The tremors in the Hollow grew stronger, vibrating through the ground like a heartbeat. Ethan's Beastmark pulsed in unison, resonating with the Rift's energy, as if it, too, was awakening from a long slumber. The Warden's cryptic words echoed in his mind—you are the key.
What did that mean? Was he truly connected to the Rift in ways he didn't yet understand?
Zeila stepped closer, her expression grim. "We need to get out of here. The Rift is stirring. Whatever's coming next, it's not just going to be another Bonebound."
Ethan nodded but didn't respond immediately. His mind was elsewhere—focused on the medallion, still tucked into Zeila's belt. That symbol, the eye split by a fang… it meant something. It had to. His mother's journal had been full of references to an ancient war between those who sought to control the Rift and those who sought to destroy it. Had his mother been preparing him for this?
"We can't outrun whatever's coming," Kael said, voice tinged with frustration. "We're going to need an edge. And we're going to need it fast."
Ethan turned, meeting Kael's gaze. His friend was right. The Bonebound they had just defeated had been only a piece of a much larger puzzle. The Warden… it had been waiting for him. It knew who he was, what he was becoming. And the Rift had chosen him.
Zeila looked at Ethan, her expression softening slightly. "Do you have a plan?"
He nodded, reaching for the journal. "I need to go back to the Guild archives. There's something in the records there. If I can find a reference to the Warden, to this key… maybe we can learn how to sever the connection. Before it's too late."
Zeila gave a sharp nod. "Then we move. Now."
With that, they set off through the Hollow, the distant howls of the Rift growing louder. The landscape twisted and shifted around them as if the Rift itself was breathing, pressing in on them. Shadows flickered in the corners of their vision, but each time they turned, there was nothing there.
Ethan could feel it now—a presence, always just out of sight. The Warden. It was watching.
They reached the Guild archives within hours, the imposing structure looming in the distance. But as they approached, something felt off. The gates to the archive were wide open, and the usual guard was absent. Inside, the shelves of ancient tomes stretched into the darkness, untouched for years.
Kael paused at the entrance. "Something's wrong. No one leaves the archives unguarded."
Ethan didn't hesitate. He stepped inside, his senses on high alert. The silence felt unnatural, oppressive.
"Spread out," Zeila said, her voice a whisper. "I'll take the upper levels."
Ethan made his way through the aisles, scanning the bookshelves for anything that could help. His fingers brushed across the spines, some covered in dust, others glowing faintly with Rift energy. It was here, among these ancient texts, that the answers had to lie.
A low growl broke the silence.
Ethan spun around, sword at the ready. A figure stepped from the shadows—tall, cloaked in darkness, with eyes burning like coals.
The Warden.
It stood there, watching him, its presence heavy, filling the room with an overwhelming sense of cold. Behind the mask, its hollow eyes seemed to study Ethan, as if weighing his very soul.
"You shouldn't have come here, Ethan," the Warden's voice echoed, reverberating through the chamber.
Ethan's grip tightened on his sword, but his mind raced. The creature before him was not just another Bonebound—it was something far older, far more dangerous. A guardian, perhaps, or even a manifestation of the Rift itself.
"I'm not afraid of you," Ethan said, trying to steady his breath. His Beastmark flared, its power growing, thrumming in his veins. "What do you want with me?"
The Warden tilted its head, the shadows around it swirling. "I am but a servant of the Rift. And you, Ethan, are its true master. You are the key that will unlock the door. The door to the true power of the Rift."
Ethan's mind flashed back to the medallion, to the journal, to everything his mother had tried to prepare him for. This was no longer just a fight for survival—it was a fight for control. The Rift wanted him. And if the Warden was to be believed, Ethan was the only one who could wield its power.
But at what cost?
The Warden stepped forward, its form shifting like smoke. "The others have tried. They've all failed. But you… you will be different. You will be the one to wield the Rift's power. You will be the one to remake the world."
Ethan's heart pounded. He didn't want to be a puppet to the Rift. He didn't want to be a tool for its destruction. But he couldn't ignore the pull, the burning sensation within him, urging him to take control.
"Not if I can stop it," he said through gritted teeth. He didn't know how, but he couldn't allow himself to be consumed by this power. He had to find another way—one that wouldn't destroy everything he held dear.
The Warden's laughter echoed through the chamber, a hollow, mocking sound. "You don't understand, Ethan. You are the power. And you always have been."
Before Ethan could react, the Warden lunged, faster than he could track. Its shadowy form blurred, and in a heartbeat, it was upon him, its hand closing around his throat, its grip cold as ice.
"You will not escape your destiny," the Warden hissed.
But Ethan's Beastmark flared to life, an explosion of energy that sent the Warden stumbling back. Ethan's sword crackled with Riftlight, and for a moment, he felt a surge of power—one that threatened to overwhelm him. The force of the energy was almost too much to control, but he grasped onto it, focusing his will, his desire to protect those he loved.
"Enough!" Ethan shouted, the words more than a command. They were a declaration. He wouldn't let the Rift control him. He would control it.
The Warden reeled back, its eyes wide with something like disbelief. "You… you defy the Rift? You defy your birthright?"
Ethan didn't answer. His sword blazed with Riftfire, its light filling the room as he stepped forward, pushing the Warden back with each strike. He wouldn't let the Rift consume him. Not now. Not ever.
The Warden's form flickered. "This isn't over, Ethan. You will come to understand. You are the key…"
The figure dissolved into the shadows, leaving only the echo of its words.
Ethan stood there, panting, his heart racing. But the feeling of the Rift's pull was still there, deep inside him, waiting. The battle had only just begun.