The ground beneath Alex's feet cracked open like fragile glass, and for a moment, he felt weightless, suspended in the churning void of the Nexus. The forsaken creature's laughter, twisted and dark, echoed in the emptiness around him. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat a reminder of the horror he had unwittingly unleashed. As if reality itself was collapsing in on itself, Alex's instincts screamed at him to move, to run, but his body was frozen in place. The air around him grew thick with an oppressive pressure, a force that seemed to bend time itself. He could hear the hum of something ancient and powerful—an energy that had been dormant for eons slowly awakening. Alex: (gritting his teeth, desperate) "What have I done?" The forsaken creature before him stepped closer, its presence overwhelming. It was no longer a mere shadow but something far more terrifying. The very atmosphere seemed to distort around it, the darkness in its eyes consuming everything in its path. The crea

The very air crackled with power as the figure emerged from the rift, the light surrounding it so intense that Alex's eyes stung from the sheer brilliance. The Nexus, a place already brimming with impossibly ancient energies, felt as though it was being torn asunder by the arrival of this unknown being. With every step it took, the ground trembled, reality itself quivering in its wake. The Harbinger, once so towering and mighty, faltered. It was a creature of darkness, a force that had commanded the very essence of this place but now, it recoiled in the presence of the figure. Its glowing eyes flickered with a mix of fear and fury. Whatever was coming, it was beyond even the Harbinger’s comprehension. Harbinger: (low, snarling, desperate) "No. This can't be! You shouldn't be here! The figure said nothing as it stepped all the way into the rift's light, and for the first time, Alex saw it clearly. Its form was otherworldly, regal, and ethereal. Its eyes gleamed with a light that seem

Rift begins to throb inside it with a heartbeat-like at this point. The source the shadow beast already looms, getting closer with every ticking second. Alex stood on the edge. His breathing became shallow and erratic; every fiber in his body screamed for him to fight, to flee. He made the choice long before. He had stepped into the abyss, and there is no way out now. As the ground beneath him shook, Alex's hand shook as well. He could feel the coldness of the rift pulling at his very essence, like a thousand hands trying to drag him into the depths. The figure, standing motionless beside him, seemed to know what was coming and yet, there was nothing it could do to stop it. Figure: (low, soft) “This is the final moment. You’ve come this far, Alex Mercer, but now. The true test begins.” The words of the figure were bitter truth, and Alex felt them in his bones. The choice before him was not one of strength or skill but of something much deeper. This was not a battle of fists or fire.

The battlefield before Alex was unlike any he had ever faced. Creatures from the rift monstrous, twisted abominations swarmed toward him. Their eyes glowed bright with malice. They moved in such horror as could only be described as a grotesque harmony, a mindless tide of destruction. Yet, through their savage howls, Alex felt something else a force tugging at him, drawing upon his very soul. But they were more than just brute beasts. The rift had begotten them and, like its parent, fueled them with a darkness that corrupted everything around it. Alex sensed this connection to them, almost a kinship. It's like the dark is calling for him, like he should simply surrender and stop fighting, as if he needs to let himself in to his own power within him. Alex was not quite ready for it. Not now. Alex: (gnashing his teeth, his voice steady) "I'm not like them. I will never become one of them. His voice was strong, but the words felt fragile against the sheer weight of the rift's pull. He c

The rift roared once more, its furious energy flooding the battlefield like a tide. Alex and Selene stood side by side, hearts pounding, bodies tense with anticipation. The figure before them, a being of pure darkness and malice, loomed like an unstoppable force. The rift's power swirled, threatening to consume them both, but there was a glimmer of defiance in their eyes a spark that refused to die. The figure's eyes glowed like burning embers, its malevolent grin growing wider as it took a step forward. The air grew heavy with tension, and Alex felt the weight of its power, a crushing force that seemed to permeate every inch of the air. It was a power beyond anything he had ever felt—a power that seemed to bend reality itself. Figure: (low, sneering) "You think you can stop me? You are no better than ants under my heel." Its voice swept across, touched with a dark authority. Alex shivered as it spoke. He set his teeth, standing firm. Hellfire burst and roared inside him, a brillian