The great sanctum doors groaned open, echoing through the void like the bellow of a beast waking from slumber.
A storm of corrupted mana poured from the chamber, pressing down on the trio like a tidal wave. Liora steadied her breath. Reynar adjusted the grip on his blade. Sylvie… didn't flinch.
This time, she wasn't walking into the fight alone.
"I don't see anything," Reynar muttered as they entered the vast chamber. "Yet."
The sanctum was a shattered cathedral, its ceiling cracked open to reveal a sky swirling with void lightning. Jagged pillars arced upward, broken statues of forgotten gods half-buried in the cracked floor. At the center: a black altar, bleeding light from a gaping rift.
Then it appeared.
From the void stepped the guardian—a towering, spider-like creature with a humanoid upper body, cloaked in a priest's shredded robes. Its eight legs clacked against the marble floor, and its many eyes glowed with sickly purple fire.
[System Alert]Boss Detected: Corrupted Arch-Priest Vel'tarClassification: Elite Voidspawn Sanctum GuardianEstimated Threat Level: Deadly
The boss shrieked, and the void responded in kind.
"Positions!" Liora shouted.
They split immediately. Reynar charged forward, becoming the boss's focus. His blade clashed against Vel'tar's carapace, sending a shockwave across the floor. The monster's lower limbs lashed out in response, but Reynar pivoted, deflecting with precision.
From above, Sylvie leapt down from a pillar, landing on the boss's back and driving her daggers into a glowing sigil etched into its spine. Voidfire erupted, throwing her off, but not before she carved deep.
Liora's knives followed, wind-charged and piercing. "Left arm exposed!" she called.
"I see it!" Reynar swept low, slicing through one of the spider limbs. Black ichor sprayed.
Vel'tar screamed. The chamber shook.
And then—darkness.
The boss's body exploded in shadow, creating a dome of pure void energy. Inside, everything went silent.
The system flickered.
[Warning: Magic Distortion Detected][Boss Phase II Initiated]
Reynar felt it first—a hand on his chest, his breath freezing, his vision distorting.
A projection.
A memory.
A voice.
"You will always be powerless, Reynar. Just like back then."
His bullies. His teachers. His past life. All whispered into his ear.
But then—Liora's voice cut through.
"Reynar! Focus! You're not there anymore!"
He gasped—and the vision cracked.
Sylvie fell to her knees, her master's voice tearing through her head.
Disappointment. Failure. Worthless. Replaceable.
But then a warm hand grasped hers.
Reynar.
"You're not his slave anymore."
She blinked—and the darkness loosened its grip.
Liora was next—seeing her family's final moments. Blood on the mountain snow. Cold. Powerless.
Until Sylvie's voice echoed across the void.
"You didn't survive that just to die here."
Light burst outward.
The dome shattered.
They stood together once more—stronger than the darkness.
Vel'tar shrieked and lunged.
But it was too late.
Sylvie's blades found the sigil again.
Liora's wind pushed the boss off balance.
Reynar's empowered blade—burning with new resolve—cleaved through its chest.
With one final roar, Vel'tar collapsed into dust and shadow.
Silence.
And then the void rift above them cracked, then sealed.
[System Notification]Sanctum Cleared. Dungeon Collapse Imminent – Exit in 60 seconds.Reward Distribution Initiated.
They emerged from the rift as the portal faded behind them, the cold night air of Eldwyn washing over their sweat-soaked skin.
None of them spoke right away.
They didn't need to.
They had survived.
Together.
[System Notification]Companion Affinity Updates:Liora – 88%Sylvie – 39%Trio Combat Trait Unlocked: Synced StrikeTitle Earned: Riftbreakers