The area felt like a dead zone where the laws of reality itself had broken down. It was a place where even the natural order turned hostile.

Cyprian, already weak and missing an arm, could no longer hold on. When the gravity suddenly doubled, his already weakened body could no longer maintain balance. Combined with the horrifying illusions constantly flashing through his mind, his foot slipped.

He cried out as he fell toward the lake filled with spatial rifts.

"Cyprian!" Judith shouted, lunging to grab him, but a chaotic gust of warped air threw her back.

Just as he was about to plunge into certain death, a figure in blue appeared beside him like a ghost.

Dustin grabbed the back of Cyprian's collar with one hand. With the other, he formed a sword finger and traced several swift motions toward a seemingly calm area ahead that actually concealed densely packed spatial rifts.

A low hum resonated as a strange ripple of energy spread outward. The twisted space seemed to flatten as if