Tyler’s heart pounded as the ground beneath him quaked, the very air vibrating with the immense energy of the rift. His gaze snapped to Amara, her figure standing still but radiating an undeniable force. She was changing—he could feel it, a dark presence spreading from her, a pull he couldn’t explain. He took a step forward, desperate to reach her, to pull her back from whatever she had become, but something stopped him.
The figure—the dark silhouette—watched silently as the rift’s energy surged around them, encircling them in a dome of crackling power. Tyler’s chest tightened. He had never felt so small, so helpless. What had happened to Amara? How could she be standing there, a part of the rift’s influence, yet still... her?
“Amara!” Tyler shouted again, reaching out for her, his voice
