THE THING THAT SHOULD NOT EXIST
The sky split like torn flesh.
The rift hung above the battlefield, pulsing, rotating as though breathing on its own. Darkness spilled from its edges—not shadow, but something heavier, colder. A voidness that swallowed the morning light.
Nara’s pulse hammered painfully, her hands trembling against the earth. The Alpha Devourer’s claws still pinned her down, but even it seemed stunned, ember eyes flicking toward the horror emerging from the rift.
“What is that…?” Nara whispered, though she wasn’t sure she had breath left.
Kael didn’t answer.
He couldn’t.
His entire body shook, shadows rippling violently across his skin. His curse reacted to the rift like a cornered animal—flickering, choking, trying to latch onto him more aggressively.
But Kael’s eyes
