[System Alert – Void Dungeon Manifestation Imminent]Time Remaining: 12 hours.Location: Northern Glade near Eidenweld.Threat Level: Extreme.
Reynar's eyes snapped open as the system alert echoed in his mind. The morning sun hadn't yet risen, but his instincts screamed louder than any birdcall.
This was it.
He sat up quickly, glancing across the campsite to see Liora already awake, tying her boots with a calm expression that didn't quite match the tension in the air.
"You felt it too," she said.
Reynar nodded. "It's time."
They both stood, checking their gear one last time. Potions, gear, rations, lanterns, weapons—they had rehearsed it all a dozen times. But nothing truly prepares you for walking into death.
The path to the northern glade was silent. Birds had long since abandoned the cursed woods, and even the wind dared not rustle the withered leaves.
As they approached, a sickly tear shimmered in the air, suspended between two rotted trees. Veins of black and violet lightning pulsed across its jagged edges, and a low hum—like a heartbeat—throbbed from within.
The rift was open.
"It's bigger than the last one," Liora murmured.
"Which means what's inside… is worse."
Reynar felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. Eidenweld didn't know what lay ahead. They were the only line of defense.
"We go in together," he said.
Liora nodded. "No matter what."
Meanwhile – Within the Rift
Sylvie's boots splashed through the shallow pools of black mist that coated the dungeon floor. The terrain had changed—no longer jagged caves, but a shifting labyrinth of crumbling ruins bathed in a sick violet haze.
She was already bleeding.
Three monsters had nearly cost her everything just within the first sector. Worse, the relic chamber was deeper than expected. Stronger beasts. Thinner air. Tighter deadlines.
And now, she could feel something else.
A presence.
Them.
She hadn't seen them yet… but she knew.
"They entered," she muttered bitterly. "They actually entered."
The anger she thought she buried returned, curling tight in her chest like a coiled serpent. Not because she feared them interfering—but because she feared what their presence stirred inside her.
She didn't want to watch out for anyone. She didn't want to wonder if they were okay.
She wanted to finish this.
For her freedom.
But even so… a flicker of thought pierced the storm in her head:
If they're here… they'll be in danger.
Sylvie shook her head. "Not my problem."
But she picked up her pace.
Faster now. Deeper. The sanctum waited.
And so did her master.