The rift pulsed with an eerie, malevolent energy, twisting and tearing the air as the monstrosity began to emerge fully. Its form was an abomination—a writhing amalgamation of shadow, tendrils, and something unholy that defied reason.

  Crimson veins streaked through its body, pulsating with the rhythm of some nightmarish heart.

  A claw—long, gnarled, and black as midnight—emerged from the rift first. The limb was impossibly large, its surface shimmering with an oily, unnatural sheen. It grasped the edge of the rift like a predator pulling itself out of a dark lair.

  Another claw followed, then a body, dark and amorphous, slithering into the mortal plane with grotesque, unnatural grace.

  Twin orbs of burning crimson, glowing with an intensity that pierced the darkness and rooted me to the spot. The sheer malevolence in its gaze was suffocating, like staring into the very heart of despair.

  The creature's head tilted unnaturally, its blood-red eyes locking onto me with an intelligence that was both predatory and ancient.

  Then it roared.

  The sound was more than just noise—it was a fucking force. A wave of terror slammed into me, pressing down on my chest like an iron slab. The very air around the creature warped and crackled, and the ground beneath my feet trembled in protest.

  “F-Fuck…” I muttered, my voice barely audible over the deafening roar. My hands trembled, my instincts screaming at me to run, but I gritted my teeth and stood my ground.

  Fuu!

  I exhaled sharply, forcing my body to obey. My hand tightened around my blade, its hilt slick with sweat and blood. The oppressive weight of the creature’s presence threatened to crush me, but I forced it out of my mind.

  “Not… fucking… today.”

  fuuu…

  Closing my eyes for a split second, I focused on the Exira coursing through my veins. The energy responded sluggishly at first, but with sheer will, I pushed it higher—Level 3. A searing heat filled my body, driving away the chill of fear and stabilizing my breathing.

  When I opened my eyes, my trembling hands were steady.

  The horror was almost fully in this realm now. Its massive, shifting form towered over me, tendrils writhing as if alive. The air itself grew heavier, darker, as the space around us distorted. Colors bled together, turning the world into a grotesque mix of black, violet, and crimson. Pulsing veins of corrupt energy snaked across the ground, spreading like a disease.

  I took a slow step back, my boots crunching against the cracked, blood-streaked earth. My eyes never left the creature.

  “Purrr…”

  The faint sound reached my ears, barely audible over the oppressive atmosphere.

  I glanced down at the cat nestled in the makeshift copses refuge, its tiny body trembling but alive. Its half-closed eyes met mine, and despite its weakened state, the faint vibration of its purring calmed me as I patted it for the last time.

  A small, wry smile tugged at my lips. “You’re a tough little thing, aren’t you?”

  The monster roared again, louder this time, its voice shaking the very air. My focus snapped back to it as the ground beneath me cracked open, veins of violet corruption spreading outward in jagged lines.

  The world around us twisted further, the atmosphere growing darker and more unstable until everything was bathed in a nightmarish violet hue. The blood-red glow of the creature’s eyes pierced the gloom, locking onto me with a hunger that made my skin crawl.

  “Corruption…” I muttered, my voice low and steady. The monster’s very presence was deforming the environment, infecting it with its twisted energy.

  “You stay here,” I said quietly. The cat’s eyes flickered shut, its breathing shallow but steady.

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  Standing up, I turned back to the monster.

  Fuu.

  Another sharp inhale. Exira surged through me, raw and scorching, searing into every fiber of my body. I pushed it to Level 3—the maximum that I could control. My muscles screamed, my veins burned, and the world around me sharpened to an agonizing clarity.

  The blade in my hand pulsed faintly, humming with power. The monster loomed before me, its silhouette a nightmare of writhing tendrils and jagged claws. Its blood-red eyes glared, full of malice, and the corrupted air around it seemed alive, twisting and boiling.

  Focus.

  The ground trembled as it roared, the sound like nails scraping through my skull. Its tendrils lashed out first—dozens of them—whipping toward me with impossible speed.

  I moved.

  The world blurred as Exira surged through my legs, propelling me forward in a flash. I darted past the first tendril, the sharp snap of it slicing through the space I’d occupied milliseconds before. Behind me, the ground erupted, shards of stone and black ooze raining down.

  Another tendril lashed out from my left. My blade met it mid-swing, carving through the shadowy appendage with a blinding flash of light. The severed piece hissed and writhed before melting into the ground like tar.

