Vale's POV
The dimensional anchor shattered like glass.
The moment my power wavered from learning about Ryker's murders, the portal to the shadow realm exploded outward. What had been a crack between worlds became a gaping wound in reality itself.
"No!" I screamed, trying to pull the anchor back together.
But it was too late. Hundreds more shadow creatures poured through the enlarged rift, spreading across the landscape like spilled ink.
"Vale!" Dante grabbed my arm. "We have to run!"
"I can fix this," I insisted, pouring everything I had into stabilizing the dimensional barrier.
But Ryker's refusal to accept forgiveness had created a flaw in my power. Like a crack in a dam, it kept growing no matter how much energy I threw at it.
"You cannot fix what I have broken," Ryker said calmly from where he lay dying. "Some sins create permanent damage."
"That's not true!" I shot back. "Everything can be healed with enough love!"
