The Mage's Path: Chapter 34

Hi all, 

Here’s the first chapter. I’m massively behind schedule, but I’m going to post another chapter later today. It’s going to be another one-shot. I will try to get the next two chapters out tomorrow.

Chapter 34

Celeste's wings twitched as consciousness slowly returned. She groaned, her tiny body aching as if she'd been trampled by a herd of hippogriffs. Through bleary eyes, she took in unfamiliar stone walls surrounding her. Where was she? 

She pushed herself upright, immediately noticing something different. Her arms seemed longer, her wings broader. Even her dress fit differently against her frame.

"Finally awake, Sleeping Beauty?" Harry's voice came from beside her, where he sat against the wall, knees drawn to his chest.

Celeste blinked, memories rushing back—the Queen, the conversation, the eggs. She hovered upwards, testing her wings, feeling something was off. It felt like her body was brimming with strength.

"Ha, you can no longer call me tiny," she said, examining her slightly larger form with undisguised pride.

Harry snorted. "You haven't grown that much. A twenty percent increase on a midget is still a midget."

"At least my personality is bigger than yours," she retorted.

"It's big, alright. Whether in a good way is the question."

"I'm done arguing with you." She glanced around the unfamiliar space. "Where are we anyway?"

"Abandoned building I found. Had to hole up while you were unconscious."

"Where's Noctis?"

Harry's expression sobered. "He's gone. The moment you absorbed the Queen's essence, his task was complete. The collar dissolved, and he went with it."

Celeste's wings drooped. "I never got to say goodbye."

"He seemed at peace with it, if that helps."

She nodded silently, processing this information. After a moment, she asked, "The eggs... where are they?"

Harry opened his inventory screen. "Right here. Thirteen of them. Want to explain?"

"Umbra Fairy children. The Queen preserved them before everything fell apart."

"I'm too young to become a mother," she added with a nervous laugh.

Harry studied her face. "Don't lie. I can tell by your expression that you're happy you have a chance to revive your race."

"Maybe.”

"When are you going to revive them?"

"When we leave the dungeon," Celeste said. "It's too dangerous here.”

“Alright.”

“What else has happened since I've been asleep?"

Harry shrugged. "I grinded experience and went a bit overboard."

He explained his ingenious ambush setup, the hours spent slaughtering monsters, and his discovery of the temple housing the exit gate. As he described the boss's unusual ability, Celeste's eyes widened.

"So all those monsters you killed..." she began.

"Fed their essence straight to the boss," Harry finished. "It's upgraded to an Elite Boss now."

"There's no way we could have known the boss had such a trait.”

"I know. But it doesn't change how the boss is going to be harder to beat." Harry paused. "But your upgrade may help with that."

Excitement flickered across Celeste's face before she composed herself. "Before we get to that, I need to explain what happened to the Fairy Race, and subsequently, the realm."

"You know? What happened when you were asleep?"

Celeste nodded, settling onto Harry's knee. "I met the Queen. Or, at least, a remnant of her. She explained it to me. It all starts with the artefact we found. We were correct in assuming humans came from another place. Although the Queen didn't know where humans originated, they used the artefact to arrive here."

"I knew it.”

"The humans were more advanced than the Shadowlands denizens at the time, which explains the mansion. But they guarded their secrets zealously. They were so good at it that information was lost, and the humans became more primitive over time."

Harry frowned. "What caused the realm to lose its magic?"

"I'm getting to that," Celeste said, raising a hand. "Over time, the humans became dissatisfied with the Shadowlands. They worked tirelessly to try to revive the dormant gate, but they failed. Eventually, they resorted to using the artefact once more. But it was a mistake."

She paused, her expression grave.

"Not only did they open the gate to an uninhabitable realm, forcing them to return, but the artefact caused the first dimensional crack to appear, revealing what lay beyond. Queen Selethis referred to it as the Void Between. It was only a minor crack, so it initially didn't have much effect. But slowly, it started to expand, and several strange creatures emerged from it."

"Are you referring to these Shadow monsters?" Harry asked. "Didn't these creatures exist before?"

