The world seemed to pause.
For a moment, all that Mary could feel was the pulse of the rift, beating in time with her own heart. Her sword had struck the crystal, its radiant light blinding as it surged into the heart of the abyss. She felt the energy explode from the point of contact, a shockwave that rattled her bones and sent her crashing to the ground. The rift had flared violently, and for a heartbeat, she feared it would swallow them whole.
But then, the light dimmed. The oppressive weight that had suffocated them lifted, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to settle, as if the very air had exhaled a collective sigh of relief. The creatures, the monstrosities that had spilled from the darkness, were gone. The air felt thinner, lighter. The pull of the rift was no longer as suffocating, and its whispers—those whispers that had haunted Mary's every step—seemed to fade away.
Mary struggled to her feet, her body aching from the explosion of dark energy. She wiped the blood from her mouth, her head spinning. The sword, her sword, was still in her grip. Its glow had faded, and she could feel its power ebbing, but it had done its job. It had struck the crystal. It had given them a chance.
"Mary," Loosie's voice was shaky but filled with awe. "Did… did it work?"
Mary turned toward her sister, her expression hard and unreadable. She couldn't answer right away. She didn't know. The crystal had cracked, its surface splintered like glass under the weight of her blow, but there was no telling if it had been destroyed. The rift still loomed overhead, a vast expanse of twisting shadows, its energy still thrumming beneath their feet.
Lela was beside her now, her eyes scanning the horizon. She raised her sword, watching for any signs of danger. The air felt calm, but they knew better than to let their guard down.
"The rift's hold is weakening," Lela said, her voice low. "But I don't think it's over. Not yet."
Mary nodded, her gaze fixed on the shattered crystal at the peak of the spire. The dark energy still swirled around it, but it was different now. The light from the crystal pulsed erratically, and the black energy seemed to writhe in agony. It was no longer the steady, consuming power it had been—it was unstable, flickering in and out like a dying flame.
"We've only delayed it," Mary said. "But the rift isn't going to let go that easily. It won't just die."
"Then we finish what we started," Lela said, her tone resolute. She looked to Mary, her eyes filled with a grim determination. "We destroy it for good."
Mary didn't hesitate. She could feel it deep in her bones. The rift had been wounded, but not killed. It was alive, and it would keep fighting to consume the world unless they finished it now. She clenched her fists around the hilt of her sword and began to walk forward.
The others followed, each one of them resolute in their mission. Loosie was silent now, her usual playful demeanor gone, replaced by a focused intensity. Her arrows had no effect on the rift, but Mary knew she was ready to fight to the end. Lela, too, moved with purpose, her sword gleaming as if it were a living extension of herself.
Together, they reached the base of the spire, where the crystal's shattered fragments lay like dark jewels scattered across the ground. The energy from the rift pulsated violently, and the air itself seemed to hum with the threat of impending destruction. Mary's heart raced. She could feel the rift's anger in the very air around them, as if it were conscious of their presence, aware that they had come to finish what they had started.
"We need to destroy the crystal completely," Mary said, her voice cold, determined. "But it's not going to be easy. The rift won't let us."
"We won't let it win," Lela said, her voice filled with fire.
Mary nodded. She could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on her. This wasn't just about them anymore. It was about everything. The world. The lives that depended on them. If they failed now, there would be nothing left to save.
She stepped forward, sword raised, but as she did, the ground beneath them trembled. A deep, guttural rumble echoed through the air, followed by the sound of cracking stone. The spire itself began to shift, its shape distorting as if it were alive, fighting against them. Dark tendrils of energy reached out from the rift, writhing like snakes, seeking to ensnare them, to drag them into the abyss.
"Move!" Lela shouted, her voice sharp as she swung her sword, cutting through the tendrils of energy that lashed out at them.
Loosie was already firing arrows, each one infused with the last remnants of her magic, but they evaporated into smoke the moment they touched the dark tendrils.
Mary's heart raced as the rift grew more unstable. She could feel its power trying to pull her in, to drown her in its depths. She clenched her sword tighter, ignoring the fear that threatened to rise in her chest. This was it. This was the final fight.
With a determined cry, she charged forward, her sword held high. The crystal at the top of the spire flickered, its energy surging as if it recognized her approach. The rift fought back with everything it had, but Mary was faster. She leapt toward the crystal, her sword aimed directly at its core.
The world seemed to slow. Time stretched out as she closed in on the crystal. It was a blinding light now, its energy boiling over, filling the air with the scent of burning ozone.
She felt the pulse of the rift just as her sword struck the crystal. A searing pain shot through her arm, but she didn't falter. She drove the sword deeper, pushing past the barrier of dark energy that surrounded the crystal. She could feel it weakening under her strike, its power flickering like a dying star.
Then, with a violent explosion, the crystal shattered, and a wave of energy erupted from it. Mary was thrown backward, the force of the explosion sending her crashing to the ground. She felt the impact, but her senses were dulled, the world spinning around her.
Everything went dark.