The world stood still for what felt like an eternity. Amara was gone, her presence consumed by the rift’s blinding light. For a moment, the chaotic energy that had threatened to tear reality apart seemed to stabilize, leaving behind an eerie, fragile silence. The ground no longer trembled, and the howling winds of the rift had ceased.
Tyler stirred first, groaning as he pushed himself up from the rubble-strewn ground. His vision was blurry, his body aching from the earlier confrontation. He blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the scene before him. The rift—the monstrous, uncontrollable force—was now a pulsing, stationary orb of energy, suspended midair like a silent sentinel.
“Amara?” he called, his voice hoarse.
There was no response.
One by one, the others began to awaken, each