Celeste nodded. "Not that I recall. Haven't you noticed already? None of the creatures we encountered on the island, like the Dire Wolf, have appeared in this dungeon. Although this dungeon may only be a fragment of the total Shadowlands realm, I expected there to be more variety of creatures."

"Maybe they were killed off," Harry suggested. "Only the Grievers and the creatures in the sanctuary remain because they were protected."

"Maybe," Celeste conceded. "In any case, the dimensional crack also caused the realm to start losing its magic. Something from the Void Between was absorbing the magic from the realm. The Queen called it the Great Attractor."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Such a grandiose name. Did she know what it was?"

"She didn't know, but not for lack of trying. When she first noticed the magic disappearing, she sent several of her subordinates into the crack to investigate the anomaly. They returned a few days later, having encountered something terrifying inside. They couldn't explain what they had encountered, but it marked the beginning of their demise."

Harry leaned closer. "What do you mean?"

Celeste's wings trembled slightly. "The fairies became infected with something, which they passed onto others. The Queen quickly isolated the infected, but by then it was too late. Even the Queen became infected, and only her powerful magic allowed her to fight it for so long. By the time she succumbed, the Umbra Fairies had already been wiped out."

"Except for you and these eggs," Harry said. His eyes narrowed. "Is it possible she passed the infection onto you? You did absorb her essence."

"I thought the same thing. But the Queen said I don't have anything to worry about."

Harry nodded slowly. "So, that's why the realm collapsed? A rift, and this Great Attractor siphoning off the realm's magic."

"They weren't that bad off," Celeste clarified. "Eventually, the rift stabilised, limiting the amount of magic they were losing. But the humans decided to use the artefact again, to escape to another realm. Which destabilised the realm even further."

Harry frowned. If what the Queen said was true, then his ancestors were responsible for the realm’s demise. And the Umbra Fairy race, to a certain extent. He glanced at Celeste. Had she made the same connection? Would she be angry at him for being related to the ones responsible?

"Why did they leave the artefact behind?" Harry asked.

"You read the journal. They were terrified of its side effects. Leaving it behind meant they could avoid the temptation of using it again and potentially destroying another realm."

Harry nodded. "We need to find out more about this Great Attractor. Does it have any relation to the dimensional cracks appearing on Earth?"

He waited, almost expecting to receive a quest about it, but no notification popped up.

"Whatever it is," Celeste said, "it seems beyond our capabilities right now. Let's focus on getting out of this dungeon first."

"You're right," Harry said, rising to his feet. "We don't have much time left before the time limit expires. Let's check on your status and go confront the boss."

Celeste's wings hummed with excitement. "I can't wait to see how I've changed. I can already feel the difference."

"You won't be disappointed." Harry smiled. "You can access your status on your own, by the way."

"Really?" Celeste's eyes widened. She concentrated, and a translucent status window appeared before her. "Cool beans!"

While she examined her status, a notification flashed across Harry's vision:

======Congratulations! You have completed the Main Quest: Potter Ancestors. Rewards: 35,000 XP; 2 PP.======

He dismissed the notification with a thought, watching Celeste instead. Her tiny face lit up as she scrolled through her new parameters.

"No wonder I feel much stronger," she said. "I got a real boost from my occupation upgrade."

"Have you looked at your titles?"

"Yep." She nodded. "The extra Spirit point at every level is nice, but I don't know how I feel about being called a Matriarch."

Harry smirked. "Technically, you're an old—"

"Don't even say it," Celeste cut him off with a glare. "I noticed the mystery title hasn't changed yet. The one that gives me a Perception point every level."

"A mystery for another day."

Celeste cracked her knuckles. "Before I check out my new path, let's level up some." 

She spent her accumulated experience and levelled up three times to level 18, nearly catching up to Harry. Nine attribute points went to increasing her Agility to 40, and the rest bolstered her Willpower.

Harry opened her status to check her new parameters. 

====== Player Information

Name: Celeste

Occupation: Umbra Sprite 

Level: 18 Next Level: 27130

Experience Pool: (7900) 

Attribute Points: 0

Path Points: 22

Resources

HP: 275/275 [225]

MP: 1040/1040

SP: 254/254

Attributes

STR: 13

AGI: 40

VIT: 45 [35]

END: 18

SPI: 52

INT: 20

WIL: 48

PER: 38

DEF: 2 [+ Equipment] 16

=====

The improvements were substantial—her attributes now surpassed his in several areas after all the bonuses she'd received. 

