Chapter 84: The Last Stand

As he stumbled to his feet, Magnus felt the ground underneath him give apart like paper. An unfathomable storm of power surged toward him as the fissure tore open. His skin and spirit were being pulled by dark tendrils of energy that swept through the air. The oppressive pressure that threatened to crush him was fought with each breath.

He had to do something. He had no idea how, but somewhere in the midst of the commotion, he sensed Celeste's presence—faint and flickering like a fading flame. An irresistible force, a last convergence that would put an end to everything, was drawing them all toward the rift.

"Celeste!" he yelled into the night. But his voice was sucked up by the storm.

The earth underneath him moved with every stride. It became cooler. Ahead, he could make out the shadowy form—the monster that had been waiting, the origin of the rift. The creature had lost its humanity. It had changed, wriggling with vitality, a synthesis of force and nightmares.

Feeling the rift's energy flow through him, he balled his fists. There was nothing he could do now. If he did not destroy it, they would all be gone.

Everything turned black as Magnus lifted his fist to strike and a burst of light burst from the breach.

Celeste could not resist the pull of the rift as she dropped through the darkness, her heart pounding. Magnus's energy was pulsing through her, but it was weak—wanting. Despite her best efforts, the connection between them was eroding and sliding through her fingers.

"No, no, no!" she said in a voice that was hardly audible over the boom of the storm. She needed to discover him. She needed to make contact with him before it was too late.

They were being ripped apart by the rift, which had already torn apart their world. The force that governed it was overwhelming and oppressive. She found it difficult to comprehend the enormity of the situation they were in. There was no more time. She sensed that the end was in sight.

The exertion of clinging to the tenuous link caused her body to shake with tiredness and her vision to become blurry. She had to hold on. No, not yet.

Next came a voice. A whisper that broke through the confusion. "Celeste..."

It was not Magnus, but the voice was familiar. It was everything's driving force, the beast that had been hiding in the rift. "It is too late,"

With the world whirling around him, Magnus woke up, unable to breathe. He was no longer in the place he knew, no longer standing. All around him was blackness, a whirlpool of light and shadow. He was suddenly aware that he was no longer alone as the rift's energy pulsed in sync with his heartbeat.

The beast, a twisted figure of strength and hatred, appeared before him, its form constantly changing. With an unusual gleam in its eyes, it grinned.

In his ears, it sounded like thunder as it challenged, "You think you can stop this?" "You and your beloved Celeste are worthless. Fighting something you do not understand is impossible.

Magnus pushed himself to his feet while gritting his teeth. Even though he felt exhausted and heavy, he had no choice but to keep going. That was it. No going back.

The creature's form vanished as Magnus mustered the last of his might to attack, and a burning pain burst into his chest. He staggered back, gasping for air.

Standing in the middle of the rift, Celeste's mind was struggling to process what was going on around her. The rift itself was now alive, a beast that posed a threat to devour all in its path. A frightful force hummed in the air, and the ground beneath her feet was shifting and splitting.

Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate. Although it was slight and far away, she could sense Magnus' presence once more. She needed to connect with him and maintain their relationship.

She said, "Magnus!" once more, her voice quivering. "Here I am!"

Her surroundings were warped by the looming storm of unfathomable power. The thing attempted to rip them apart, but she resisted. But not without a struggle.

Behind her a shadow grew, and she turned just in time to see the entity's black figure reaching out, its body rippling with evil intent. She let out a cry as the icy fingers of the power of the fissure touched her flesh. She yelled, "No!"

Magnus stood in the blackness, but his vision cleared. He was in excruciating pain in his chest, yet it was nothing in comparison to the tremendous sense of loss he experienced. His thoughts were filled with the creature's mocking chuckle, which informed him that all of their hard work had been for nothing.

It growled, "You are nothing." "There will always be a rift."

Magnus, however, was uninterested. Celeste's energy flickered faintly just beyond of grasp, yet he could still sense her. She was still alive.

With one last push of will, he forced the blackness away and stood up in spite of the agony that almost killed him.

Magnus was about to face the rift when the ground beneath him broke apart, and the force of the gap swept around him like a tidal wave. Desperately he reached out to halt it, but the rift's brightness burst—blinding, all-consuming.