Zane pulled Lira to her feet, the forest floor still trembling from the rift's collapse, the golden leaves crunching under his boots. The new rift loomed above, its red glow casting an ominous light through the canopy, Veyra's distant laugh echoing like a ghost in the stillness. Stability at 2%, his HUD flickered, the disc's faint pulse a fragile lifeline against the growing threat.
"We can't stay here," Lira said, her voice shaky but firm, brushing dirt from her cloak as she gripped his arm for support. Her eyes darted to the rift, fear mingling with resolve, mirroring his own turmoil. Zane nodded, scanning the trees, the suit's creaks a constant reminder of its battered state. Armor integrity at 50%, it reported, the cracks spreading like veins.
"Shuri, we've got a new rift—Veyra's back," he said into his comms, the static crackling like a storm. "I'm here," she replied, her tone sharp with urgency. "The disc's holding, but it's a miracle. Head for higher ground—I'm picking up a signal that might be an exit." Her words were a faint hope, but the rift's hum drowned her out.
They moved, branches snapping underfoot, the forest thickening as they climbed a rise. Lira stumbled, her breath ragged, but she pressed on, her blade lost but her spirit unbroken. Zane's leg throbbed, the pain a dull ache, but he pushed forward, the disc sparking weakly. Stability at 1%. Shadows shifted ahead, and his HUD pinged: Life signs detected. Proximity: 150 meters.
Creatures emerged, their forms twisted and jagged, eyes glowing with the same red hue as the rift. Zane fired, the repulsor blast weak but enough to stagger one, its shriek piercing the air. Lira ducked, grabbing a fallen branch as a makeshift weapon, swinging it with surprising force. "Keep going!" she yelled, her voice cutting through the chaos.
The rise leveled out, revealing a clearing with a stone altar, its surface etched with glowing runes that pulsed in sync with the rift. His HUD flashed: Energy source detected. Potential exit node. Zane's heart lifted, but the ground shook, Veyra stepping from the rift, her armor pristine, tendrils writhing. "You can't run forever," she sneered, her voice a cold whip.
He lunged for the altar, the relic's residual energy tingling in his fingers, but a tendril lashed out, yanking him back with a brutal tug. Integrity at 45%. Lira attacked, the branch cracking against Veyra's armor, but she was thrown aside, hitting a tree with a groan. Zane struggled, the disc flaring, its light dimming. Stability at 0%.
"Shuri, help!" he shouted, the comms dead. Veyra laughed, tendrils coiling tighter, her eyes blazing. He reached for the altar, fingers brushing the runes, and a surge of energy jolted through him. The disc sparked, a rift opening beneath him, pulling him down as Veyra's scream faded.
Zane landed in a ruined city, the air thick with ash, buildings crumbling under a blood-red sky. The rift snapped shut, leaving him alone, the disc dark. Stability at 0%, his HUD confirmed, the silence oppressive. He pushed up, pain searing his leg, the suit's systems offline. Armor integrity at 40%.
"Shuri? Lira?" he called, his voice echoing off shattered walls, met only by silence. His HUD scanned: Location: Unknown. Atmospheric composition: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen. Radiation levels: Elevated. The city stretched endless, its ruins a graveyard of a lost world, the red sky casting long shadows.
A figure moved in the distance, cloaked and limping, and Zane's heart skipped. "Gideon?" he whispered, hope flaring. The figure turned, revealing a scarred face—Gideon, alive but pale, his staff broken. "Kid," he rasped, collapsing to his knees, blood staining his side.
Zane rushed to him, dropping beside him, hands shaking. "You're alive—how?" he asked, his voice breaking. Gideon coughed, a weak smile forming. "Found a pocket. But this place… it's hers." His words trailed off, eyes glazing, and Zane's chest tightened.
The ground rumbled, a new rift tearing open, Veyra's silhouette emerging. "You're mine now," she said, tendrils lashing. Zane stood, the disc lifeless, Gideon's weak grip on his arm slipping. Not again, he thought, bracing for the fight.