The blinding light erupted from the rift, surging outward with an intensity that made the very air feel like it was on fire. Tyler shielded his eyes, his body convulsing against the overwhelming force. The sound was deafening—a crescendo of pure energy, tearing through everything in its path. For a moment, he thought he might disintegrate into nothingness, consumed by the rift’s power.
But then, just as suddenly as it had come, the light receded.
Tyler’s eyes snapped open, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The world around him had shifted—changed. The ground beneath him was cracked and uneven, the air thick with a strange, oppressive energy. The sky above was a swirling mass of clouds, dark and roiling as though the very atmosphere was being torn apart.
But that wasn’t the most unsettl
