Shattered Realities

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on cold, damp ground. The temple was gone, replaced by a desolate landscape that stretched endlessly in every direction. Shadows flickered across the horizon, distorted forms that seemed to shift and breathe.

Raelle lay beside me, unconscious but alive. I felt a pang of relief, but it was short-lived. The emptiness around us was oppressive, a silence so complete it felt suffocating.

I helped Raelle to her feet, and she looked around, her face pale. “Where are we?”

I shook my head, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on me. “I… I don’t know. The Primal energy—it must have cast us out of the Dreamscape, or maybe… into a fractured part of it.”

A low chuckle echoed behind us, and we turned to see Sable standing there, battered but very much alive. His eyes gleamed with an unsettling intensity, his aura darker than before. He looked almost… pleased.

“Did you really think it would be that easy?” he taunted, his voice dripping with malice. “The Dreamscape and I are one. Severing my connection only unleashed its true power.”

Raelle stepped forward, her gaze fierce. “We’re not afraid of you, Sable. You can’t keep running from your own pain forever.”

His smirk faded, replaced by a look of pure rage. “You know nothing of my pain!” he spat, his voice shaking. “And now, you’ll pay for your insolence.”

With a wave of his hand, the shadows around us began to converge, forming monstrous shapes with glowing eyes and jagged teeth. They advanced, surrounding us in a tightening circle.

Raelle gripped my arm, her voice barely a whisper. “Elliot, this isn’t just a fight anymore. Sable’s madness has infected this entire realm—if we don’t find a way out, we’ll be trapped here forever.”

The shadows closed in, and I braced myself, my heart pounding as I prepared to fight.

But deep down, a part of me wondered if we could really escape. Or if Sable’s twisted reality had already claimed us.