The Vanguard descended into the city of Prague, where the air itself shimmered with unstable magic. Buildings groaned under the pressure of the Rift Nexus.
Kai could feel Elias's presence like gravity.
Then he stepped through the Rift.
The first clash was a blur—Kai moving through space, Elias freezing time. Riftlight crackled as Nyx and Mina joined the fray. Lucien shielded the civilians caught near the collapse.
> [Kai Activated: Rift Walk]
[Elias Countered: Chrono Lock]
Kai pushed past the system suppression with Voidbound Insight, barely dodging a spectral strike.
"You've grown," Elias said, voice like frost.
Kai's blade kissed Elias's coat. A warning.
"You taught me to fight," Kai said. "But not to obey."
> [System Conflict: Riftwalker vs. Architect]
Their powers shattered the air.
But Elias wasn't here to win.
He retreated into the Rift just as the core stabilized—intact, but altered.
> [New Mission: Hunt the Architect]