Chapter 96: The Final Threshold
As Magnus fell through the darkness, his body weightless, the air rushing past him, his heart pounded. The shadowy thing had torn up the earth beneath him, sending him tumbling into an unknowable emptiness. Gravity was suddenly his enemy, despite his best efforts to retake control. He felt a wave of panic, but he had to think, and there was no time for fear.
The force of the rift continued to pull at him, encircling his thoughts like a vice. Its murmurs had become more intense, a chorus of voices telling him that he had failed and that he was nothing. Magnus, however, tightened his jaw. He was not finished yet. By no means.
His fall slowed abruptly. He was hung in midair as the oppressive weight of the rift's power subsided. The emptiness surrounding him morphed into something more concrete, a pitch-black expanse that seemed to go on forever.
The ground beneath him exploded before he could respond, displaying a huge, incandescent symbol carved into the ground—an old seal he had studied. It held all the secrets. The last obstacle to the actual power of the rift.
However, a deep, piercing laugh reverberated through the black emptiness before Magnus could get close. He turned quickly, but the real opponent was waiting behind him, obstructing his way to the seal. It stated in a venomous voice, "You are too late." "This is the end of it all."
The silhouette glowed a sinister shade of crimson as the person moved forward. Dark energy seems to pulse through the very air surrounding it. Magnus could feel the weight, the overwhelming feeling that everything will alter because of what was happening here.
The figure spat, "You do not know what you are dealing with, but you assume you have defeated the thing and halted the rift." "You have been battling a tool, a puppet. I am the actual rift.
Magnus felt a knot in his stomach. This was no typical foe. The fissure was a living creature, strong, and intricately intertwined with everything. He had spent so much time searching for pieces because he thought that everything could be saved if he could only seal the split. He now saw, however, that he had been pursuing shadows.
"You can not stop me," the person added in a low, derisive voice. "You have lost already."
Magnus gripped the relic more tightly. He could not afford to hear the taunting from the rift. There was no turning back from this ultimate confrontation.
The rift surrounding them started to pulse with fierce energy as the figure raised its hand. As the force surged, Magnus's body shook and the ground underneath him began to split. The world was unraveling.
Magnus staggered back, barely maintaining his equilibrium, as the ground beneath his feet split apart like a hole in the Earth. The force of the rift was immense, filling the room with sinister strands that swung out at him, attempting to devour him. Once more, the figure's laugh reverberated through the atmosphere.
Magnus's mind was a haze. He could not allow this to prevail. He could not allow all of his efforts to be in vain. He had to move quickly. He could feel the power of the artifact pulsing in his hand, yet it was unstable, resisting the overpowering influence of the rift.
"You are merely a man," the creature mockingly said. "The rift is nothing like you. You have no chance at all.
Magnus's gaze grew strained. Even when the ground shook beneath him, he spoke steadily, "Then let us end it."
With his remaining effort, he lifted the relic and concentrated on the rift. The ultimate sacrifice had to be made.
Magnus was ready to release the artifact as it flared with blinding light, but the figure reached out and slammed its hand into his chest, sending him reeling backward. The relic dropped out of his grasp as his body crashed against the uneven ground.
Magnus strained to stand up, the world whirling as his chest heaved with pain. Over him the apparition stood, its dark eyes gleaming with self-satisfied smugness. "A fool. "You cannot prevail," it murmured, lowering itself to his level. "You are merely a stepping stone through the rift. You were always.
Magnus stared up at the man, his eyesight blurry as the defeat threatened to overwhelm him. Was this the last time? Had all he had fought for been in vain?
He was then reminded of who he was and what he had left to defend, and a spark of resistance ignited deep inside him. Although the artifact was just out of reach, there were other powers in the world.
Magnus spat, his voice hardly audible above a whisper, "You are mistaken." "I am more than just a man. It is up to me to decide how this ends.
Magnus reached for the relic with his remaining might. As soon as his fingertips touched it, he realized what needed to be done.
A dazzling flash burst from the artifact as his fingers closed over it, and the fissure twisted and writhed as though in response to Magnus's resistance. A glimmer of concern replaced the figure's arrogant look as the ground rocked violently. However, it was too late.
Magnus was on his feet, the relic he was holding blazing brightly. The creature was retreating, its black body quivering as though it were being burned by the light.
Magnus stated, "This is it," in a firm and determined voice. "This will come to an end. No more deception or coercion.
The voice of the rift rose in a clamor of anger and despair as it yelled. As the rift struggled against the artifact's power, the world itself began to fall apart as the ground around them continued to crack apart.
The figure, straining to keep control, growled, "You can not hold it long." It is excessive for you. You are nothing—
Magnus ignored the murmurs coming from the rift and took a step forward. "We will see how long you last, then."
Magnus threw the item into the center of the rift with a final, decisive effort as the light from it became blinding. Everything burst in a blast of light as soon as it touched down.
Magnus felt his body being ripped apart by the explosion's force as the rift wailed in pain. He was surrounded by darkness, but before everything turned black,
one thought echoed in his mind: Was this the end?