Chapter 92: The Choice of Power

Evryn’s breath caught in her throat as the creature loomed before them. Its form was monstrous—cloaked in shadow, its body shifting and writhing as though it were made of smoke and nightmare. Its eyes, twin orbs of burning red, locked onto hers with an intensity that sent a cold shiver down her spine. The rift behind it pulsed like a heartbeat, the power within it surging with every passing moment.

The figure beside her, the one who had been guiding her, raised his hand, his face a mask of calm determination. "Step back," he said, his voice low but steady. "This is not your fight."

Evryn took a hesitant step backward, but something deep inside her stirred. There was a connection between her and the rift—a pull she couldn’t ignore. She could feel the energy in the air, crackling, alive, calling to her. It was as though the rift had sensed her presence, recognized her as its key. The creature before them, too, seemed to be aware of it. Its gaze flicked between Evryn and the rift, its body tensing as if preparing for something monumental.

"What is it?" Evryn whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and fear. "What is that thing?"

The figure's eyes flickered with a shadow of sorrow. "It is a guardian, created to protect the rift. And now, it is drawn to you, to your power."

"But why?" she asked, her voice strained as she backed away from the looming creature. "What does it want with me?"

He didn’t answer immediately, his focus entirely on the creature. The guardian roared, its voice a guttural growl that seemed to shake the very earth beneath their feet. The ground trembled, and the air grew thick with a heavy, oppressive energy.

"Evryn," the figure said, his voice now laced with urgency. "You must understand. You are tied to this rift in ways you cannot yet comprehend. The power within you—within the very blood running through your veins—has the potential to either close the rift... or open it fully."

Her heart raced as the weight of his words sank in. "What does that mean? I don’t understand."

He turned to face her, his expression dark. "It means that the rift’s true nature is bound to you. You were chosen, Evryn. Chosen not by me, not by anyone here, but by forces far older, far more dangerous. And you must decide—will you close the rift and end its threat, or will you embrace the power within you and let it consume you?"

The words felt like a hammer striking her chest, leaving her breathless. Was she truly the key to everything? Was she meant to wield this power, to control the rift? She didn’t feel ready. She didn’t feel strong enough.

The guardian let out another roar, its form distorting as it began to advance, its massive claws scraping the earth with an eerie screech. "You don’t have much time," the figure warned. "Once the rift completes its opening, nothing will be able to stop what comes through. You have to make a choice, Evryn. You can’t wait forever."

She glanced at him, her heart hammering in her chest. "I— I can’t do this. I don’t know how."

The figure’s eyes softened for the briefest moment. "You don’t need to know everything now. Trust your instincts. The power within you will guide you."

And then, just as quickly, the calmness in his eyes was replaced by a sharp urgency. "Now, Evryn. Do it now!"

The ground beneath their feet cracked again, but this time, it was different. The very fabric of the earth seemed to tear open as dark tendrils of energy surged from the rift, snaking across the land like serpents. The guardian lunged forward, its jaws snapping, but before it could reach them, a blast of white-hot energy shot from Evryn’s hands, slamming into the creature and sending it flying backward with a deafening screech.

Evryn’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t even meant to do that. The energy had erupted from her hands without her control, and now the guardian was writhing on the ground, dazed but still alive.

Her mind was racing. She had done that. That power—it was hers. But how? And why did it feel so natural, so right, as though it had always been a part of her?

The figure stepped forward, his face a mixture of relief and wariness. "You have begun to awaken your power," he said. "But there’s no time to waste. The rift is growing stronger by the second."

Evryn turned her gaze back to the rift, her eyes narrowing as the dark tendrils continued to writhe, reaching for her like the fingers of some ancient, hungry creature. The rift was alive. It was as if it were calling to her, pulling her toward it.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She was the key. She was the one who could stop it—or let it consume everything.

The figure raised his hand, a sharp command in his voice. "You must make a choice, Evryn. Will you fight the rift, or will you embrace it?"

She hesitated, feeling the weight of his words, feeling the weight of the power that surged within her. The decision was hers—and hers alone.

In that moment, everything slowed. The roar of the guardian, the crackling energy of the rift, the overwhelming pressure that pressed against her chest—it all became a distant hum, as though time itself had paused. Evryn closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, focusing on the pulse of power that resonated within her. It was dark and foreign, but it was also her own.

I can do this, she thought, the resolve in her heart hardening.

With a sudden motion, she thrust her hands forward, directing the energy within her toward the rift.

The rift trembled.

And then—nothing.

For a fleeting moment, there was silence.

But as the silence stretched, a dark, rumbling laughter echoed from within the rift, rising like a storm from the depths. It was the voice from before—the same one that had whispered her name, the same one that had called to her.

"You think you can stop me?" the voice mocked, its tone dripping with malice. "You have no idea what you are dealing with."

The ground beneath her feet cracked open, and the very air seemed to distort, bending and warping around her.

Evryn’s breath caught in her throat as she realized the truth.

She hadn’t sealed the rift.

She had opened it further.

As the darkness surged toward her, the figure beside her shouted, "No! Evryn, stop!" But it was too late. The rift had already begun to widen, and from it, something far worse than the guardian began to emerge.