The night was long. Too long.
Sam couldn't sleep. His mind kept spiraling, the fragments of his visions—of the Watcher, the chains, and the growing hum of the Rift—coming back to him with every blink. It felt like something was lurking just outside his reach, just beyond his senses. Like a predator that had begun to notice him.
A loud crash echoed through the camp, snapping Sam out of his restless thoughts. Without thinking, he rolled out of his bedroll and rushed outside, his hand already reaching for the spiritual blade that had become a part of him.
Rael was already on the move, a dark silhouette against the glowing embers of their campfire. "Stay alert," he muttered, eyes scanning the perimeter. "I heard it too."
Valencia appeared next, her expression unreadable as usual. "The Rift's resonance is stronger tonight," she said. "It's calling."
Rael frowned. "Not the Rift again. Every time it does this, it feels like we're one step away from being swallowed whole."
"It's different this time," Sam said, his voice distant. "It's… it's like the Rift's heartbeat is synced with mine."
Valencia's eyes flickered with concern, though she quickly masked it. "Then we're running out of time."
Before anyone could respond, a figure stepped out of the shadows. The chill that swept over Sam as it emerged was unmistakable: it was a Rift Beast, but this one was unlike anything they had encountered so far.
It was massive—twice the size of the average Rift Beast, its body a swirling mass of black tendrils and glowing, fractured light. Its eyes were twin points of raw, crimson energy, and its mouth was a gaping void, filled with shifting darkness.
"The Rift isn't just tearing at the fabric of reality," Valencia said, her voice tinged with understanding. "It's pulling things through. Old things. Forgotten things."
The creature roared, its form rippling and distorting like liquid. Sam's heart hammered in his chest as he stepped forward, raising his hands instinctively.
"You think we can take it down?" Rael asked, eyes calculating.
"I don't know," Sam admitted, his gaze locked on the creature. "But we can't let it get any closer."
Rael grinned, his eyes flashing with the same determination Sam had seen before every battle. "Let's give it hell, then."
With that, the team sprang into action.
Sam summoned the fire, wind, and earth, his Resonance flaring as his body moved with instinct. His fist hit the ground, sending waves of fiery energy out in a wide arc. The beast screeched in pain as the ground cracked beneath it, but it didn't falter.
It retaliated immediately, tendrils of darkness reaching out to ensnare them. Sam barely dodged one of them as it lashed toward him, burning his skin with its cold touch.
"Watch out!" Rael shouted, launching himself forward with his weapon drawn. He cut through one of the tendrils, but more took its place, swarming them.
Sam gritted his teeth and focused, feeling the flow of energy deep inside his Vein. "Resonance Link: Sunfire Warrior!"
The energy around him flared as Lapu-Lapu's presence surged through him. His kampilan ignited with golden flame, and he swung it in a wide arc, cutting through the dark tendrils.
The Rift Beast let out a howl of fury as the flames danced across its body, but it wasn't enough to stop it. The creature grew larger with every strike, its tendrils reshaping like it was evolving in real-time, adapting to their attacks.
"We need a strategy," Valencia shouted, firing a blast of psychic energy from her quill-turned-rapier.
"We don't have time for a strategy!" Sam retorted, his body already moving in sync with the flow of battle. His instincts were guiding him now, a primal surge of energy pushing him forward.
Another tendril shot toward him. He dodged just in time, but it was getting harder to avoid.
Suddenly, a blast of wind ripped through the air—Gabriela Silang's presence surged like a storm, sweeping the tendrils back and clearing a path. "No more running," Gabriela's voice echoed in Sam's mind. "We end this."
Sam nodded, feeling the power of the Sky Reaper surging alongside him. His hands crackled with energy, and with a roar, he launched himself toward the Rift Beast, surrounded by fire, wind, and earth.
A massive strike landed. The beast staggered, but it wasn't finished yet.
Then, another voice, familiar and steady—Sultan Kudarat, the Unyielding Shield, appeared next to him. His massive kris shield glowed with ethereal power, and he raised it just as a tendril swung toward them. The shield absorbed the impact, cracks forming along its surface but holding firm.
"You are not alone," Sultan Kudarat's voice rumbled. "Stand firm, child."
The team pushed forward, each attack adding to the growing storm. Sam's heart raced as the power of the Eternal Heroes coursed through him. With one final, combined strike—Sam slammed his flaming kampilan into the Rift Beast's core, the earth pulsing with an explosion of light and energy.
The beast let out one final, ear-splitting screech as it exploded into a mass of dark energy, scattering into the night air.
Silence followed. Then, the faint hum of the Rift returned, but it was different this time. Less chaotic, more focused.
Sam dropped to one knee, panting heavily. The weight of the battle had drained him, but he could still feel the residual power coursing through his veins.
Rael approached, clapping him on the back. "You're getting the hang of this, huh?"
Sam gave him a tired smile. "I don't know about that. But we're still standing."
Valencia, who had been quietly observing, turned toward the horizon. "That beast was a warning. And it's not the last one. The Rift is growing stronger."
Rael looked at Sam, his gaze heavy. "This fight isn't over."
Sam nodded, his heart still pounding, the weight of the Rift pressing down on him. "I know. But we're not backing down."
They weren't done. Not by a long shot.