Valefor Crater was an open wound on the world—blackened stone, floating debris, and a constant thunder that echoed from nowhere.
As Kai and the strike team stepped through the Rift Gate, gravity shifted. Time slipped. The deeper they went, the less stable the world felt.
> [Anomaly Detected: Rift Layer 6. Warning: Dimensional Instability Imminent.]
"Stay focused," Kai said. "The final Counter-Core is beneath the crater's heart."
But Elias had laid a trap.
From the shadows, Riftborn Champions emerged—monsters fused with human memories. And leading them was someone unexpected:
Lucien.
He stood cloaked in corrupted armor, Rift energy pulsing along his veins.
"You left me behind," he said. "And Elias showed me the truth. We fight chaos by mastering it—not resisting it."
Mina screamed. "No—Lucien, don't do this!"
> [System Alert: Vanguard Member 'Lucien' flagged as Hostile – Title: Riftbound General]
Kai's eyes hardened. "Then we end this. Now."