When Alina came to, her head throbbed like she'd been hit with a battering ram. The ground beneath her was cold and damp, and the air smelled of ash and iron. Blinking against the dim light, she pushed herself up to her hands and knees. Her surroundings slowly came into focus—a barren landscape strewn with jagged rocks and scorched earth. A low, ominous wind whispered through the air, carrying with it a faint, acrid tang of burnt flesh.
This wasn't the forest where she had first arrived in the Continent. It wasn't anywhere she recognized at all.
Her dagger was still in her hand, though her fingers had gone numb from clutching it so tightly. She forced herself to her feet, her heart pounding as she took in the alien, hostile terrain. The sky above was a swirl of storm clouds, the horizon crackling with distant flashes of unnatural light. It was as though the rift had spat her out into a place untouched by life—or hope.
"Not exactly a warm welcome." she muttered, gripping the dagger tighter.
A sudden sound snapped her attention to the left—a scraping noise, like claws dragging over stone. She turned quickly, her pulse spiking, but she saw nothing. Just shadows shifting unnaturally between the rocks.
"Hello?" she called, instantly regretting it. Her voice echoed in the emptiness, carrying far longer than it should have. The scraping stopped, replaced by an eerie silence.
Alina took a cautious step forward, her boots crunching on the brittle ground. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but to where? There was no sign of Geralt, no Kaelen, no one. She had no map, no plan, and no clue what she was supposed to do next.
Another sound—this time, a guttural growl. It came from behind her, deep and primal, sending shivers down her spine. She whirled around just in time to see a figure emerge from the shadows.
It wasn't human. At least, not entirely. The creature stood upright, its body humanoid but twisted and grotesque, its skin a mottled gray and stretched too tightly over unnatural muscles. Its face was a nightmare—a mouth full of jagged teeth, eyes glowing a sickly yellow, and antlers sprouting from its skull like some horrific mockery of a fiend.
Alina backed away, her heart hammering. "Okay. Cool. No big deal. Just a demon monster. Totally fine."
The creature tilted its head, its glowing eyes locking onto her like a predator sizing up its prey. And then it lunged.
Alina barely had time to react. She threw herself to the side, hitting the ground hard as the creature's claws raked through the air where she'd been standing. Scrambling to her feet, she raised the dagger, her hands shaking. "Stay back!" she shouted, though she doubted it would listen.
The creature charged again, faster than she expected. She managed to sidestep it, slashing wildly with the dagger as it passed. The blade connected, leaving a shallow gash along its side. Black, tar-like blood oozed from the wound, but the creature barely flinched.
"Great. It's indestructible." Alina muttered, her mind racing. She couldn't outrun it, and she clearly couldn't fight it head-on. She needed a plan—now.
As the creature circled her, growling low in its throat, Alina's eyes darted around the barren landscape. Her gaze landed on a cluster of jagged rocks nearby, their sharp edges glinting faintly in the dim light. An idea sparked.
"Come on, you ugly bastard." she muttered, backing toward the rocks. The creature followed, its movements predatory and deliberate. Alina forced herself to stay calm, to keep her steps measured, even as every nerve in her body screamed at her to run.
When she was close enough, she made her move. With a yell, she hurled herself toward the rocks, using them as cover as the creature lunged after her. Its claws scraped against the stone, missing her by inches. She scrambled up the jagged formation, cutting her hands on the sharp edges, but she didn't stop. Reaching the top, she turned to face the creature, now snarling and clawing its way up after her.
"Come on." she said through gritted teeth, positioning herself over the sharpest point of the rock. As the creature climbed closer, she gripped the dagger with both hands, waiting for the perfect moment.
When it leapt at her, she struck. She drove the dagger downward with all her strength, catching the creature mid-air. The force of the impact sent them both tumbling off the rocks. Alina hit the ground hard, the air knocked from her lungs.
The creature didn't move.
Panting, she crawled away, her entire body shaking. The dagger was still buried in the creature's chest, black blood pooling beneath it. For a long moment, she just sat there, staring at it, trying to process what had just happened.
Then she heard another sound—a soft, rhythmic clinking. Footsteps.
She looked up, and relief flooded her as she saw a familiar figure approaching. Kaelen, his dark armor gleaming faintly in the strange light, stepped into view. His amber eyes swept over her and the fallen creature before settling on her face.
"You're alive." he said, a note of approval in his voice. "Good. That means you're ready."
Alina blinked, still trying to catch her breath. "Ready? For what?"
Kaelen extended a hand to her, his expression grim. "To face what's coming."
She stared at him, her mind reeling. She had survived this encounter, but it was clear this was only the beginning. The rift hadn't just brought her back to the Continent. It had brought her to something far darker, far more dangerous than she could have imagined.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed his hand and pulled herself to her feet. Whatever was waiting for her, she wasn't about to face it alone.