The Monster in the Dark
The creature lunged. Zyra barely had time to react before a wave of darkness slammed into her, sending her skidding backward across the stone floor. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, but she forced herself up, ignoring the sting of bruised ribs.
Her eyes locked onto the monstrous form looming over Kieran.
It wasn't just a beast.
It was something worse.
Its body was formless, shifting—made of pure shadow, flickering like a nightmare that refused to be fully seen. Its elongated limbs curled like jagged claws, its face a hollow void, darker than the rift itself.
But the worst part?
Kieran's chains were connected to it.
The realization struck her like ice.
This thing wasn't just guarding him. It was feeding off him.
And Kieran—his silver eyes, always burning with fire, looked dim.
Too dim.
"No." Rage surged through her, raw and blinding.
She would not let this thing take him.
Her magic flared, pulsing like wildfire in her veins.
The monster turned toward her, sensing the threat.
It moved fast.
Zyra barely dodged as a tendril of darkness shot toward her. It struck the ground where she'd been standing, cracking the stone.
She rolled, throwing a bolt of fire at its chest—but the flames vanished on impact.
Her magic—useless.
A low chuckle came from behind her.
Riven.
"Oh, this is going to be interesting," he mused, watching as if they weren't seconds away from dying.
Zyra whipped around, fury sparking in her chest. "Help, or I swear I'll—"
"I was waiting for you to ask."
Before she could snap at him, Riven moved.
With a flick of his wrist, golden runes blazed across his skin. The air rippled—and suddenly, the monster staggered.
For the first time, it reacted.
Its hollow void of a face snapped toward Riven, a distorted, echoing hiss rattling through the chamber.
"Oh, you recognize me?" Riven's smirk sharpened. "Good. That means this is going to hurt."
He vanished.
For a split second, Zyra lost sight of him—until he reappeared directly above the creature, a glowing dagger in his grip.
He drove it straight into the monster's form.
The beast shrieked, writhing as golden energy seared through it, disrupting its shape.
Zyra didn't hesitate.
She ran.
Straight for Kieran.
---
Breaking the Chains
His head lifted weakly as she reached him.
"Zyra…" His voice was hoarse, his breathing ragged.
"I'm here." She placed her hands on the chains, magic already flaring at her fingertips.
They burned.
The moment she touched them, pain lanced through her palms.
Not just pain—a warning.
These weren't normal bindings.
They weren't meant to keep Kieran prisoner.
They were meant to consume him.
Zyra's stomach twisted. How long had he been like this?
His gaze met hers—and despite the agony, despite the exhaustion, his silver eyes softened.
"You shouldn't have come."
"Too bad," she snapped. "I'm getting you out of here."
The chains resisted her magic, writhing like living things.
Damn it. She needed more power.
And then—
The bond between them flared.
For the first time since entering the rift, she felt it fully awaken.
A sudden pull—deeper than magic, deeper than anything she'd ever known.
Her heartbeat matched his. Her power melded with his.
And in that moment—
She understood.
The rift had been trying to suppress her power because of this.
Because together—they were stronger.
The chains cracked.
Kieran's eyes widened slightly as he felt it too. His fingers curled into fists.
"Zyra—"
"Hold on."
She poured everything into one final surge of magic—
And the chains shattered.
---
The Rift's Wrath
The moment Kieran was freed, the entire fortress trembled.
The shadow monster screamed, its form unraveling as if losing its source of strength.
Riven leapt backward, landing beside Zyra and Kieran just as the chamber collapsed.
"We need to leave," Riven announced, oddly calm despite the destruction around them.
Zyra turned to Kieran, heart pounding.
He was weak, but he was alive.
And when his silver eyes met hers, there was something new in them.
Something raw.
Something dangerous.
She swallowed. "Can you move?"
Kieran exhaled. Then—he smirked.
"Try and stop me."
Zyra let out a breathless laugh—just as the ceiling caved in.
---