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Chapter 13 - Into the Rift – The Last Hope

The **Second Major Realm** was unraveling.

Arian stood at the edge of the rift, its chaotic energy roaring before him like an open maw. The very air pulsed with unstable power—**wild, untamed, and deadly**. He could feel it vibrating through his bones, threatening to **pull him apart** if he wasn't careful.

Behind him, his most trusted allies gathered—**Elysia**, her Celestial knowledge their only guide through the unknown; **General Rokan**, unwavering as ever; and **Xaldra**, his golden eyes watching the rift with something that almost resembled… fear.

*"This is madness,"* Rokan muttered. *"No one has ever entered the heart of the Second Major Realm and returned."*

*"That's exactly why we must go,"* Arian replied. *"The Tenebris are already inside. If we don't stop them now, there won't be a Mars left to return to."*

The Tenebris' ritual was nearing completion, and if Targor's plan succeeded, the merging of realms would destroy the fragile balance that held **existence itself** together.

Xaldra let out a deep growl, his massive form shifting uncomfortably. *"You do not understand what lies beyond this threshold."*

Arian turned to him. *"Then tell me."*

For a moment, Xaldra said nothing. Then, in a voice that rumbled like an earthquake, he spoke:

*"The Second Major Realm is not just unstable—it is a place of raw, unshaped power. It is the forge from which your world was born. If the Tenebris bend it to their will, they will become gods."*

A silence fell over the group.

*"Then we stop them before that happens,"* Arian said firmly.

With that, he took a step forward—**and plunged into the rift.**

---

### **Inside the Second Major Realm**

The sensation was like **falling through eternity**.

Arian's body twisted through a void of shifting landscapes—**mountains forming and crumbling in an instant**, **rivers flowing upward**, **skies shifting between endless day and night**. It was as if he had stepped into the **raw fabric of creation itself**.

Elysia landed beside him, breathing heavily. *"This place… it's alive."*

Rokan appeared moments later, his sword drawn, though what he intended to fight in this ever-changing world was unclear.

Then came **Xaldra**. But something was different.

The moment the great beast entered the realm, his form **changed**. His scales shimmered, his body pulsing with the same chaotic energy as the realm itself. His golden eyes flared as though he was awakening from a deep slumber.

*"This place… it remembers me,"* Xaldra murmured.

Arian turned to him. *"What do you mean?"*

The beast's gaze met his. *"Because I was **born** from it. Just like Mars."*

Arian's breath caught in his throat. The realization hit like a thunderclap.

*"Then you… you were there when Mars was created?"*

Xaldra nodded slowly.

*"I was one of the first. A guardian, a watcher. I was meant to protect this place. And now... I must fight to save it."*

Arian clenched his fists. The weight of everything—the rift, the war, the truth of Mars—settled on his shoulders.

*"Then let's finish this."*

They moved forward, the unstable realm shifting around them as they pressed toward the heart of the storm.

---

### **The True Face of the Tenebris**

At the center of the realm, deep within a floating fortress of black stone and swirling chaos, **Lord Targor** stood before the ritual altar. The energy of the rift swirled around him, tendrils of dark power lashing out like living things.

Lady Zhyra watched warily. *"You are drawing too much power, Targor. If you cannot control it—"*

*"I do not need to control it,"* Targor snarled. *"I need only **unleash** it."*

A dark storm raged above them. The fabric of reality itself **split**, and for the first time, the **Celestial and Second Major Realms truly touched**.

The ritual was nearly complete.

And Arian was running out of time.

---

### **The Battle Begins**

As Arian and his allies reached the floating fortress, the first wave of **Tenebris warlocks** attacked.

Bolts of dark energy **tore through the air**, shattering the unstable ground beneath them. **Elysia countered**, her Celestial power clashing against the corruption. **Rokan fought through the chaos**, cutting down enemies before they could finish their incantations.

And then there was **Xaldra**.

The beast roared, unleashing a wave of pure, ancient power. The very **realm itself bent to his will**, striking down the Tenebris forces as if rejecting their presence.

Arian **pushed forward**, cutting through the last of the enemy before **breaking into the ritual chamber itself**.

There, he found **Targor—floating above the altar, his body wreathed in dark energy, his form shifting between mortal and something… monstrous.**

Targor turned to face him, his eyes burning with **the power of a god.**

*"You are too late, Arian."*

The realm **shook**.

The final battle had begun.

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