The unnatural sky of the rift pulsed with violet energy as Cedric's group pressed forward, carving through waves of monsters. What began as scattered skirmishes had escalated into relentless assaults—Riftborn Stalkers, Venomfang Crawlers, and now, towering Gorehide Brutes with hides thick as castle walls.
Yet with every battle, Cedric's spear and sword wove a dance of death that left even the most arrogant nobles speechless.
And three pairs of eyes watched him with very different kinds of interest.
Luna's Awakening
Luna Thorntorn had spent her life dismissing men as "spoiled noble peacocks" or "soft-bellied scholars." Strength was her creed—the kind earned through sweat and steel.
But when Cedric slammed his spear into the ground and used it as a vaulting pole to flip over a Gorehide's charge, driving his sword into its spine mid-air—something in her chest tightened.
"Now that's a man," she muttered, hefting her warhammer to crush a Crawler sneaking up on him.
Aveline, nearby, nearly decapitated a Stalker with more force than necessary.
The Jealousy Games
The tension simmered at their next rest stop:
Vivienne "accidentally" spilled wine on Luna's armor.
Luna "helpfully" pointed out Vivienne's impractical silk gloves mid-fight.
Aveline kept "tripping" into Cedric's personal space, her elbow jabbing his ribs whenever he glanced at the others.
Kyle Blackwood observed the chaos while sharpening his daggers. "This is the most entertainment I've had in years."
Cedric's Confusion
Cedric, blissfully oblivious, wiped monster blood off his sword. "We should scout ahead. The terrain's getting—"
"I'll go with you," all three women said simultaneously.
A beat of silence.
Luna cracked her knuckles. "I've got the best endurance."
Vivienne fluttered her lashes. "But I know traps. Stirling merchant caravans train for this."
Aveline's sword slid partially from its sheath. "He's my attendant."
Kyle snorted. "Gods above, someone just pick a damn direction."
The Monster's Interruption
A Riftborn Howler—a monstrous wolf with six eyes and a serrated spine—chose that moment to pounce from the cliffs above.
The three women moved as one:
Aveline's lightning-cloaked sword intercepted its jaws.
Luna's hammer crushed its ribcage.
Vivienne's fan unleashed a barrage of poisoned needles into its eyes.
The Howler died before it hit the ground.
All three turned to Cedric, breathing heavily.
"...Thanks," he said carefully.
Their synchronized glares made him take a step back.
The unnatural landscape of the rift twisted around them—jagged cliffs pulsing with violet veins, the air thick with the scent of ozone and rotting flesh. Monsters poured from every crevice, their mutated forms growing stranger and more aggressive the deeper they ventured.
"Formation!" Luna Thorntorn barked, slamming her warhammer into the skull of a charging Gorehide Brute. The beast crumpled, but three more scrambled over its corpse, their jagged claws glinting.
Aveline Leonheart's sword crackled with lightning as she carved through a pack of Riftborn Stalkers, her movements sharp and precise. "Stop hogging the big ones, Thorntorn!"
Vivienne Stirling twirled her fan, sending a spray of paralyzing needles into the eyes of a leaping Venomfang Crawler. "Darling, if you wanted a turn, you could just ask—"
"Shut up and fight!" Aveline and Luna snapped in unison.
Nearby, Cedric and Kyle Blackwood fought back-to-back, their weapons a blur.
"Your fan club's getting out of hand," Kyle remarked dryly, slitting the throat of a Stalker that got too close.
Cedric kicked another monster off his spear. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Kyle rolled his eyes. "Gods, you're dense."
The Unlikely Friendship
Between waves of monsters, the three women found themselves momentarily pressed together, catching their breath.
"Look," Luna grunted, wiping blood from her brow, "I'm not backing down. But I'm not dying over a man either."
Vivienne smirked. "Why not share him? Mondays and Thursdays for me, Tuesdays and Fridays for Aveline, weekends for you—"
Aveline's sword nearly took off Vivienne's head as she whirled on her. "WHAT?!"
Luna burst out laughing. "I like you, Stirling. You've got guts."
Aveline looked between them, scandalized—then, despite herself, snorted. "…Weekends are mine."
The three shared a grin before another wave of monsters forced them back into the fray.
Cedric's Battlefield
While the women fought with terrifying synchronicity, Cedric and Kyle carved their own path through the horde.
Cedric's spear and sword moved in perfect harmony:
Whirlwind Defense – A spinning slash with his sword forced monsters back, while his spear lashed out like a striking serpent.
Shadowstep Strike – A burst of dark energy let him vanish for a heartbeat, reappearing behind a brute to drive his blade through its spine.
Kyle fought with lethal precision, his daggers finding gaps in armor and flesh alike. "You know," he mused, flipping a dagger to stab a Crawler through the roof of its mouth, "if you survive this trial, you'll have a bigger problem than monsters."
Cedric didn't answer—his focus was on the battle, though a faint heat crept up his neck.
The Boss Emerges
Just as the group thought they'd cleared the latest wave, the ground trembled.
A deafening roar split the air as the rift itself seemed to tear open at the canyon's heart. From the darkness emerged a massive, grotesque figure—a monstrous fusion of all the creatures they'd fought so far.
"Oh, you've got to be joking," Kyle muttered.
The beast stood on four clawed limbs, its body a patchwork of armored plates and exposed muscle. Its head was a nightmare—multiple sets of glowing violet eyes, a maw lined with jagged fangs, and a crown of writhing tendrils that pulsed with dark energy.
"Riftborn Alpha," Luna breathed, tightening her grip on her hammer.
Vivienne snapped her fan shut. "Well. This just got interesting."
Aveline's lightning surged along her blade. "Cedric. Ideas?"
Cedric exhaled, adjusting his grip on his weapons. "Hit it hard. Don't die."
The Alpha roared again—and the final battle began.