It was a stark reminder that he needed to work on upgrading his occupation. Unlike Celeste, he didn't have a clear path forward. He needed to find the last skill for his Acolyte Path, but he didn't even know where to start.

"You have a lot of path points now," Harry said, pushing aside his envy. "How about we check out your new Path?"

"Way ahead of you," Celeste replied, already navigating to her Skill Board.

Both of them examined the new path that appeared beside the others. It contained seven skills in total. When they focused on the first one, a description materialised:

======Weapon Explosion | Active | Level 1 | Upgrade: (0/20) | Cost: 500 MP | Attribute: SPI/WIL 

Description: Violently destroys a targeted weapon, harnessing its latent energy to create a devastating area-of-effect explosion. The attack's properties change based on the sacrificed weapon's level, rarity, and enchantments. 

*Destroys the targeted weapon completely. 

*Creates an explosion with a 5-metre radius. 

*Damage scales with the weapon's level and rarity.

*Inherits any elemental properties from the weapon (fire weapons create fire explosions, etc.) 

*5% chance to trigger any weapon enchantments as additional effects and damage. 

*SPI > 50: Increases explosion radius to 8 metres 

*WIL > 40: Reduces MP cost by 30% 

*Upgrades to level 2 after destroying 20 weapons. ======

Celeste's jaw dropped. "What kind of skill is this? Destroy loot to deal damage? What a crazy concept.”

"It's the Resource Annihilation Path. What did you expect?"

"Gaia is trolling me!"

"The skill might be useful in difficult fights," Harry pointed out. “Unfortunately, we can’t use the skill in this dungeon. But it gives me hope for the other skills on this path.”

"Alright, I'll buy it." She sighed. "Let's hope the next skill is better."

She spent three skill points to learn Weapon Explosion, and the next skill was unlocked. Unfortunately, it wasn't much better for her loot-obsessed mind.

She spent another eight skill points to acquire the next two skills. Harry studied the second skill with growing interest, recognising its potential application in the upcoming battle—if he was willing to part with some gold.

======Loot Harvest | Passive | Level 1 | Upgrade: (0/100) | Attribute: SPI/INT 

Description: A forbidden technique that extracts and absorbs the residual energy contained within monster drops. By breaking down these items into their base essence, Celeste converts them into pure experience. 

*Experience gained equals Item Quality or Level × Rarity Multiplier.

*0.05% chance to gain a random attribute instead of experience. 

*Cannot be used on quest items. 

*SPI > 60: Increases all experience gains by 25%. 

*INT > 50: Reveals the exact experience value before sacrificing. 

*Upgrades to level 2 after harvesting 100 items======

======Gold Sacrifice | Active | Level 1 | Upgrade: (0/10000) | Cost: 0 MP | Attribute: INT/PER 

Description: A skill that converts material wealth into physical and magical power. By offering money, the target gains temporary but significant attribute boosts at the cost of diminishing returns with repeated use. 

*Sacrifices gold from the user to gain temporary attribute bonuses for 2 minutes. 

*Base cost: 100 pounds (or equivalent currency) for +3 to all attributes 

*Can stack up to five times.

*Each successive use within 24 hours doubles the gold cost. 

*Cost resets after 24 hours without using the skill.

*10% chance to gain a random additional +5 to one attribute. 

*PER > 60: Extends duration to 3 minutes. 

*INT > 60: Can stack up to eight times.

*Upgrades to level 2 after spending 10,000 pounds through this skill.======

"These might actually work," Harry mused. "Gold Sacrifice could give us a decent edge against the boss. Since it doesn’t cost any MP to use, it shouldn’t be restricted by the weapon phase."

Celeste poked at the skill description with her tiny finger. "I'm supposed to destroy weapons and sacrifice gold? This path goes against everything I stand for!"

"We have plenty of money from monster drops. It’s not like we’ll use it all the time. Only against opponents we’re struggling against.”

“But it uses my money,” Celeste protested. “Do you know how hard I worked for it?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “We can split the cost.”

