The spatial tear snapped shut with a deafening, crystalline fracture that reverberated through the hollowed-out geode. The absolute vacuum generated by the closing rift violently displaced the ambient air, sending a concussive shockwave rippling across the jagged obsidian floor. Ash, pulverised amethyst, and the cloying stench of vaporized marrow churned in the sudden atmospheric void.
Noble Consort Cui Yulan and the scarred warlord were gone. They had been entirely erased from the physical dimensions of the cavern, swallowed by an anomaly that defied all conventional understanding of imperial array formations.
"The rift consumed them!" Commander Jin bellowed, his voice raw, tearing through his scorched throat. He planted the butt of his heavy golden halberd into the stone, forcing his trembling, exhausted legs to support his weight. "Hold the line! Protect the Consorts! We must break these abominations!"
