Chapter 28: The Last Stand

Alec stood frozen, his breath catching in his throat as Leslie's transformed figure stood before him. The girl he had once known—her bright smile, her stubborn determination—was now gone. In her place stood something far darker, a being whose presence seemed to warp the very air around her.

"Leslie, please... fight it!" Alec shouted, his voice filled with desperation.

Leslie’s glowing eyes flickered briefly, and for a moment, Alec thought he saw a flash of recognition in them—a spark of the girl he remembered. But it vanished as quickly as it had come, replaced by the cold, calculating gaze of something beyond human.

"I am not Leslie anymore," she spoke, her voice distorted, as if multiple voices were layered over one another. "I am the will of the rift. And I am here to bring about its rebirth."

Alec's heart clenched, but he couldn’t afford to hesitate. He rushed forward, his sword raised. "I won’t let you do this. You’re still in there somewhere, I know it."

But as he lunged at her, the air around Leslie crackled with energy. A wave of force slammed him backward, sending him crashing into a nearby rock. The impact left him breathless, but the pain wasn’t what concerned him—it was the look on Leslie’s face as she stood at the center of the chaos.

Ken was the first to react, charging toward Leslie with his sword raised high. But as he swung, Leslie effortlessly blocked his strike with a flick of her hand, sending him skidding across the ground.

"You cannot stop me," Leslie said, her lips curling into something that might have been a smile, but it was more chilling than reassuring. "The rift is inevitable. I am inevitable."

The rest of the team gathered themselves, forming a defensive circle around Alec. Yursen’s eyes burned with intensity, his sword drawn, but even he knew that this battle was unlike any they had fought before.

"We need to stop her," Yursen said, his voice tight with tension. "But we can’t do it alone. This power is... beyond us."

Lina’s eyes darted from Leslie to the rift in the sky, its swirling vortex growing larger by the second. "She’s the key to everything. If we can somehow reach her—break whatever hold the rift has on her—we might still have a chance."

Alec shook his head, standing up slowly. "How do we do that? Look at her. She’s not the same person anymore."

"That’s exactly why we need to try," Lina replied, her voice determined. "She’s still in there. Somewhere. And if there’s even the slightest chance, we can reach her."

Alec’s heart pounded in his chest, torn between the desire to save his friend and the knowledge that doing so might be impossible. He glanced at the rift, feeling its pull, the dark energy calling out to them. The world itself seemed to tremble under its influence.

"I won’t give up on her," Alec said firmly, his resolve hardening. "If there’s even the smallest chance, I’ll take it."

Without another word, he stepped forward, moving closer to Leslie, who stood waiting, her eyes glowing brighter now, as if anticipating his next move.

"Leslie!" Alec called out again. "I know you’re still in there. Fight it. We can fix this. Please!"

For a moment, Leslie’s expression flickered—almost like a glitch in her reality. Her head tilted to the side, as if trying to understand the words he was saying. And in that split second, Alec saw it—Leslie’s humanity was still there, buried deep beneath the layers of dark energy.

"Help... me..." Leslie whispered, barely audible.

Alec’s heart surged with hope. "Leslie, just hold on. We’re coming for you."

But before he could reach her, the ground beneath them cracked open, and more monstrous creatures poured from the rift, their bodies writhing and twisting like living nightmares. The team barely had time to react before they were engulfed in battle once again.

"Go! I’ll handle the creatures!" Ken shouted, slashing at the nearest beast. "You focus on Leslie!"

Alec nodded, never breaking eye contact with Leslie as he moved closer. The creatures were relentless, but his mind was set. He had to reach Leslie, even if it meant facing the full force of the rift's power.

Lina and Yursen fought fiercely, covering Alec’s approach. But even as they struck down the creatures, more seemed to take their place. The battle was far from over, and every second counted.

Alec finally reached Leslie, but as he extended his hand toward her, she recoiled, her eyes glowing with fury. "You should not have come here, Alec," she said, her voice colder than ice. "You will die with the rest of them."

Without warning, Leslie raised her hand, and the ground beneath Alec’s feet shattered. He was thrown backward, crashing into the dirt. His vision blurred, and for a moment, everything went dark.

But even as he struggled to regain his senses, Alec could hear Leslie’s voice, whispering through the chaos.

"You cannot stop what is coming."

Alec shook off the haze, his heart racing as he tried to push himself to his feet. He couldn’t let this be the end. Not now. Not when there was still a chance to save Leslie.

But as he looked around, he saw that the situation had only worsened. The rift had grown even larger, its influence seeping into the very earth beneath them. The monsters were closing in, and their numbers seemed endless.

"Where’s Leslie?" Lina called out, her voice frantic as she cut down another creature.

Alec pushed himself to his feet, scanning the battlefield. There—standing amidst the chaos—was Leslie, her figure towering over the others, her glowing eyes locked onto him. She was more powerful than ever, and yet, there was a flicker of hesitation in her gaze.

"I... I can feel you," Leslie whispered, her voice trembling for the first time. "I don’t want this... but it’s too late."

Alec’s heart clenched. This was it. This was the moment when everything could change. He knew that if he didn’t reach her now, they would lose her forever.

He took a step forward, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "It’s not too late, Leslie. You’re stronger than this. You can fight it. Please, let me help you."

Leslie’s eyes flickered again, and for a moment, her expression softened. "I... I don’t know how anymore."

Alec moved closer, his hand outstretched. "You just have to choose. You can choose to fight this. You can choose to come back."

But before she could respond, the rift above them split open wider, and a monstrous figure began to emerge—a being of pure darkness, more terrifying than anything they had faced so far. Its form was immense, towering over the battlefield, its eyes glowing with malice.

"We’ve run out of time," Yursen shouted, his voice grim. "We have to stop this thing before it tears the world apart."

Alec turned back to Leslie, but this time, there was no hesitation in her eyes. She was ready to make a choice.

And with that, the final battle began.