He opened his status window. With the quest reward, he'd earned enough experience to level up once more. He spent the experience and levelled up to twenty-one.

Harry considered spending his path points. But with the entire dungeon locked in the weapon phase, offensive magic skills wouldn't help in the upcoming fight. Better to save them for later.

Instead, he spent his five attribute points on Vitality, raising it to 45. His HP bar increased to 450 as a result—a buffer he'd need against the boss that guarded the gate.

"Let's go," he said, closing the menu. "We've spent enough time in this realm."

Celeste settled onto his shoulder. "About bloody time."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=

They arrived at the temple after a harrowing escape from the monsters surrounding their hideout. Harry's broom had proven invaluable, allowing them to slip past the horde with only minor skirmishes along the way.

Before approaching the massive stone structure, they stopped to prepare. Harry retrieved two meals and handed one to Celeste. The combat meal would bolster their stats temporarily—not enough to make them invincible, but every advantage mattered. Harry also downed an Invigorating Draught. He was going all out for the upcoming battle.

They approached the temple cautiously. The sensation of danger Harry had felt earlier intensified with each step—an invisible pressure pushing against him, warning him to turn back. Despite the ominous feeling, they passed beyond the outer pillars without incident.

The gate stood at the temple's centre, its surface currently dull and inactive. They would need to defeat the boss first to activate it

Celeste's wings buzzed anxiously. "Where's the boss? I can feel its presence, but can't pinpoint its exact location."

Harry raised his head, scanning the massive columns surrounding them. His eyes locked onto a dark figure perched on one of the pillars, watching them silently.

"There it is," he said, pointing.

The creature stood motionless, draped entirely in black. A heavy cloak obscured its face, billowing slightly despite the absence of wind. Skeletal hands emerged from voluminous sleeves, gripping a massive scythe that was taller than its body.

Celeste shrank against Harry's neck. "Is it too late to turn back? We could use the artefact to escape this dungeon. Who cares about the Dungeon Break?"

"We'd still need to deal with the boss in the real world," Harry said. "Better to fight it here, and not amid a chaotic Dungeon Break."

"Just our luck," Celeste grumbled. "Why isn't it moving?"

"Maybe it's shy?"

They stepped further into the temple, and the structure instantly reacted. The pillars shifted, stone grinding against stone as they closed in, forming a tighter circle around Harry and Celeste. The arena shrank to a mere five-metre radius.

More disturbing still, the spaces between the columns darkened, transforming into inky rifts—windows into absolute nothingness.

"What the hell?" Harry whispered.

The cloaked figure finally moved, leaping from its perch. It landed before them, making no sound despite the height of its fall. The scythe twirled once in its grip before coming to rest at its side.

It made no move to attack, giving Harry time to scan it.

======Void Reaper | Level: 25 | Type: Elite Boss | Void Entity | HP: 4500/4500 | MP: 1200/1200 

Primary Attributes: Strength: 60 | Agility: 60 | Perception: 50

Defence: 40

Primary Skills: 

Dimensional Shift: Vanishes into rifts, reappearing from any other rift instantly. 

Soul Harvest: Scythe attack with exceptionally high critical hit rate. 

Death's Grasp: A grab attack dealing continuous damage until broken free. 

Reaper's Call: Summons shadow monsters to assist in battle. 

Monster Traits: 

Void-Touched: Immune to all status effects and control abilities. 

Death's Agent: Critical hits restore 5% of maximum HP. 

Essence Absorption: Assimilates defeated monsters, gaining strength from their essence. 

????:

=======

Exp: 7000 Loot: 1500 pounds; Void Essence; Reaper's Blade; Bestiary Entry: 0/1 defeated 

Description: A denizen of the Void Between, drawn to the dimensional crack in the Shadowlands. The Void Reaper feeds on the magical decay of dying realms, hastening their demise and harvesting the essence of everything caught in the collapse. Its connection to the Void Between allows it to slip between dimensions with frightening ease, making it nearly impossible to track or trap. ======

"This is going to be difficult," Harry said, drawing the Inferno Blade. "Provide support, but stay out of its reach. Don't bother attacking with your whip."

"Understood," Celeste nodded, retreating to a safer distance.

