Dawn broke cold and gray over Thornhaven, the sun hidden behind thick clouds that promised rain before day's end. Astraeus met the others at the northern gate, where guards checked their guild badges and made note of their destination. Standard procedure for expeditions into dangerous territory—if they didn't return within a week, the guild would send a search party.
Or a recovery team, depending on what they found.
The road north was well-maintained for the first ten miles, wide enough for merchant wagons and traveled frequently enough that bandits avoided it. The team moved at a steady pace, conserving energy for the harder terrain ahead. They passed farms and small settlements, waving to early-rising workers who watched them with the mixture of respect and pity that common folk reserved for mages heading toward danger.
"Ever been on an expedition like this before?" Lyra asked Astraeus as they walked.
"Not like this. I've traveled alone, fought alone. This is my first real team operation."
"Then let me give you some advice: trust your teammates, but trust your instincts more. If something feels wrong, say so immediately. Don't wait to be polite or worry about being wrong. In the field, hesitation kills."
"Understood."
Darius, walking ahead with Thomas, called back without turning. "She's right. And another thing—if someone gives an order during combat, follow it immediately. Question it afterward if you want, but in the moment, hesitation breaks coordination. We clear?"
"Clear," Astraeus confirmed.
Good advice, Kha'Zul said. Military discipline. It's kept more people alive than individual heroics ever have.
The road began to deteriorate after the tenth mile, becoming little more than a dirt path marked by occasional wagon ruts. The settlements disappeared, replaced by wild grassland and scattered trees. By the time they reached the fifteen-mile mark, the path had vanished entirely, and they were navigating by compass and landmarks.
The temperature dropped as they walked, the clouds thickening overhead. The smell of rain was heavy in the air, mixing with the scent of wild grass and distant pine. Astraeus could feel his essence responding to the environment, the natural energy of the world flowing around them in patterns that were almost visible if he focused.
You're developing essence sight, Kha'Zul observed. The ability to perceive magical energy without actively manipulating it. That's an advanced skill. Your spontaneous awakening story becomes more believable every day.
"Is that sarcasm?"
Observation. You're growing faster than normal mages. Eventually, people will notice. But for now, enjoy the advantage.
They reached the edge of Blackwood Forest by mid-morning. The tree line rose before them like a wall, ancient pines and oaks growing so densely that the interior was dark even in daylight. The air changed as they approached—colder, damper, carrying a smell of rot and something else, something wrong that Astraeus couldn't quite identify.
"You feel that?" Thomas asked quietly.
"The essence is disturbed," Astraeus said. "Flowing wrong, like water around a blockage."
"The rift," Lyra said. "Even from here, it's affecting the natural energy patterns.
"Darius pulled out a small device—a compass, but instead of pointing north, its needle spun slowly, searching. "Essence detector. It'll point us toward the strongest disturbance." He waited as the needle stabilized, then pointed deeper into the forest. "That way. Five miles, give or take."
They entered the forest in single file, Darius leading with Thomas close behind, then Lyra, then Astraeus bringing up the rear. The darkness was immediate and oppressive, the canopy so thick that only scattered beams of gray light penetrated to the forest floor. The ground was soft with decades of fallen needles and decomposing leaves, muffling their footsteps.
The silence was unnatural. No birds sang. No small animals rustled in the undergrowth. Even the wind seemed hesitant to enter this place.
Stay alert, Kha'Zul warned. This is Voidborn territory now. They've been here long enough to corrupt the local essence, drive away natural life. We're in their hunting ground.
Astraeus kept his essence gathered and ready, not formed into any specific technique but available for instant use. His eyes scanned the shadows between trees, looking for movement, for anything that didn't belong.
They walked for an hour, the essence detector guiding them deeper into the forest. The wrongness intensified with each step—the air grew colder, the shadows darker, and Astraeus began to see things at the edge of his vision. Shapes that vanished when he looked directly at them. Movement that might have been branches swaying or might have been something else.
"Reality's getting thin," he said quietly. "I'm seeing distortions."
"Same," Lyra confirmed. "The rift is close."
Darius raised his hand, and they stopped. Ahead, through the trees, Astraeus could see a change in the light—or rather, a change in the darkness. A clearing where the shadows were deeper, more solid, as if the darkness itself had substance.
