The Rift pulsed with an unnatural glow, illuminating Elira's face in hues of violet and blue. The ground at its edges crumbled into nothingness, dissolving into the void as though the world itself rejected the intrusion. The growl from within deepened, no longer just a noise but a feeling—an overwhelming presence that filled the air like the pressure before a storm.
Kael tightened his grip on his sword. "We have to go."
Elira hesitated. Leaving meant retreat, and she had the sense that whatever lay beyond the Rift would not wait for them to be ready. "No," she said finally. "This is what the Watcher meant. This is the test."
Tavin gaped at her. "You're not seriously thinking of going in there."
Elira met his gaze. "If we run, it will find us anyway. We have to face it now."
Kael looked at the Rift, then back at her. He exhaled sharply. "Then we do this together."
Summoning her courage, Elira stepped forward. The magic within her hummed in response to the Rift, as though it recognized the power that lay within. Taking a final breath, she crossed the threshold.
The world vanished.
For a moment, there was only silence—no wind, no breath, no heartbeat. Then the void around her took shape. They stood within an impossible landscape, a realm of floating islands and shattered fragments of reality suspended in the air. Strange, glowing symbols etched themselves into the sky above, shifting and twisting as though alive.
A deep voice rumbled from the darkness. You have come.
Elira turned. A figure loomed in the distance, larger than anything she had ever seen. It was made of shadow and fire, its form shifting between something human and something monstrous.
Kael raised his sword. "What now?"
Elira gripped her staff. "We find out what it wants."
The test had begun.