INTO THE VOID
Aria ran straight toward the gate.
The world around her blurred into chaos—clashing claws, roaring flames, screams, and the thunder of battle fading behind her with every step.
The closer she got—
The colder it became.
The dark mist pouring from the portal wrapped around her like icy fingers, trying to slow her down.
But she didn’t stop.
Lucian’s voice echoed faintly behind her.
“Go!”
Rowan’s growl followed.
“We’ve got you!”
The Alpha King’s command rang out over the battlefield.
“Protect her!”
Aria pushed forward.
The ground beneath her feet turned black as she reached the edge of the gate.
Up close—
It wasn’t just a crack in the earth.
It was a tear in reality itself.
Darkness twisted inside it, alive and shifting.
And something deep within it…
Was watching.
The Primordial power surged inside her.
This is where it was sealed.
Aria lifted her hand slowly.
Silver light gathered at her fingertips.
“I can close it…”
But the moment her power touched the edge—
The gate reacted.
Violently.
Dark energy exploded outward, throwing her back several steps.
Aria caught herself, sliding across the ground.
Her eyes widened.
“It’s resisting me.”
Behind her, the Void Lord appeared instantly.
“You will not touch the gate.”
Aria spun around just in time.
Silver energy flared as she blocked its incoming strike.
The impact shook the ground beneath them.
Lucian saw it from a distance.
“Aria!”
He tried to move toward her—
But three Void creatures lunged at him at once.
He cut through them quickly, but more replaced them immediately.
“They’re blocking us!”
Rowan growled in frustration.
“Of course they are!”
The Alpha King slammed another group of creatures aside.
“Focus on holding the line!”
The dragon roared above, unleashing another wave of fire.
The Dark Alpha tore through the battlefield, protecting the others.
But none of them could reach her.
Aria was alone at the gate.
The Void Lord attacked again.
Faster this time.
Its dark energy clashed violently against her silver power.
Each strike pushed her back slightly.
“You cannot close what was never meant to stay sealed,” it said coldly.
Aria’s eyes burned brighter.
“We sealed it once.”
The Void Lord’s voice sharpened.
“And you will fail this time.”
It struck again.
Aria blocked—
But this time she was forced to one knee.
The pressure was overwhelming.
Her silver aura flickered.
The gate behind her pulsed again.
More creatures began forcing their way through.
Lucian shouted from the battlefield.
“She’s getting overwhelmed!”
The Alpha King turned sharply.
“Rowan!”
“I’m on it!”
Rowan tried to break through the line of Void creatures.
But they swarmed him.
Holding him back.
Aria clenched her fists.
The Primordial power surged inside her again.
But something felt wrong.
The gate wasn’t just resisting her.
It was rejecting her.
Why?
The Primordial voice answered quietly.
Because you are incomplete.
Aria’s eyes widened slightly.
“Incomplete?”
The Void Lord heard.
Its glowing eyes sharpened.
“Yes.”
Aria looked at it.
“What do you mean?”
The Void Lord raised its claw again.
Dark energy gathered.
“You carry the power…”
“But not its full form.”
Aria’s chest tightened.
The attack came fast.
Too fast.
She raised her hand—
But the Void Lord’s strike broke through her defense.
The impact sent her flying backward—
Straight into the edge of the gate.
The moment her body touched the portal—
The darkness reacted.
The gate exploded with energy.
A powerful force pulled her inward.
Lucian’s voice broke through the chaos.
“ARIA!”
Rowan’s howl echoed across the battlefield.
“No!”
The Alpha King turned sharply.
His golden eyes widened.
The dark mist wrapped around Aria’s body.
Dragging her toward the other side.
She tried to fight it—
But the pull was too strong.
The Void Lord stepped forward slowly.
Watching.
“Now you will understand.”
Aria reached out instinctively.
“Lucian—!”
But before anyone could reach her—
The gate swallowed her whole.
And then—
She was gone.