Ascension: Rebirth in a World of Powers-Chapter 35 - : The First Wave

Eren barely had time to react before the first of the shadowy figures fully stepped through the rift. Its body pulsed like liquid darkness, shifting and flickering with an unnatural glow. The air around it twisted, warping as if reality itself struggled to contain its presence.

Kaelena appeared beside him, her daggers already drawn. "What the hell are those?"

"I don't know," Eren admitted, his voice tight. "But they're definitely not friendly."

The creature turned its hollow, glowing eyes toward them. In an instant, it moved—far faster than anything Eren had faced before. It shot toward him, its form blurring into a streak of dark energy.

Eren barely managed to react. Instinct kicked in, and he threw up his hands, summoning the Shard's power. A barrier of energy crackled to life just in time—the creature slammed into it with an ear-splitting screech, its form writhing as if repelled by the Shard's aura.

Kain and Elara arrived on the rooftop a second later, their eyes widening as more of the creatures poured from the rift.

"We need to move!" Elara shouted. "There's too many of them!"

Kain cracked his knuckles. "Or we thin them out."

He lunged forward, his fists glowing with raw energy. With a single punch, he sent one of the creatures flying, its body distorting before it dissipated into a wisp of black mist. But for every one they took down, more replaced them.

Elara's hands glowed as she wove sigils into the air, unleashing bursts of magic that tore through their ranks. Kaelena darted between them, striking with precision, but even her speed wasn't enough to avoid every attack. One of the creatures lashed out, its claw slicing across her arm.

She stumbled back with a hiss of pain. "They're adapting," she growled. "They're learning how we fight."

Eren clenched his fists. He could feel the Shard's energy thrumming inside him, begging to be unleashed. They were outnumbered. They couldn't keep fighting like this.

"We need to cut off the source!" he realized. His eyes locked onto the rift, still swirling above them. If they could close it, maybe they could stop the creatures from flooding through.

But how?

As if in answer, the Shard pulsed violently in his hand. A sharp pain shot through his arm, and suddenly, knowledge flooded his mind—images, symbols, memories that weren't his own. He saw people wielding similar shards, using them to seal breaches in reality. He saw the method, the risk, the cost.

"I know how to close it," he whispered.

Kaelena turned to him, eyes narrowed. "Then do it."

Eren hesitated. The process was dangerous. If he failed, the backlash could destroy him. But if he didn't try, the world might be overrun.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward. Raising the Shard, he focused on the rift, drawing on every ounce of power he could muster. The energy burned through his veins, his vision blurring as the symbols from his vision engraved themselves into his mind.

He began to trace them in the air, channeling the Shard's power through his body. The rift reacted instantly—dark tendrils lashed out at him, trying to stop the process.

Kaelena and Kain fought to keep the creatures at bay, while Elara chanted incantations to reinforce Eren's defenses.

The air vibrated. The symbols began to glow. The rift screamed in defiance.

And then, with one final surge, Eren slammed his hand forward, completing the sequence.

A blinding light erupted from the Shard. The rift convulsed violently, its edges folding inward as if being devoured from within. The creatures shrieked, their forms disintegrating as the portal began to collapse.

For a moment, it seemed as if the entire world would shatter. And then—

Silence.

The rift was gone.

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Eren collapsed to his knees, his body trembling. The Shard in his hand was dim, its energy spent. Around him, Kaelena, Kain, and Elara stared in stunned silence.

It was over.

Or so they thought.

Because in the sky, where the rift had been, something else shimmered. Something massive. Something waiting.