The world shattered.
A deafening crack split the air as the rift convulsed, its edges fraying like torn fabric. The ground trembled beneath Zyra's feet, the energy surging outward in a wave of unnatural heat.
Then—the shadows poured through.
Zyra barely had time to react before a monstrous force slammed into her. She hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from her lungs. The creature—a thing of twisted limbs and glistening black void—hissed above her, its eyes like burning coals.
She rolled just as it struck, its claws sinking into the earth where her chest had been.
Kieran's shadows lashed out—but they failed again.
The creature was immune.
Zyra's magic ignited on instinct. Flames surged, roaring to life around her fists. She thrust her hands forward, sending a burst of fire straight at the creature's core.
This time—it screamed.
The heat melted through its shadowed form, forcing it back. But behind it—more were coming. Dozens. Hundreds.
Kieran swore, grabbing Zyra by the wrist and yanking her to her feet. His breath was ragged, but his grip was strong. "We can't fight all of them."
Her heart pounded. "Then what do we do?"
Kieran's jaw clenched, his gaze flicking toward the rift.
"We close it."
Now.
---
A Desperate Gamble
Zyra's hands trembled. She wasn't even sure how the rift had formed, let alone how to close it. The magic inside it was too unstable, too foreign. But Kieran—he had to know something.
Before she could ask, the creatures surged forward again, faster this time.
Zyra reacted on instinct, flinging her fire into their path. The flames blossomed outward, a searing inferno that cut through the mass of shadows. But for every creature she burned, two more took its place.
They were unstoppable.
Kieran's hand tightened on hers. "Zyra—listen to me."
She met his gaze—and froze.
His eyes… they were different.
Feral. Desperate. Like something inside him was breaking.
"I can close the rift," he said. His voice was tight, controlled. "But it's going to cost me."
Zyra's stomach twisted. "What do you mean?"
Kieran exhaled sharply, pulling her closer. "The magic that binds it is the same magic that binds me."
The meaning slammed into her like a blade.
If he severed the rift's connection—he severed himself, too.
"No." The word came out harsher than she intended. "Absolutely not."
"Zyra—"
"There has to be another way."
His expression softened, but the resolve in his eyes didn't waver.
"There isn't."
The creatures were closing in. They only had seconds.
And Kieran had already made up his mind.
Zyra's chest ached. She thought of the bond. The connection. The force that had pulled them together since the moment they met.
Fate had chosen them.
But fate could be cruel.
She tightened her grip on his arm. "Then we do it together."
Kieran's eyes widened. "Zyra—"
"No arguments." Her fire flared brighter, spilling between them. "We end this. Together."
For a second, just a second, something in his expression broke.
Then—he nodded.
And they turned toward the rift.
---
The Rift's Wrath
Magic tore through the air.
The creatures shrieked as the energy between Zyra and Kieran surged—a fusion of flame and shadow, raw power weaving together into something ancient.
Zyra felt everything.
Kieran's magic. His pain. His determination.
She reached deeper, past the barriers, past the walls.
And she found it.
The core of the rift. The thing holding it open, pulsing with dark energy.
She pushed.
Kieran's shadows wrapped around hers, pulling with her, forcing the rift to collapse in on itself. The creatures writhed, screeching as they were dragged back inside.
Then—it shattered.
A burst of energy erupted outward, blinding.
Zyra heard Kieran gasp.
And then—
Everything went dark.
---