath.
Then, the crystal began to pulse again, its light growing brighter, almost blinding in its intensity. The creatures surrounding them screamed in pain as the energy emanating from the crystal began to distort reality itself. The rift was fighting back, and it was fighting with everything it had.
Mary struggled to her feet, her body aching, her breath ragged. She could feel the power of the rift, its influence pressing in from all sides. It was alive. It was fighting for its survival, and it wouldn't go down without a fight.
Lela rushed to Mary's side, her face etched with worry. "We have to destroy it. Now."
Mary nodded, her resolve hardening. The darkness was everywhere, but she would not let it consume the world. Not again. Not if she had anything to say about it.
Together, they gathered their strength, pushing against the rift's pull. Loosie, her expression fierce, fired arrow after arrow, each one finding its mark in the creatures that surrounded them. Lela's sword danced in the air, cutting through the darkness with each swing, and Mary's sword blazed with light as she swung it once more at the heart of the rift.
But the crystal was not done yet.
The pulse grew stronger, and the ground beneath them began to crack open, threatening to swallow them whole.
"This is it," Mary whispered, her voice shaking but determined. She raised her sword once more, the light of the rift flickering in her eyes. "We end this now."
With one final, desperate strike, she lunged forward, her sword plunging into the heart of the rift's power.