The night was cold, and the city’s usual hum seemed distant, muffled by the weight of uncertainty. Aiden, Maya, and Clara made their way through the darkened streets, the looming silhouette of the abandoned building growing ever closer. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the ground itself was reluctant to let them pass.
Maya’s heart thudded painfully in her chest. The crack, glowing like a wound in the side of the building, had been calling to them all day. It was a dangerous pull—an invitation they couldn’t ignore, no matter how much they wished they could.
---
They reached the building, its darkened windows reflecting the dim streetlights. The once-dominant structure now felt like an ancient, forgotten relic, consumed by time and sorrow. Yet, the crack… the crack was pulsing with an unnatural energy, drawing them in like moths to a flame.
Aiden’s voice cut through the stillness. “Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?” His voice was low, cautious.
Maya met his gaze, her expression unwavering. “We don’t have a choice, Aiden. We have to stop it. If that crack is what I think it is, there’s no telling what could happen if we leave it unchecked.”
“I know,” Aiden said, a deep breath escaping his lips. “But I can’t lose you.”
Maya’s eyes softened, her heart aching with the weight of their shared pain. “You won’t. We’re in this together.”
---
Clara, who had been silent until then, spoke up. “I still don’t understand what’s going on. What happened to the rift? I thought it was destroyed.”
Maya turned to her, the memory of the dark, twisting force that had threatened to tear everything apart still fresh in her mind. “I thought so too. But something has changed. And if we don’t stop it now, I fear we’ll lose everything we’ve fought for.”
Clara swallowed hard. “Then let’s stop it. Together.”
Aiden nodded. “Let’s move.”
---
They entered the building, the door creaking open as if reluctant to let them through. The hallway was eerily quiet, the air thick with dust. Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they moved down the dim corridor, the glow of the crack in the distance growing stronger with each step.
The elevator at the far end of the hall stood motionless, as if it had been waiting for them. Maya shivered. Something about the building felt wrong—unnaturally quiet, as if it were holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable.
Aiden pressed the button for the elevator, and the doors opened with a soft, mechanical whine. They stepped inside, the cool metal walls closing around them.
“Third floor,” Aiden said, his voice steady despite the nervous flutter in his chest.
As the elevator ascended, Maya couldn’t shake the feeling that they were moving closer to something they couldn’t control. The crack, now visible through the narrow windows of the elevator, pulsed brighter with each passing moment.
“What if it’s not just the crack?” Clara asked, her voice trembling. “What if there’s something else—something worse—that we haven’t seen yet?”
“I don’t know,” Maya admitted. “But whatever it is, we’ll face it together.”
---
The elevator came to a stop with a sharp jolt. The doors opened to the third floor, and a wave of cold air washed over them. The floor was dark, empty—except for the faint outline of the crack in the far corner. It glowed like a beacon in the darkness, casting long shadows against the walls.
Maya stepped out first, her heart racing. She was so close now, so close to confronting whatever force had been lurking in the building.
As they approached the crack, the air seemed to thrum with energy. The walls around them shook, and a low, guttural sound reverberated through the floor. Maya’s stomach dropped.
“Get back!” she shouted, pushing Aiden and Clara behind her.
But it was too late. The floor beneath their feet cracked open, and a dark figure emerged from the shadows.
Maya’s breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t Dante, but someone far worse. The figure was tall, cloaked in darkness, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
“You shouldn’t have come,” the figure’s voice was cold, hollow, like a whisper from the depths of the earth.
Aiden stepped forward, his fists clenched. “Who are you?”
The figure stepped closer, its presence suffocating. “I am what remains of your father’s legacy,” it said, its voice echoing in the vast emptiness.
Maya’s eyes widened in horror. “What do you mean? Aiden’s father… he’s dead.”
The figure laughed, a low, sinister sound. “He was never truly dead. Not entirely. He was part of something much bigger. And now, you’re going to finish what he started.”
The crack behind them pulsed again, brighter and faster, like a heartbeat. Maya’s heart raced in sync with it.
“No,” she said, her voice shaking with fear but filled with resolve. “We’re stopping this now.”
Aiden turned to her. “Maya, be careful—”
But it was too late. The figure lunged, and the world exploded into chaos.
---
A fierce wind howled through the room, pushing them back as the figure swirled toward them. Maya held her ground, her thoughts focused on the only thing that mattered: stopping this creature, stopping whatever it was that had claimed Aiden’s father, and preventing the rift from consuming them all.
“We have to destroy it,” Maya said, gritting her teeth. “If we don’t, this will never end.”
Aiden nodded, a fierce determination in his eyes. “Let’s finish it.”
---
As they fought, the world around them seemed to collapse. The building trembled, its foundation cracking beneath them. The dark figure was relentless, but they refused to back down. Maya’s heart raced, her mind focused on the crack that had been the source of all their torment.
The figure’s hand reached out for Aiden, and in that instant, Maya felt a surge of power. She was the key. The rift had called her, tested her—and now, it was her turn to fight back.
With a scream, Maya reached out and touched the crack, her fingers pressing into the cold, glowing surface. The light flared brighter than ever, blinding them all.
---
When the light finally dimmed, the figure was gone. The crack had vanished, leaving only the emptiness of the building behind.
Aiden and Maya stood in silence, their breathing heavy, their bodies bruised but alive.
“We did it,” Aiden said, his voice hoarse.
Maya nodded, though she didn’t feel the relief she expected. The fight was over, but the scars—those would stay. And in the quiet aftermath, she knew one thing for certain: the world was different now, and they had survived it together.
The rift was closed. But its legacy would never truly fade.
YOU ARE READING
Beneath the Shattered Sky
RomanceIn the heart of a bustling city, Maya finds herself caught between two worlds-one filled with passion, secrets, and betrayal, and another yearning for freedom and clarity. When she meets Aiden, the charming but mysterious boy from her design school...