  The monster didn’t even flinch.

  It lunged, claws tearing through the air. I barely had time to twist away before one slammed into the earth beside me, shattering the ground in a deafening explosion. I rolled to my feet, my breath ragged, as the beast reared back, its crimson gaze locking onto me again.

  Its speed was terrifying. Its claws came in a sweeping arc, each strike faster than the last. I ducked, pivoted, deflected with my blade—each movement razor-sharp, each second stolen by the skin of my teeth.

  One strike came too close, raking past my side. Pain flared as the edge of its claw tore through my armor, leaving a burning gash.

  Shut it out. Move.

  I surged forward, Exira blazing through me as I closed the distance. My blade flashed in a diagonal strike, aiming for its chest. The weapon bit deep into the shadow-flesh, tearing a jagged gash that bubbled and hissed as black ichor spilled out.

  But the monster didn’t falter.

  “What the hell?” I growled through gritted teeth, sweat streaming down my face.

  It didn’t make sense. Most of my attacks failed to land where they should. My breath came in ragged gasps as the monster lunged again, its claws tearing through the air inches from my chest.

  Think, Alexis. Focus.

  fu…u..

  It is becoming more and more difficult to focus… damn it. My head throbbed, the same cold, insidious pressure creeping in again, seeping through my defenses like poison.

  A tendril lashed out, and I moved—too late. The whip-like appendage struck my shoulder, spinning me sideways and sending me crashing to the ground.

  god…damnit…haa

  Pain exploded through me as I hit the earth, my blade skidding from my grasp. I scrambled to my knees, gasping for air, and snatched the sword just in time to deflect a claw strike aimed at my neck.

  But the motion was sluggish—wrong.

  The monster's screeches distorted in my ears, like static ripping through my skull. My vision swam, colors bleeding into one another as the world tilted unnaturally.

  My arms moved, my legs followed—but it felt disconnected, like I was fighting through a thick, suffocating fog.

  Haa…fuuu

  The realization struck hard and fast, cutting through the haze like a shard of glass. My attacks—my movements—they weren’t going where I wanted them to. My blade missed vital targets not because of the fucker’s speed, but because something was wrong with me.

  The corruption.

  That cold, insidious presence clawing at my mind—it was inside me, twisting my perceptions, warping my aim. It wanted me to falter, to hesitate, to waste every precious moment I had.

  “Stupid fucking luck I have," I spat, shoving myself upright.

  I had to break its grasp on me, or I wouldn't live for long…

  Fuu.

  A cold, insidious pressure invaded my mind. It wasn’t just physical—it was inside me, clawing at my thoughts, drowning them in a suffocating fog. My legs faltered, my grip on the blade slackened. For a moment, I felt it—an urge to stop. To let go. To…

  “Fuck that.”

  I bit down hard; Exira’s burning pain grounded me. The agony was a lifeline, snapping me back as the monster closed in. Its massive frame lunged, claws swinging toward me in a brutal arc.

  Shit… move, goddamnit…

  But that wasn’t enough.

  Clang!

  My blade caught its claw mid-swing, the force of the collision sending a violent shockwave up my arms. Sparks flew; the ringing impact reverberated through my bones. My feet skidded back, the weight of the strike almost overwhelming.

  The beast pressed harder, its claws grinding against my sword. My arms trembled; the strain threatened to snap me in two.

  With a snarl, I twisted the blade, forcing the claw aside and driving forward in a single, fluid motion. My weapon slashed across its side, cutting deep enough to spray ichor into the air. The monster screeched, its frustration palpable.

  And then its tail came.

  Like a whip, it lashed out faster than I could react, slamming into my chest and hurling me backward. I hit the ground hard, my vision exploding with stars as the breath tore from my lungs.

  Hewuk…arhghh

  The monster lunged forward, its massive jaws opening wide.

  Puchi!

  A searing pain erupted in my shoulder as its fangs sank deep into my flesh. Blood gushed from the wound, warm and slick, soaking through my armor in seconds.

  “ARGHHH!” I screamed, my voice raw and ragged. The pain was blinding, like molten steel being driven into my body.

  I tried to move, to force it off, but its grip was like a vice. The creature growled low and deep, its hot, rancid breath filling my senses as it bit down harder.

  HOUSE OF END DISCORD

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