The heat of battle pressed against Riyan's skin, suffocating and relentless. The screams of warriors and the clash of steel filled the air, but his senses felt detached, as if the chaos existed in some distant nightmare he couldn't escape. He clung to the strange woman's arm, his legs stumbling to keep pace as she pulled him through the jagged terrain of the Crimson Spire.
"This way!" she barked, her tone sharp with urgency. Her fiery hair caught the light, streaked with ash and blood, yet her movements were steady and sure.
Riyan struggled to speak through the pounding in his chest. "Who… are you? What's happening?"
She didn't glance back, her focus locked on navigating the treacherous ground. "If you want to live, keep moving."
The ground trembled beneath them, cracking in irregular pulses that sent shards of rock flying. Riyan flinched as a blast of crimson light erupted nearby, vaporizing chunks of stone. He stumbled, nearly losing his footing, but the woman's grip tightened around his wrist, pulling him forward.
"This can't be real," he muttered, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "This has to be a dream."
"If you think this is a dream, then you'd better hope you don't wake up," she snapped, her eyes flashing with irritation. "There's no time for denial. You're here, and you need to survive."
The word survival hung heavy in the air. Riyan didn't know what he was supposed to survive, but the looming spires, the relentless tremors, and the eerie pulsing light all screamed danger.
---
They finally reached a narrow alcove carved into one of the jagged rock formations. The woman shoved Riyan inside, her eyes scanning their surroundings before she crouched to check her weapon. The blade gleamed, its edge worn but sharp, and the intricate carvings along its handle glowed faintly with energy.
Riyan pressed his back against the cold rock, his breath coming in shallow gasps. "I need answers," he said, his voice cracking. "Who are you? What is this place?"
The woman exhaled sharply, her gaze narrowing. "I'm Amara," she said finally, her tone clipped. "This place is the Crimson Spire. And you're standing in the middle of a war."
"A war?" He shook his head. "I don't understand—I was in Haven City. One second I was walking, and then—"
"And then the Nexus pulled you in," Amara finished, her tone steady. She glanced at him, her eyes flicking over his disheveled appearance with faint suspicion. "Figures. The Nexus is fracturing, pulling things in from across the realms. You're just unlucky enough to be caught in the middle."
The words felt heavy, pressing against his chest like an invisible weight. "Fracturing? What does that even mean?"
Amara didn't answer immediately. She stood, peering out of the alcove as her sharp eyes scanned the battlefield. "It means everything's falling apart," she said finally, her voice quieter. "The Crimson Spire. The Nexus. All of it."
Before Riyan could press further, a deafening roar erupted from the battlefield. Amara stiffened, her grip tightening on her weapon. "Stay here," she ordered. "Don't move."
"What? Wait—" Riyan reached out, but she was already gone, her figure disappearing into the chaos.
---
Left alone, the alcove suddenly felt far less comforting. Riyan pressed his palm against the rough surface of the rock, trying to ground himself in something tangible. His thoughts raced, fragments of Haven City clashing with the brutal reality before him. It made no sense. Nothing made sense.
And then, the pulsing began.
It started faintly, a rhythmic thrum that vibrated through the rock beneath his fingertips. He stepped back, his eyes scanning the ground as the veins of crimson light grew brighter. The pulse quickened, matching the frantic beat of his heart.
A sharp crack split the air, and the wall of the alcove shattered.
Riyan staggered backward, shielding his face as shards of rock flew past him. When he opened his eyes, the dust cleared to reveal a figure standing where the wall had been—a towering, shadow-clad figure whose presence made the air around him feel heavier.
"Catalyst," the figure said, his voice low and resonant.
Riyan's breath caught, his mind screaming at him to run, but his body refused to move. The figure stepped forward, his armor gleaming like obsidian, and the crimson glow of his eyes pierced through the haze.
"You are out of place," the figure continued, his tone calm yet commanding. "And yet, you hold the key."
Riyan shook his head, his voice barely audible. "I don't… I don't know what you're talking about."
The figure's lips curled into a smirk. "You will."
---
Before the figure could move closer, a blur of motion darted into the alcove. Amara appeared, her blade flashing as she lunged at the intruder. Their weapons collided with a deafening clang, the force shaking the ground beneath them.
"Run!" Amara shouted, her voice fierce. "Now!"
Riyan hesitated, his legs frozen in place as the two figures clashed before him. The shadowed figure moved with impossible speed, his strikes precise and deliberate, while Amara's movements were swift and reactive, her blade glowing with faint energy.
Another pulse erupted through the ground, and Riyan was thrown off balance. He fell hard, the impact jolting through his body, but when he looked up, the battle had shifted. Amara was barely holding her ground, her breaths ragged as the figure advanced.
Panic surged through Riyan, his thoughts screaming at him to move, to help, to do something. His gaze darted to the shattered remnants of the alcove, where a faint glimmer caught his eye—an artifact buried among the debris.
It pulsed with light, matching the rhythm that had surrounded him moments ago.
Riyan crawled toward it, his fingers brushing against the rough surface. The moment he touched it, the artifact flared, sending a wave of energy through the air. The figures froze, their eyes snapping toward him, and the battlefield seemed to hold its breath.
Amara's voice broke the silence. "What are you doing?!"
Riyan didn't have an answer. He held the artifact tightly, its warmth spreading through his hand as the crimson light surrounding them seemed to respond to its presence. The shadowed figure laughed—a deep, resonant sound that sent shivers down Riyan's spine.
"You've awakened it," he said, his tone laced with satisfaction. "And now, the collapse begins."