The world tore apart before Alex's eyes, splitting, fracturing, collapsing into itself like a dying star. Darkness consumed everything; then, with it came the feeling of weightlessness, being pulled toward something ancient, something beyond understanding.Alex's breathing quickened in the air thickened with such raw, unbreathable energy. Whispering, this cacophony of disjunctions came now like loud screams, biting at his consciousness, tugging him in some direction or the other. What were words any longer when they were perceptions, impressions, and memories that somehow belonged to an alien life that was not him? They went tugging into him, shards of something he could not determine, something inhuman. Alex: (stiffening mouth, forcing control) "Am not" he muttered"not like you…" But the doppelganger, that distorted image of himself, only laughed a noise that pounded in Alex's bones, uncomfortably unnatural. Doppelganger: (coyly, caressing) "Oh, but you're like me, Alex. Don't you

The silence that followed was suffocating. The rift, a yawning abyss, seemed to stretch infinitely, and Alex felt the weight of the decision hanging over him like a guillotine. The light from the figure flickered, casting sharp shadows across the desolate landscape, while the tremors of the rift echoed through the very air. In that moment, Alex could feel the very pulse of the universe, beating in time with his own rapidly accelerating heart. The figure before him veiled in light, the one who had intervened to save him stood motionless. Their presence, now more imposing than ever, seemed to pierce through the darkness surrounding them. But even with their power radiating outward, the rift behind them continued to churn with an unsettling hunger, as if it was waiting. Waiting for the final act. Figure: (calm, but with an undertone of urgency) "This is no simple choice, Alex Mercer. The ripples from your decision will echo across worlds, shaping the fate of both the living and the damn

The void was unnervingly silent. Alex stood motionless, his breath shallow, the last echoes of the rift still reverberating in his ears. The blinding light had faded, leaving behind nothing but an eerie emptiness. The creature, the embodiment of the rift's power, was gone, but Alex could feel something. lingering in the air. A presence. It was so soft at first, like a whisper brushing against his mind. But it was growing stronger by the second. He turned, scanning the desolate landscape. Nothing. Something was wrong, as if the balance of light and darkness had been forever changed. The figure who had led him stood motionless at his side, eyes fixed on the shifting horizon, as if waiting. Alex: (quiet, unsettled) "What happened? Where are we? The figure's eyes never changed, its expression unreadable as it turned toward Alex. Figure: (relaxed, yet there's something lurking beneath that's darker) "We are still here, Alex. Not in the manner you think.". Alex’s heart raced as the real

The rift expanded wide, blackness that spread beyond the capacity of the imagination, warping the air about it. A monstrous shadow formed, its form shrouded in a swirling darkness, flickering and unstable, as if it were fashioned from nightmares and lost memories. From within the rift, a massive silhouette started to take form. It was tall towering, with limbs that were unnaturally long, crowned by a head that seemed to defy all logic. Its eyes glowed with unnatural, crimson light, burning through the darkness with a hunger that seemed to devour everything it looked at. Alex: (breathless, voice filled with disbelief) "What… What is that? The ground beneath Alex's feet shuddered as the creature took its first steps forward, each movement sending ripples through the fabric of reality. The very air around them felt thick with an unnatural pressure, like the weight of an entire world was bearing down on them. Alex's instincts screamed at him to move to run but his legs refused to obey.

The emptiness surrounding Alex reached into infinity, an endless blackness that consumed his soul. His limbs weighed leadenly on him; every movement grew more labored with each step. He could not breathe. He could not think. The energy of the rift had swept him from the battlefield, and now, he felt as though trapped in some sort of waking nightmare. The cold laughter of the creature echoed through the emptiness. Its voice is mocking, cruel. Creature: low, mocking, "You thought you could stop me, mortal? How quaint. You have only given me more power. Now, I will finish what I started. Alex's heart pounded as the weight of words settled into his chest. The creature. It wasn't killed. It hadn't been destroyed. The rift was still alive, pulsing with dark energy, and Alex was powerless to stop it. Alex: (gritting his teeth, strained voice) "I won't. let you win." His voice is weak, his body a prison of exhaustion and pain, but deep inside of him he refuses to give up. There has to be