The Reaper raised a skeletal hand, beckoning them forward with a mocking curl of its fingers. Harry summoned both Groves simultaneously, positioning them to flank the monster.

In a blur of motion, the Reaper swung its scythe. The blade cleaved through the first golem like butter, splinters exploding outward as the wooden construct collapsed. Before the second Grove could react, the Reaper vanished into a rift, reappearing behind it. Another swing, another destroyed golem.

Harry’s eyes widened. 

"Cursed Weapon!" Celeste shouted, dark energy wrapping around Harry's blade.

The skill had improved significantly since Celeste first learned it. Now at level four, it added thirty percent damage to his attacks for the cost of only a third of his health. The health regeneration suspension had also been reduced to ninety seconds, half the skill's active time.

Harry activated Wind Dash, and his Agility increased by fifteen points. Next, he activated his Flame Cloak, summoning a protective mantle of fire around himself. 

The skill was essential in melee battles. Not only did it increase his survivability, but it also could damage his attacker.

He charged, his Inferno Blade tracing a deadly arc toward the Reaper's midsection. The monster parried effortlessly, scythe spinning to deflect his strike. The weapons connected with a shower of sparks and shadow, neither wielder giving ground.

Harry pressed forward, unleashing a flurry of strikes. The Reaper matched him blow for blow, its movements fluid and precise. When Harry overextended on a lunge, the monster countered, its scythe slicing through his Flame Cloak.

Harry's HP: 473/540

He staggered backwards, narrowly avoiding a follow-up swipe that would have taken his head. The Reaper pursued, relentless in its assault.

Harry sidestepped another attack, countering with a slash across the monster's arm. Dark ichor oozed from the wound, but the Reaper showed no sign of pain.

Void Reaper's HP: 4350/4500

The monster vanished into a rift. Harry spun, trying to track which portal it would emerge from. Too late—the Reaper materialised directly behind him, scythe already swinging.

The blade caught him across the back, cold pain exploding through his nervous system. The Flame Cloak shattered entirely, leaving him vulnerable.

Harry's HP: 130/540

"Harry!" Celeste screamed.

He dropped to one knee, fumbling for a health potion. The red liquid sloshed down his throat as he rolled away from another attack, buying precious seconds for the potion to take effect.

Harry's HP: 230/540

Harry quickly re-established his Flame Cloak and dodged another swipe from the Reaper’s Scythe. "Celeste, Gold Sacrifice! Now!"

"On it!" She focused, golden light swirling around her tiny form. "Gold Sacrifice!"

Harry felt the enhancement surge through him—a temporary but dramatic boost to all his attributes. Celeste cast it four more times in rapid succession, pushing the bonus to +15 across the board.

His enhanced reflexes allowed him to slip beneath the Reaper's guard. The Inferno Blade struck true, black flames erupting along the monster's torso.

Critical hit! Void Reaper's HP: 3850/4500

The Reaper shrieked—a sound like metal tearing—and retaliated with a vicious counterattack. Harry parried, their weapons locking together. He pushed hard, forcing the monster back step by step.

The battle continued relentlessly. When the Gold Sacrifice wore off, Celeste immediately reapplied it, spending thousands of pounds to maintain Harry's enhanced abilities.

Harry landed another critical strike, driving the Inferno Blade deep into the monster's side. Black flames consumed the wound, dropping the Reaper's health below fifty percent.

Void Reaper's HP: 2200/4500

The monster straightened, raising its scythe skyward, channelling dark energy into it. Harry backed away, wary of the Reapers' next move.

Shadow monsters poured through the rifts, writhing forms of darkness and surrounded them. Harry quickly counted them. An even dozen, made up of Wraiths and Weavers he’d encountered before.

"Bloody hell," Harry muttered, backing toward Celeste.

She uncoiled Shadow's Reach, the whip hissing through the air as she struck the nearest shadow monster. "I'll handle these! Focus on the boss!"

Harry nodded, turning back to the Reaper. The monster had used the distraction to recover, its stance once again steady and controlled.

Two shadow monsters slipped past Celeste, lunging for Harry. He leapt backwards, using Gust Leap to propel himself onto one of the pillars. From this height, he launched himself at the nearest monster, driving his blade through its form.

