Dance of Shadows

The air felt heavier. The world around Clara had changed.

The once-familiar streets had cracked apart, revealing jagged gaps of blackness beneath her feet. The sky, once a dull gray, had split open, exposing a swirling void that pulsed like a living wound.

And Elias—if it was really him—was still standing in front of her, his body caught between reality and the rift.

His form flickered, his face warping in and out of existence. His mouth moved, but his voice sounded distant, hollow, almost broken.

“Clara… don’t let go.”

A Desperate Decision

Kael’s voice cut through the chaos. “Clara, listen to me—you have to stop—right now!”

Clara barely heard them.

Her body acted on instinct, her hands reaching out, her energy pulsing toward Elias. She could feel him—really feel him—his presence still tethered to her despite The Collector’s grip.

She could pull him back.

She had to.

Kael grabbed her arm.

“You don’t understand—if you do this, you’re going to—”

The moment their fingers brushed, the world erupted.

The Rift Unleashes Its Power

A deafening crack tore through the air, like a thousand mirrors shattering at once. The rift—already unstable—expanded violently, its dark tendrils thrashing outward.

Everything was collapsing.

The wind howled, pulling at Clara with an unnatural force. The sky seemed to invert, swirling into a gaping void, and the very ground beneath her feet disintegrated.

Kael’s grip tightened around her wrist, their wings spreading as they fought to hold on.

“CLARA—LET GO!”

But she couldn’t.

She wouldn’t.

Elias’s eyes locked onto hers, his mouth forming words she couldn’t hear.

She pulled harder—too hard.

The rift responded in kind.

A final surge of force ripped through her, and suddenly, everything tilted.

The Moment of Collapse

Clara lost her footing.

Kael reached for her, their violet eyes wide with fear—but the pull of the rift was too strong.

Clara’s body lifted off the ground, weightless. She was falling.

Kael lunged forward. Their fingers brushed hers—

Then the darkness swallowed her whole.

The last thing she heard was Kael screaming her name.

The Collector Watches

As the rift pulsed and the chaos finally settled, a presence lingered in the distance.

The Collector had been watching the entire time.

A soft chuckle echoed through the void.

“Oh, Clara… you’ve gone and made this much more interesting.”

The rift pulsed once more—then vanished.

And Clara was gone.

The End of Chapter 7