Chapter 150: Falling into the Abyss

Evryn's world shattered as the ground gave way beneath her, the very foundation of the rift crumbling like sand under a tidal wave. Her body plunged into darkness, the air thick with the scent of sulfur and despair. She couldn’t scream, couldn’t gasp—everything was silent except for the deafening rush of wind as her descent continued, endless and cold.

Time seemed to stretch on, her limbs disjointed, her mind unable to grasp anything but the terrifying uncertainty of the fall. Was she falling into the depths of the rift? Or had it opened some kind of portal to another place—another world?

Her thoughts swirled like the darkness around her, but one thing remained clear: the Beast was free now, and if she didn’t act quickly, everything—Kai, the Heart of the Rift, the very fabric of reality itself—would be consumed by it.

With a violent jolt, Evryn's body hit the ground, hard. Pain shot up her spine, a burst of agony that stole her breath away. She lay there, unable to move, her entire body aching from the fall. Her mind raced, but it felt like an eternity before she could force herself to sit up, blinking against the blinding darkness. The air was thick, humid, and heavy with something ancient. The pressure around her chest was suffocating, as though the very atmosphere itself was trying to crush her.

Evryn pushed herself to her knees, her vision slowly adjusting to the shadows around her. The place she had landed in was unlike anything she had ever seen. Jagged rock formations twisted upwards, and the sky—if it could even be called that—was an inky void, filled with swirling storm clouds that shifted unnaturally. No stars, no moon. Just blackness, and an oppressive sense of dread.

There was no sign of the Beast, no trace of the destruction that had torn the ground apart. But the sense of being watched, hunted, pressed against her like a physical weight. She wasn’t alone here.

Evryn’s breath caught in her throat. She could feel it—something was moving in the shadows, circling her. Watching.

She turned, trying to assess her surroundings. In the distance, faint glows pulsed from deep within the rock formations, as though something ancient was stirring beneath the surface. And somewhere beyond those glowing fissures, she could feel the rift's pull, tugging at her like a rope tethered to her soul.

“Evryn,” a voice whispered, not from her ears but from deep inside her mind.

Her heart skipped a beat. It was familiar, yet alien. A soft, ethereal voice that called to her in a way that felt both comforting and terrifying. “Evryn, come closer.”

Instinctively, her body reacted before her mind could process the words. Her legs carried her forward, each step heavy with an unseen force. The voice called again, louder this time, beckoning her deeper into the abyss.

"Come to me," it whispered. "You have nothing left to fear."

Evryn’s pulse quickened. She had no idea where the voice was coming from or what it wanted, but it felt wrong. And yet, there was a strange, undeniable pull to follow it. Something in her screamed to resist, but her body betrayed her as she took another step.

She had to stop herself. This wasn’t right.

"Stop," she murmured to herself, planting her feet firmly on the ground. "This is a trick. Don’t listen to it."

But the pull was stronger now, as if the very ground beneath her feet was reaching out to claim her. And then, from behind, a sudden explosion of noise shattered the eerie silence. The ground trembled, and a dark figure emerged from the shadows.

Evryn spun around, her breath coming in short gasps. Standing before her was the last person she expected to see.

"Kai?" she whispered, her voice shaky. "How—how are you here?"

He looked different—changed. His eyes were no longer the familiar warmth she knew, but cold, distant, and unfocused. His body was surrounded by a faint, otherworldly glow, his features contorted into something unrecognizable.

"Evryn," he said, his voice hollow. "I’ve been waiting for you."

Her heart twisted with both relief and confusion. "Kai, what’s happening? What is this place? And why are you—what’s wrong with you?"

His lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "There’s no time for questions. You need to come with me. The Heart is calling to you. It’s almost too late."

Before she could react, he extended a hand toward her. His skin shimmered with a strange energy, and for a moment, Evryn felt the same pull she had felt earlier, only now it was stronger—darker.

“Don’t,” Evryn cried, instinctively stepping back. “Kai, no. This isn’t you. Whatever this is—whatever you’ve become—it’s not you!”

He laughed softly, but it wasn’t a comforting sound. “You still don’t understand, do you? I’ve always been a part of the rift. I’ve always been connected to it. It was only a matter of time before we came together again.”

Evryn’s stomach churned. The rift. She had feared this, but hearing it from him—seeing it in his eyes—was worse than any nightmare she could have imagined.

“What are you saying?” she demanded, trying to steady herself as her pulse raced. “What do you mean, ‘we came together again’?”

“You and I,” Kai said, his voice soft and almost affectionate now. “We’re bound to the same destiny, Evryn. And together, we will unlock the true power of the rift. You feel it too, don’t you? The call.”

The truth hit her like a bolt of lightning. The energy she had felt within herself—the strange, pulsing force that seemed so intimately connected to the rift—it was a part of her, yes. But it was also a part of him. And now, it seemed, their fates had collided in this dark, twisted place. Whatever this connection was, it wasn’t something they could easily escape.

“I can’t let you do this,” Evryn said, her voice shaking with determination. “Whatever you’ve become, I won’t let you drag me into it.”

His face hardened, and the glow around him flared brightly. “You don’t have a choice, Evryn. You never did.”

In an instant, the ground beneath her feet trembled again. The air crackled with power as the very fabric of the abyss began to shift, as though the rift itself was reacting to their presence.

Kai stepped forward, his hand still extended. “Come with me, and together we can unlock everything. The Heart will be ours.”

Evryn stood her ground, her body trembling with a mix of fear and defiance. "You’re wrong. I won’t let the rift consume me. Not again."

Before Kai could respond, the ground shook violently beneath them, and the faint glow in the distance flared brighter. The Beast’s roar echoed once more, louder this time, its presence far closer than she had anticipated. It was coming, and it wasn’t going to wait for them to figure things out.

Evryn looked at Kai one last time, her resolve hardening. "I’m sorry."

And before he could stop her, she turned and ran, toward the distant glow, toward the Heart of the Rift. She didn’t know if she could make it, but she had no other choice.

Behind her, Kai’s voice rang out—sharp and desperate. “You can’t outrun it, Evryn! You can’t outrun your fate!”

But she didn’t look back.

The abyss was closing in.

And Evryn was running out of time.