The creature dissolved into darkness. The Reaper stretched out a hand, absorbing the essence. Its wounds began to close.

Void Reaper's HP: 2330/4500

"It's healing itself!" Harry shouted, dispatching a second monster.

The Reaper absorbed that essence as well, its HP climbing further above the halfway point.

"Ignore the monsters!" Celeste called, her whip cracking against another shadow creature. "Take down the boss!"

Harry understood immediately. The shadow monsters were a trap—each one killed restored the Reaper’s HP. He charged toward the boss, weaving between the shadow monsters without engaging them.

The battle devolved into a deadly dance. Harry focused entirely on the Reaper, relying on Celeste to keep the shadow monsters at bay as long as possible. When the Reaper's health dipped below fifty percent, more creatures emerged from the rifts. 

The situation wasn’t the best. They had to manage the fight carefully. Instead of killing the monsters and restoring the Reapers' HP, they had to avoid them.

As the fight entered a battle of attrition, Harry's resources dwindled. His consumption gauge neared critical, so he couldn’t rely on potions to restore his resources. His muscles burned with fatigue. But the Reaper's health was dropping as well, falling into critical territory.

Void Reaper's HP: 870/4500

A Shadow Wraith broke through Celeste's defence, its claws raking across Harry's back. He stumbled, his guard dropping for a crucial second. The Reaper seized the opening, its scythe slashing down.

"Fairy Sacrifice!" Celeste screamed.

The damage transferred to her tiny body, her wings faltering as she absorbed the brutal hit meant for Harry. She tumbled from the air, Shadow's Reach slipping from her grip.

Celeste's HP: 12/275

Harry lunged forward, pushing through the pain. The Inferno Blade traced a perfect arc, slicing through the Reaper's guard and continuing into its chest. Black flames erupted from the wound, consuming the monster from within.

The Reaper convulsed, its scythe clattering to the ground. With a final, ear-splitting shriek, it collapsed in on itself. The remaining shadow monsters dissolved along with it.

Void Reaper's HP: 0/4500

Void Reaper defeated! Each party member gains 3500 experience points.

Harry staggered to Celeste's side, cradling her tiny form as the temple rumbled around them. 

"We did it," Harry whispered, his voice hoarse from exertion.

Celeste managed a weak smile. "That was a close one.”

The celebration lasted all of two seconds.

The rifts between the pillars didn't vanish as expected. Instead, they pulsed violently, expanding and contracting in chaotic patterns. A low rumbling shook the temple floor as cracks spiderwebbed across the stone beneath their feet.

One rift directly behind the gate suddenly surged forward, engulfing the gate in a wave of darkness.

"You're fucking kidding me," Harry spat, staring in disbelief.

"What is going on?" Celeste pushed herself upright in his palm. 

A notification pinged on Harry's HUD, but he ignored it. Getting out alive took priority.

"Hold on." He tucked Celeste gently into his pocket and scooped up the Reaper's dropped loot. 

The temple groaned around them. Pillars began toppling as more rifts expanded, consuming everything they touched. 

Harry sprinted for the exit, weaving between falling debris and expanding rifts. A pillar crashed down a mere metre from his right foot, sending stone shards flying. He vaulted over the rubble and burst into the open air just as the temple collapsed inward with a thunderous boom. Harry didn't stop running until they'd put a hundred metres between themselves and the imploding structure.

Only then did he pause, chest heaving, to examine the notification.

======New Main Quest: Realm's End 

Description: The Shadowlands dungeon is collapsing at an accelerated rate due to the Void Reaper's defeat. The dimensional structure can no longer sustain itself, and rifts are rapidly consuming the entire realm. Escape before you are swallowed by the Void Between. All NPCs will perish if left behind when the realm collapses. 

Main Objective: 

1. Escape the Shadowlands within the time limit. 

Sub-Objective: Save all Grievers from the Beast Sanctuary. 

Rewards: 10,000 XP 

Sub-Objective Reward: 5000 XP

Time Limit: 4 hours 

Quest Difficulty: High

======

Harry closed the notification. The quest would have been hard if he hadn’t already found the artefact. But it came with consequences he wasn’t sure he could deal with.

"We need to get out of here," Celeste said, peering out from his pocket. "Use the artefact."

