ALARIC POV
Inside the Rift: Trapped Between Worlds
I had screamed myself hoarse.
My fists were bloodied. The enchanted wall before me—a rippling membrane of silver mist and arcane runes—refused to break no matter how hard I struck it. Magic flared uselessly from my palms, and the pain of failure settled into my bones like rot.
I could see them.
Abby. Damian. Norma. Even the blasted knights. Their outlines shimmered just beyond the glassy barrier, distorted like reflections on water. I could see Abby collapsing. The storm around her. The way her hand trembled on the scorched ground.
But they couldn’t see me.
Couldn’t hear me.
Like I didn’t exist.
“ABBY!” I bellowed again, pounding the barrier. “I’m here! DAMN IT—LOOK AT ME!”
The wall pulsed in response. Softly. Mocking me.
A hand