"That's it," Thomas whispered.
They moved forward slowly, using the trees as cover, until they reached the edge of the clearing. What they saw made Astraeus's blood run cold.
The clearing was roughly circular, perhaps fifty feet across. At its center, a rift hung in the air like a wound in reality—a vertical slash of absolute blackness, its edges crackling with dark energy that was the opposite of essence. Around the rift, the ground was scorched and dead, vegetation withered to ash in a perfect circle.
And surrounding the rift, standing motionless like sentinels, were five Voidborn.
They were similar to the creature Astraeus had seen in the warehouse but not identical. Each was roughly humanoid, too tall and too thin, with limbs that bent wrong and featureless faces split by mouths full of too many teeth. But these creatures had variations—one had extra arms sprouting from its torso, another had spikes growing from its spine, a third seemed to flicker in and out of visibility as if it couldn't quite maintain physical form.
Five of them, Kha'Zul said grimly. And they're guarding the rift. This isn't random. They're organized, which means there's probably a stronger one nearby. A Voidborn Alpha.
"We need to report this," Darius whispered. "Five creatures plus a possible Alpha is beyond our capability."
"We can't leave the rift open," Lyra countered. "Every hour it stays active, more creatures could come through."
"And if we die trying to close it, it stays open anyway," Thomas said. "Darius is right. This needs reinforcements."
Astraeus studied the clearing, his mind racing through possibilities. Five creatures, one rift, unknown Alpha. The tactical situation was terrible. But Lyra was also right—leaving the rift open meant more Voidborn, which meant more danger to Thornhaven and the surrounding settlements.
What are you thinking? Kha'Zul asked.
"I'm thinking about the warehouse. About how we combined our essence to seal that portal."
That was one creature and a smaller rift. This is five creatures, a stable rift, and possibly an Alpha. The scale is completely different.
"But the principle is the same. And I'm not alone this time. I have a team."
You're considering fighting them.
"I'm considering whether it's possible."
Astraeus turned to the others. "What if we could separate them? Draw them away from the rift one or two at a time, eliminate them individually, then seal the rift before reinforcements arrive?"
"That's a huge risk," Thomas said.
"So is leaving," Astraeus countered. "If we retreat, we lose half a day traveling back to Thornhaven, then however long it takes to assemble a larger team, then another half day returning. That's a full day minimum, probably longer. How many more Voidborn could come through in that time?"
Darius studied the clearing, his expression thoughtful. "The tactical situation is bad, but not impossible. If we could isolate them..." He looked at Lyra. "Could you create barriers to separate the clearing? Divide them so we're only fighting one or two at a time?"
"Maybe. Earth barriers would work if I had time to construct them. But the moment we engage, they'll all converge on us."
"Not if we're smart about it," Astraeus said. An idea was forming, risky but potentially viable. "Kha'Zul told me Voidborn are drawn to fear and pain. What if we use that? Create a distraction on one side of the clearing, draw some of them away, then hit the others while they're separated?"
"How do we create a distraction strong enough to draw them without putting someone in direct danger?" Thomas asked.
"Essence," Astraeus said. "A large release of essence on one side of the clearing would register as potential prey. They'd investigate. While they're distracted, we hit the ones that remain."
That could work, Kha'Zul admitted. But you'd need someone to maintain the essence release long enough to keep them distracted. And if they realize it's a trick, they'll return immediately.
"I could do it," Lyra said. "Create an earth construct that continuously releases essence. It wouldn't last long, but it might be enough."
Darius was quiet for a long moment, weighing the risks. Finally, he nodded. "It's insane. But it might work. Here's how we do it: Lyra creates the distraction on the far side of the clearing. Hopefully, three of them investigate. That leaves two near the rift. Thomas and I engage those two with maximum force—we need to kill them fast, before the others return. Astraeus, you start working on sealing the rift immediately. The moment those two are down, we have maybe thirty seconds before the others realize what's happening and return."
"And if all five come back before the rift is sealed?" Thomas asked.
"Then we run, and we don't stop until we're out of the forest," Darius said flatly. "This only works if we're fast and lucky. Everyone understand?"
They all nodded.
"Good. Lyra, set up your distraction. The rest of us get into position. We move on my signal."