"I'm not leaving without the Grievers," Harry replied.

"There is no time!" Celeste pointed skyward.

Harry followed her gesture and felt his stomach drop. The rifts had already expanded upward, tearing massive holes in the bruised sky. Entire sections of landscape vanished as the dark tears spread like cancer, devouring everything in their path.

"We have four hours to save them," Harry argued. "We can activate the artefact at any time."

"Alright," Celeste sighed. "It's our funeral if you screw this up."

Harry retrieved his Nimbus from his inventory and kicked off from the ground. Just as he oriented himself toward the Beast Sanctuary, a massive shadow on the horizon caught his attention. A dark cloud billowed from the direction of their former hideout, expanding rapidly across the sky.

Below the cloud, thousands of shadow monsters swarmed across the landscape—a writhing mass of claws and teeth converging on their position.

Celeste smacked his shoulder. "Hurry up and get moving!"

Harry didn't need further prompting. He leaned forward, urging the Nimbus to its maximum speed. The broom shot forward, wind whipping through his hair as he put distance between them and the pursuing horde.

Behind them, the cloud of Shadow Wraiths maintained a steady pace, neither gaining nor losing ground. Their keening wails carried on the wind.

Hour after agonising hour passed as they raced toward the sanctuary. The landscape below transformed with each passing minute—more rifts tearing open, swallowing entire sections of the realm. 

"It's getting worse," Celeste shouted over the rushing wind. "Look ahead!"

A massive rift had opened directly in their path, stretching from the ground to the sky. Harry banked hard to the right, circling the expanding tear in reality. The manoeuvre cost precious minutes.

"We're running out of time," Harry muttered, checking his quest timer. Barely thirty minutes remained.

When they finally spotted the canyon housing the Beast Sanctuary, Harry's heart sank. A rift had already formed along its edge, gradually consuming the massive canyon.

"We're too late," Celeste whispered.

"Not yet." Harry pushed his broom faster, diving into the canyon.

They barely squeezed through the cave as the rift expanded behind them. They went through the tunnel at breakneck speed, almost colliding with the tunnel walls on several occasions. 

They emerged into the Beast Sanctuary to find half the area already consumed by a massive rift. The verdant paradise was being devoured metre by metre, trees and river alike vanishing into nothingness.

Above, the Grievers wheeled in panicked circles, their roars echoing through the cavernous space. The massive beasts darted away from the approaching darkness, their flight patterns growing increasingly frantic as their territory shrank.

"Over here!" Harry shouted, waving his arms. "I can help you escape!"

The Alpha spotted him first, banking sharply and descending toward his position. The others followed, wings folded against their sides as they dropped from the air. They landed in a circle around him, their golden eyes reflecting terror and confusion.

Harry fumbled in his pocket, fingers closing around the Realm Breaker. The artefact thrummed with power as he raised it overhead.

"Through the gate. Now!"

He poured mana into the amulet, wincing as the stone grew hot against his palm. The ruby centre flashed once, twice, then erupted in a blaze of crimson light. Reality tore open before them—not the sleek, controlled portal of a dungeon gate, but a jagged wound in the fabric of space.

Beyond the tear, Harry glimpsed the familiar coastline of Potter Isle.

The Grievers needed no further prompting. Led by the Alpha, they charged through the portal, wings tucked tight against their bodies. Harry counted as they passed—fifteen in total, including the cubs.

"Our turn," Harry said, glancing back one last time.

The Beast Sanctuary had nearly vanished, only a small island of solid ground remaining around the portal. The rift had accelerated its consumption, hungry for the final pieces of this dying realm.

Harry and Celeste stepped through the gate together.

The transition felt nothing like the smooth passage of a dungeon gate. This was violent, chaotic—like being torn apart and reassembled molecule by molecule. Harry's stomach lurched as they tumbled through nothingness.

They crashed onto familiar soil, the scent of salt air filling Harry's lungs as he struggled to his feet. The Grievers circled nearby, checking out their surroundings.

A notification flashed across Harry's vision:

======WARNING: DUNGEON BREAK IMMINENT.======

"Oh bugger," Harry whispered.

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, Harry and Celeste have to deal with a monster invasion.

Thanks for reading.