The sensation of falling was disorienting. The world around them blurred into streaks of light and shadow, and Ryker couldn’t tell where the sky ended and the ground began. His hands flailed as he tried to grasp something—anything—but the void offered no purchase.“Ryker!” Kael’s voice echoed faintly, her figure a dark silhouette against the glowing abyss.“I’m here!” he shouted back, but the wind tore his voice away. He caught glimpses of Dorian and Kael, their bodies twisting as they descended. The dark figure of the progenitor hovered above them, arms outstretched, as if orchestrating their plunge.“System!” Ryker barked, his words labored against the pressure around him. “What’s happening?”“You are entering a dimensional breach. Trajectory unknown. Probability of survival: 18%.”“Eighteen percent?” Ryker growled. “Not what I wanted to hear.”The fall suddenly ended with a bone-jarring impact. Ryker landed hard on his back, the air driven from his lungs as he sprawled across a col

The roar echoed like a storm, reverberating through the fractured void. All three froze, their eyes locked on the monstrous form in the distance. The serpent-like creature twisted and writhed, its body made of shards of darkness and radiant light. Its size was incomprehensible, stretching far beyond the visible horizon.Kael broke the silence, her voice tight with disbelief. "Tell me that’s not what I think it is."Dorian’s voice trembled as he gripped his staff. "It’s the Apex Primordial. The one the progenitor warned about."Ryker stood, his sword glowing faintly in the dim light. "We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. We’ve faced worse.""Have we?" Kael asked, glancing at him. "Because that thing looks like it could eat a mountain."Dorian shook his head. "This isn’t just a creature. It’s a manifestation of the Nexus itself. Fighting it head-on would be suicide."Ryker frowned, his mind racing. "Then what’s our play? If we run, it’ll chase us. If we fight, we die."Dorian stepped f

The void trembled as Ryker sprinted toward the towering Apex Nexus Core, his boots barely finding purchase on the crumbling platforms. The glowing light of the stabilized anchors illuminated the scene, their energy converging to disrupt the Core’s connection to the void. Yet, the Core roared in defiance, shadowy tendrils snaking through the air to strike down anything in their path."Dorian!" Ryker shouted through the comms, his voice cutting through the chaos. "What’s the situation with the anchors? Are they holding?"Dorian’s voice came back, strained but steady. "Barely. The stabilization is working, but the Core is adapting faster than I thought. We don’t have long before it overpowers the system!"Ryker gritted his teeth. "Then we make this count."As he closed the gap to the Core, the air grew thicker, almost suffocating. Each step felt like wading through quicksand as the oppressive energy of the Nexus sapped his strength. The Core loomed ahead, its massive, amorphous shape wri

The void swallowed Ryker completely. It was not just darkness but a suffocating emptiness that clawed at his mind and body. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. He was falling,or perhaps floating,without direction, his senses overwhelmed by a disorienting whirl of sensations. He clenched his fists, focusing on the one thing that grounded him: his promise.I’ll do whatever it takes.Suddenly, a blinding light pierced the void, and Ryker felt himself solidify, his feet hitting firm ground. The emptiness was gone, replaced by a surreal landscape. The sky above was a swirling canvas of black and silver, while the ground beneath him shimmered like glass, reflecting faint images that flickered like memories."Where am I?" he muttered, his voice echoing unnaturally."You stand in the Threshold," the figure’s voice answered, though it was no longer distant. Ryker spun around to see the shadowy entity standing a few feet away, its presence still commanding but less ominous. "This is the

The group turned to face the figure stepping from the shadows. Its presence was overwhelming, as though the void itself had concentrated its essence into this one being. The creature’s movements were deliberate, almost regal, as it stalked forward. Its glowing eyes locked onto Ryker, and it spoke in a voice that resonated deep within their bones.“You wield the anchor’s power, yet you barely understand it,” the void entity said, its tone carrying a mix of disdain and amusement. “You are but a child playing with a fire you cannot control.”Ryker stepped forward, his sword glowing faintly in response to the anchor’s power. His voice was steady. “Maybe I don’t understand it fully, but that doesn’t mean I won’t use it to stop you.”The entity chuckled, a sound that echoed unnaturally around them. “Stop me? You’ve barely survived a taste of my power. Do you think your resolve will make a difference? You are nothing but a fleeting shadow in the face of eternity.”Thorgrim hefted his axe, hi