Chapter 46

Sarah's POV

The night stretched endlessly as I prepared for what lay ahead. Celeste's words echoed in my mind, intertwining with the rhythm of my racing heartbeat. Axel's soul was trapped, and I was his only hope.

The small stone in my hand pulsed softly, its glow a reminder of the impossible journey I was about to undertake. I sat at the wooden table in the cottage, a single candle flickering in the darkness. Celeste stood by the window, her sharp gaze fixed on the horizon, as if sensing the unseen forces at work.

"What exactly am I walking into?" I asked, breaking the heavy silence.

Celeste turned, her face shadowed but resolute. "The rift is a place between worlds, a fracture in the fabric of existence where the dead and the living overlap. It's unstable, chaotic, and filled with entities that feed on despair and fear."

My stomach churned at her description, but I forced myself to focus. "And Axel? How do I find him in all of that?"

She stepped forward, placing a map on the table. The parchment was old, the ink faded, but the markings were clear. "The stone will guide you to the rift. Once inside, you'll need to anchor yourself to your strongest memories of Axel. Those memories will form a thread, a path to him. But be warned, Sarah—the rift will try to break you. It will twist your memories, turn your love into a weapon against you."

I swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling in. "What happens if I fail?"

Celeste's expression darkened. "If you lose your way, the rift will consume you. Your soul will be trapped alongside Axel's, lost in the void for eternity."

The gravity of the situation was suffocating, but I couldn't let fear paralyze me. I had already lost so much. I wouldn't lose Axel again.

"I'm ready," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil within.

Celeste nodded, her eyes searching mine. "You're stronger than you realize, Sarah. But strength alone won't be enough. You'll need to trust in your love for Axel, even when everything around you tells you it's a lie."

Celeste led me outside, where the night had deepened, and the stars shone brighter than I'd ever seen. The air was charged, humming with an energy that seemed to ripple through the fields.

"This is where it begins," she said, gesturing to a circle of stones in the clearing. "Step inside and hold the stone. It will open the path to the rift."

I hesitated for a moment, the weight of the unknown pressing down on me. But then I thought of Axel—his smile, his laughter, the way he held me as if I were his entire world. That memory gave me strength.

I stepped into the circle, the cool grass brushing against my bare feet. The stone in my hand began to glow brighter, its light pulsing in rhythm with my heartbeat.

"Focus on him," Celeste instructed. "Let his presence fill your mind. The stone will do the rest."

Closing my eyes, I clutched the stone tightly and let my thoughts drift to Axel. His voice, his touch, the way he whispered my name in the quiet moments we shared.

The air around me shifted, growing colder, heavier. A low hum resonated in my ears, building into a crescendo. The ground seemed to tremble beneath me, and when I opened my eyes, the world had changed.

The clearing was gone, replaced by a vast expanse of inky blackness. The ground beneath me seemed to be shifting—alive—like a pool of liquid shadows. The air smelled foul, like rotting earth, thick with the taste of despair.

This was The rift.

I staggered, trying to steady myself, but the ground felt uneven, unstable. Above me, the sky stretched into infinity, the stars barely visible behind a fog of shifting shadows.

The stone in my hand burned hot, its light casting faint glows against the darkness, but it was barely enough to see. Shapes moved in the blackness, obscured by the fog, slithering through the mist. I could hear low growls and distant screeches—things too horrible to comprehend.

"Axel!" I called, my voice trembling in the oppressive silence. My breath came in shallow gasps, but I couldn't let the fear take hold. I had to keep moving, keep searching for him.

The rift whispered, its voice a chorus of discordant echoes. "Sarah..." It sounded like Axel's voice, but twisted, broken. "You shouldn't have come."

I spun around, heart pounding, but there was nothing behind me except the endless void.

Suddenly, a shape lunged from the darkness, a creature with too many limbs, its body writhing as it moved. Its eyes glowed an unnatural red, and its claws scraped against the air, reaching for me. I stumbled back, the stone in my hand flaring brighter, a shield against the monstrous thing. It hissed, recoiling, but it wasn't deterred.

Another creature emerged, this one a massive, horned beast with twisted wings and a maw that seemed to stretch beyond reason. It snarled, its teeth jagged and sharp. The air around us crackled with energy, like an electric storm on the verge of exploding.

"Leave her!" a voice boomed from the shadows.

I whirled to see a figure stepping forward, tall and menacing, its face obscured by a hood. A demon—its eyes gleamed with malice as it raised one hand, and the creatures hesitated, drawn back into the dark.

"Not all that wanders in the rift is here to harm you," the demon said, its voice like gravel scraping against stone.

I was paralyzed, fear gripping me as I stared at the creature. "Who are you?" I asked, struggling to hold my ground.

"You are far from home, little human," it rasped. "And yet, you seek something."

"I'm looking for Axel," I said, my voice firmer despite the terror clutching my chest. "I have to find him."

The demon's lips curled into a grotesque smile. "Axel," it mused, "is not the only soul lost in this place. But to find him, you must pass through many trials... and even if you do, what you find may not be the man you remember."

A chill ran down my spine as its words sank in. Was Axel even still himself? Was I walking into a nightmare I couldn't escape from?

I clutched the stone tighter, feeling its warmth pulse against my skin. "I don't care what it takes. I will bring him back."

The demon's smile faded, and it raised a clawed hand, pointing to the depths of the rift. "Then you must face what you fear the most, child. The rift will twist your memories, turn your love into a curse. Proceed, but know this: the path is never as it seems."

With that, the demon vanished into the fog, leaving me alone in the rift once more.

I hesitated, fear clawing at my insides, but I couldn't back down now. I would find Axel. No matter what it cost me.

The path ahead seemed to shift with every step I took, leading me deeper into the darkness. The air grew colder, thicker with malevolent whispers. The rift was alive, and it would test every ounce of my strength. But for Axel... I would face it all.

I stepped forward, my heart steady despite the terror that surged through me. The journey had just begun, and the rift was only the first of many trials. But I was ready..... I had to be.