Lyra circled around the clearing, moving silently through the trees until she was on the opposite side from the rift. Astraeus watched her gather essence, shaping it into a complex construct—a pillar of stone that pulsed with magical energy, designed to mimic the essence signature of a living being.
The Voidborn noticed immediately. Their heads turned in unison toward the distraction, mouths opening in silent anticipation. Three of them began moving toward it, their movements wrong and jerky, like puppets on invisible strings.
Two remained near the rift.
Now, Kha'Zul said.
"Now!" Darius hissed.
Thomas and Darius burst from cover, essence blazing. Thomas launched a concentrated beam of pure force that struck the nearest Voidborn in the chest, punching through its torso and sending it flying backward. Darius followed with a barrage of essence blades, slicing into the second creature.
Astraeus ran toward the rift, gathering his essence, preparing the sealing technique Kha'Zul had taught him. The rift pulsed with dark energy, resisting his approach, making his skin crawl and his essence recoil.
The second Voidborn, wounded but not dead, turned toward him. Its mouth opened impossibly wide, and that terrible scream-laugh echoed through the clearing.
Then Lyra was there, an earth barrier slamming up between Astraeus and the creature. "Seal it!" she shouted. "We'll handle them!"
Astraeus focused everything on the rift, pushing aside the sounds of combat behind him, the screams of dying Voidborn, the shouts of his teammates. He shaped his essence into the complex mandala pattern, the seal that would close dimensional breaches.
The rift fought him. It was stable, anchored, far stronger than the warehouse portal had been. He poured more essence into the seal, feeling his pool draining rapidly.
[ETHEREAL ESSENCE: 60/80]
Behind him, Thomas shouted a warning. The three distracted Voidborn had realized the trick and were returning, moving with terrifying speed.
"Astraeus, we need that rift closed NOW!" Darius yelled.
[ETHEREAL ESSENCE: 40/80]
The seal was forming, but too slowly. He needed more power.
Open the binding, Kha'Zul said. Like before. Let me help.
Astraeus didn't hesitate. He loosened the binding, and Kha'Zul's essence surged through him, crimson-black shadows mixing with silver-blue light. The combined power slammed into the rift with overwhelming force.
The rift screamed—an actual sound, like reality itself was being torn—and began to collapse.
[ETHEREAL ESSENCE: 15/80]
"It's closing!" Astraeus shouted. "Thirty seconds!"
"We don't have thirty seconds!" Thomas yelled back.
The three returning Voidborn were almost on them. Lyra raised earth barriers, but the creatures smashed through them like paper. Darius and Thomas stood between the Voidborn and Astraeus, essence blazing, fighting desperately to buy time.
Twenty seconds.
One Voidborn got past them, charging directly at Astraeus. He couldn't stop maintaining the seal—if he did, the rift would stabilize again, and everything would be for nothing.
Ten seconds.
The Voidborn's clawed hand reached for his face, close enough that he could smell its rot-stench breath.
Then Kha'Zul manifested.
Not fully—the binding wouldn't allow that—but enough. A crimson-black shadow erupted from Astraeus's back, massive and terrible, and caught the Voidborn's arm. The demon's essence burned into the creature, and it screamed, trying to pull away.
Five seconds.
The rift collapsed with a sound like thunder, the dark energy dissipating, the wound in reality sealing shut.
[QUEST COMPLETE: SEAL DIMENSIONAL RIFT]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 200]
Astraeus released the seal and staggered backward, his essence nearly depleted, his body shaking from exertion. Kha'Zul's manifestation faded, and the Voidborn he'd been holding collapsed, its connection to the void severed.
The remaining two creatures, cut off from their source of power, began to dissolve, their forms becoming translucent, then fading entirely.
Silence fell over the clearing.
"Is everyone alive?" Darius asked, breathing hard.
"Alive," Thomas confirmed.
"Here," Lyra said weakly.
"Still breathing," Astraeus managed.
They stood in the clearing, surrounded by scorched earth and dissolving Voidborn corpses, and realized they'd actually done it. Against terrible odds, they'd sealed the rift and eliminated the nest.
But as Astraeus looked at his teammates' expressions, he saw not triumph but concern. They'd all seen Kha'Zul manifest. They'd all seen the crimson-black shadow that had saved his life.
And now they had questions he couldn't answer.