The earth beneath them rumbled violently, shaking the very foundations of the Valharen Ridge. The crack widened, a pulsing vein of darkness spreading across the land. Jin felt it—a surge of energy, old and forbidden, emanating from the depths of the fissure. The dark creatures that had been lurking around the crack began to stir, their twisted forms slithering toward the group.
Naelle gripped her sword tightly, her knuckles white, as her eyes scanned the approaching creatures. "Get ready!" she shouted, voice barely audible over the rising winds.
Jin's mind raced, but his body was already in motion. His instincts kicked in, and he unsheathed his blade, feeling the weight of it settle in his grip. His heart pounded in his chest as memories long forgotten began to resurface—the feel of battle, the rush of power, the cold, unfeeling presence of an enemy that was beyond mortal comprehension.
The first of the creatures lunged from the darkness, its limbs a grotesque mix of tendrils and jagged bone. Naelle reacted instantly, her sword cleaving through the air with deadly precision. Her strike landed, but the creature didn't fall. It shrieked, its hollow eyes glowing with a malevolent light as it retaliated, launching a wave of spiked tendrils toward her.
Jin moved before he even thought, closing the distance between them in an instant. He swung his blade with precision, severing the tendrils before they could reach Naelle. The creature staggered back, momentarily stunned by the attack, giving Naelle the opportunity to strike again, her sword sinking deep into its chest.
"Good work," Jin said, his voice low.
Naelle didn't respond, her eyes focused on the next wave of monsters emerging from the crack. The battle was only beginning.
More creatures poured from the rift—twisted, contorted beings with forms that defied logic. They crawled over the ground like spiders, their bodies shifting and reshaping as if they were born of the very darkness itself. The air grew thick with an unnatural energy, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to warp and twist as if it, too, were alive.
"We need to close this rift," Jin muttered under his breath, barely registering the chaos around him. His thoughts were focused on the crack in the earth, the source of this corruption. But as the creatures continued to surge forward, he realized they were only the beginning. Whatever lay behind the rift was far worse.
Naelle, her eyes narrowed, slashed through another monster with a swift, practiced motion. "You think we can close it? This is beyond us. We're just students."
Jin shook his head. "This isn't just any dungeon. It's... something older. I feel it. This energy—it's familiar."
Naelle's eyes flickered with confusion, but she didn't have time to question him further. A new monster—a towering, hulking beast—emerged from the rift, its body like a mass of shifting shadows. Its eyes glowed a fiery red, and it let out a deafening roar as it charged toward the group.
Jin raised his sword, feeling the air crackle around him. The power that surged through him was undeniable. He could feel the echoes of his past life calling to him, urging him to act.
"Get back!" Jin shouted, pushing Naelle aside just as the creature lunged. He met its charge head-on, his sword striking the beast with a force that sent a shockwave through the air.
The creature stumbled back, its massive form shaking. But it quickly recovered, swinging its arm toward Jin in a sweeping motion. The force of the blow sent Jin flying through the air, crashing into the rocky ground.
"Jin!" Naelle cried, rushing to his side.
Jin grunted, pushing himself to his feet. "I'm fine," he said, wiping blood from his lip. "This thing is stronger than it looks."
The creature roared again, its eyes locked on Jin as it prepared for another attack. But before it could move, a loud crack split the air—a sound like thunder. The ground trembled, and the crack in the earth widened further, sending a wave of energy cascading outward.
From within the rift, a figure emerged.
It was tall, cloaked in shadows, its face obscured by a hood. The figure's presence was suffocating, its power immense, as though it was pulling the very fabric of reality toward it. Jin felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
"This is not a mere monster," Jin muttered under his breath. "This is something far worse."
Naelle's eyes widened as she took a step back. "What is that? Who is it?"
Jin's heart raced as the figure stepped forward, its eyes glowing with a pale, eerie light. He felt the familiar tug in his chest—a connection, a bond that reached out to him from the depths of his forgotten memories. This figure... it was someone from his past. Someone important.
The figure lifted its head, and a cold, almost familiar voice echoed through the air.
"You've returned, Jin," it said.
Jin's breath caught in his throat. He knew that voice. It was a voice that carried the weight of his lost memories. The voice of someone who had once been by his side. Someone who should have been forgotten but had never truly left his mind.
The figure stepped into the light, revealing its face. Jin's heart stopped.
It was Aegis.
But not the Aegis he had seen before. This was a version of Aegis that was... changed. His eyes were hollow, the light of life gone from them, replaced by an insatiable hunger. His once-proud posture was now bent, as though something had drained the very life from him.
"Aegis?" Jin whispered, his voice trembling. "What happened to you?"
The man who had once been his ally and a mentor smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I have been waiting, Jin... no, Master. For a long time."