The roar echoed across the ruined city, shaking what remained of the skyline.
Ethan clutched his ribs, forcing himself to stand. His breath was ragged, his vision still blurred from Adrian's chokehold.
But none of that mattered.
Because Adrian—the monster, the god, the nightmare they couldn't defeat—was no longer looking at them.
He was staring at the sky.
And for the first time…
There was uncertainty in his golden eyes.
The Rift Opens
A crack split through the air above them, jagged and unnatural, like the sky itself was tearing apart.
Lightning arced through the opening, but it wasn't normal lightning—it was black, tinged with crimson. A wind howled through the city, carrying a deep, unnatural hum.
Blaze whimpered, ears flat against his head. Shadow, the stray cat Olivia had rescued, hissed and arched its back.
Even the animals felt it.
This wasn't just a storm.
This was something breaking through.
Ethan's fingers curled into fists. "What the hell is that?"
Noah swallowed hard. "Nothing good."
Adrian's expression twisted. He recognized this.
And he didn't like it.
"Impossible," he muttered, his golden energy flickering. "They shouldn't be here. Not yet."
Ethan's stomach dropped.
They?
Arrival
Then—they emerged.
Dark figures crawled from the rift, their forms shifting like living shadows. Their eyes glowed red, their movements jerky and unnatural. Not human. Not infected. Something else entirely.
Adrian took a step back.
Not much. Just an inch.
But Ethan saw it.
And that single, subtle movement sent a cold thrill down his spine.
Adrian—the man who laughed off grenades, who crushed them like insects—was uneasy.
The lead creature lifted its head. When it spoke, its voice was layered—like a chorus of whispers.
"You are not the only one who evolves, Adrian."
Adrian's jaw clenched. "You dare interfere?"
The shadow-being tilted its head. "You stole power beyond your station. Now, we come to correct that."**
Ethan's breath caught.
They weren't here for him. They weren't here for the city.
They were here for Adrian.
And that?
That changed everything.