Chapter 54

Sarah's POV

The rift's tendrils tightened around me, dragging me closer to the figure that claimed to be its essence. The air grew colder, heavier, as though the darkness itself was swallowing every ounce of life from my body. My skin burned with the cold, my lungs strained against the suffocating weight, and my mind teetered on the edge of collapse.

But somewhere deep inside, a spark of defiance refused to be extinguished.

"No!" I screamed, twisting against the shadows. The stone in my hand flared with light, its pulse synchronizing with the rapid beat of my heart. I clutched it tightly, the heat of it a reminder that I wasn't entirely powerless.

The figure recoiled slightly, the tendrils quivering as if the light of the stone had stung them. It hissed, a sound that reverberated through the rift like nails scraping across raw metal.

"You think you can fight me?" the figure spat, its voice growing sharper, angrier. "You're nothing but a fragment—a weak, fleeting thing trying to stand against the infinite!"

I forced myself to my feet, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. The shadows writhed, slithering along my limbs, trying to pull me down again, but I focused on the stone's warmth. It grew hotter with each passing second, its light carving through the darkness like a blade.

"I may not be infinite," I said through gritted teeth, my voice shaking but steady. "But I'm not weak. And I'm not giving up."

With a surge of determination, I held the stone aloft. Its glow intensified, blindingly bright, illuminating the twisted walls of the rift. For the first time, I could see the figure's face—or what passed for it.

It was no longer just a mass of shadows. Features began to emerge, shifting and unstable, but horrifyingly familiar. Its face was my own.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. The creature stared at me with my own eyes, cold and hollow, its twisted lips curling into a mocking smile.

"You see it now," it whispered. "The truth you've been running from."

"No," I murmured, shaking my head. "You're lying."

The figure stepped closer, the shadows around it swirling like a storm. "You came here to save him, but you don't even understand why. It was never just about Axel. You came here to prove that you're not like the others—to prove that you could break the curse, that you could escape the fate waiting for you."

"Shut up!" I snapped, my grip on the stone tightening.

"But you can't, Sarah," it continued, undeterred. "The rift reflects what you are. And what you are is broken. Just like him. Just like everyone who's ever come here."

I clenched my jaw, the heat in my chest flaring into anger. "I'm not broken."

The figure laughed—a sound that echoed with bitterness and cruelty. "Aren't you? You think your determination makes you strong, but it's nothing more than desperation. You're clinging to a hope that doesn't exist. Axel is gone. The rift has claimed him, and it will claim you too."

The stone in my hand pulsed again, stronger this time, and I felt something shift. The heat spread through my body, chasing away the cold, the fear. I took a step forward, my gaze locked on the creature's mocking eyes.

"You're wrong," I said, my voice steady now. "I'm not like you. I'm not like any of this."

The light from the stone grew brighter, and I felt the shadows loosening their grip. The figure recoiled, its face contorting with anger and pain.

"You cannot escape me!" it roared, its form rippling and twisting, growing larger, more monstrous. The walls of the rift trembled, the ground beneath my feet cracking as the entire space seemed to collapse inward.

But I wasn't afraid anymore.

I held the stone close to my chest, its warmth filling me with a strength I hadn't realized I possessed. "You don't control me," I said, my voice rising above the chaos. "And you never will."

The light exploded outward, a brilliant burst that tore through the darkness. The figure screamed, its form unraveling, the shadows dissolving into nothingness. The rift itself seemed to shudder, its walls collapsing, the oppressive weight lifting as the light spread.

And then, silence.

---

When I opened my eyes, I was no longer in the rift.

I stood in a vast, open space bathed in soft, golden light. The air was warm, soothing, and the oppressive presence of the rift was gone. I looked around, my heart pounding, and saw him.

Axel.

He was lying on the ground a few feet away, his body still and pale. My breath caught in my throat, and I rushed to his side, dropping to my knees.

"Axel," I whispered, my hands shaking as I reached for him. "Please… wake up."

For a moment, nothing happened. And then, his chest rose—just a shallow breath, but it was enough to send relief flooding through me.

His eyes fluttered open, and when they met mine, they were no longer hollow, no longer dark. They were his eyes again.

"Sarah…" he murmured, his voice weak but unmistakably his.

Tears streamed down my face as I cradled his head in my hands. "You're okay," I said, my voice trembling. "You're going to be okay."

He smiled faintly, his hand reaching up to touch mine. "You… saved me."

Before I could respond, the light around us grew brighter, and I felt a pull—a gentle, irresistible force drawing us upward. The rift was closing, releasing us from its grasp.

As the light enveloped us, I held onto Axel, my heart filled with a hope I hadn't felt in what seemed like an eternity. We were going home.

Together.