We set up a temporary camp on the ridge overlooking the Devil's Throat, just out of sight of the corrupted monsters below. The rift pulsed like a wound in reality, its crimson light casting eerie shadows across the valley.
William gathered the expedition leaders—me, Valerie, Marcus, Elena, and Father Aldric—around a hastily drawn map in the dirt.
"The rift is at the valley's center," he said, marking it with a stick. "Monsters are concentrated around it in three clusters here, here, and here. Estimate... two hundred creatures, maybe more."
"We're twenty people," Elena said flatly. "Those aren't really favorable odds."
"No, they're not." William's jaw clenched. "Which is why a direct assault would be suicide. We need a different approach."
"What kind of approach?" Valerie asked.
William looked at me, his green eyes cold. "Morvan claims to know about dungeons. Let's hear what his books taught him."
All eyes turned to me. I could feel the weight of their expectation—and William's skepticism as he tried to make me look stupid and useless.
I knelt beside the map, buying time to think. In the novel, William had led a desperate charge through the monsters to reach the rift. Half his party died, but he managed to destabilize it with a magical artifact he had found. But that artifact didn't exist yet—he wouldn't discover it until after fighting through the corrupted creatures.
Unless...
"The rift isn't stable yet," I said slowly, thinking out loud. "It's still forming. That's why the monsters are guarding it—they're waiting for it to fully open so more can come through."
"We already know that," William said impatiently.
"But if it's not stable, it's vulnerable." I looked up at him. "In the texts I read, forming rifts require constant magical energy to maintain. If we could disrupt that energy flow, the rift might collapse on its own."
"How?" Marcus asked.
"Magic." I turned to Valerie and Sarah. "Opposing elemental forces. Darkness and earth—elements of stability and weight. If we could channel enough power into the rift's foundation, we might be able to ground it and force it closed."
Valerie's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "That's... actually sound theory. Darkness magic can absorb and nullify other magical energies. Earth magic can anchor and stabilize. Together, they might work."
"Might," William emphasized. "That's a lot of might for a plan that requires getting close to that thing."
"Do you have a better idea?" I challenged.
His expression darkened, but he shook his head. "No. I don't."
"Then we have to try it." Valerie stood, her hand resting on her rapier. "But we'll need a distraction. Something to draw the monsters away from the rift long enough for us to work."
"Then we create a diversion team," Marcus said. "To draw them off and keep them occupied."
"That's suicide," one of the soldiers muttered.
"Not necessarily," William said, and I could see his mind working. "If we split into three groups—one to create the diversion, one to protect the mages at the rift, and one to provide ranged support from higher ground—we might pull it off."
He began sketching in the dirt. "The diversion team hits the eastern cluster hard and fast, then retreats toward the ridge. The monsters will then pursue, since they've shown aggressive behavior every time we've engaged them tehy will take the bait. While they're chasing the diversion, the protection team escorts the mages to the rift. The support team covers both groups with arrows and magic."
"That could work," Elena said.
"It's still risky," Father Aldric added. "If the diversion team gets cut off—"
"They won't," William said firmly. "I'll lead the diversion myself. We'll move fast, hit hard, and retreat before they can surround us."
"I'll go with you," I said.
Everyone stared at me. Valerie's eyes went wide.
"Absolutely not," she said.
"Chase—" Marcus started.
"Listen," I interrupted. "William needs experienced fighters for the diversion, and the protection team needs Marcus and Elena more. I'm the weakest fighter here, but I have fire magic. That makes me useful for creating chaos and drawing attention." I looked at William. "Right?"
He studied me for a long moment, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. He wanted to refuse and to call me a coward, he wanted to prove I was still the same worthless bully.
But he couldn't. Because I was right, and he knew it.
"Fine," he said finally. "But you follow my orders exactly. No heroicbor stupid actions. You do what I say and when I say it."
"Agreed."
Valerie grabbed my arm. "Can I speak to you? Privately?"
We walked a short distance from the group, and the moment we were out of earshot, she rounded on me.
"What are you doing?" she hissed. "The diversion team is going to be in the most danger!"
"I know."
"Then why—"
"Because I need to prove something," I said quietly. "To William, to everyone, but mostly to myself. That I'm not the coward I used to be. That I can be useful and that I can contribute."
"You don't have to prove anything to anyone!"
"Yes, I do." I took her hands. "Valerie, I've spent weeks training with you, studying, preparing. But until I actually face real danger, until I put myself on the line, it's all just theory. I need to do this."
"Chase, you could die."
"So could you. You're going to be right next to the rift, channeling magic into an unstable dimensional tear. That's not exactly safe either."
Her hands tightened on mine. "That's different. I'm already trained for this."
"And I'm training. This is part of that." I brought her hands to my lips, kissing her knuckles. "I'll be careful. I'll follow William's orders. And I'll come back to you. I promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," she whispered, echoing her words from before.
"Then I'll keep them all."
She pulled me close, kissing me hard and desperate. When she pulled back, her eyes were wet.
"If you die, I'll never forgive you," she said.
"Then I won't die."
---
We spent the next hour preparing. The diversion team would be eight fighters, William, me, and six of his best soldiers. The protection team would have Marcus, Elena, and four Morningstar guards. The support team, positioned on the ridge, would be the remaining soldiers plus Father Aldric for emergency healing.
Valerie and Sarah would approach the rift under the protection team's cover and attempt to close it.
It was a simple plan. Probably suicidal. But it was the best plan we had.
As the sun began its descent toward the horizon, William called everyone together.
"This is it," he said, his voice carrying across the group. "In a few minutes, we're going to walk into that valley and face the worst things the world can throw at us. Some of us might not make it back."
He paused, looking at each person individually.
"But if we succeed, we would not only save Ashford but the towns beyond, the hundreds, maybe thousands of lives. That's worth the risk. That's worth everything."
"For Ashford!" one of the soldiers shouted.
"For the kingdom!" another added.
William drew his sword. "For those we protect!"
The cry was taken up by everyone, and despite the fear gnawing at my gut, I felt something else. Purpose. Determination.
I drew my enchanted blade, feeling the familiar warmth of fire magic respond to my touch.
Valerie appeared beside me. "Stay alive," she commanded.
"You too."
She kissed me once more, quick and fierce, then moved to join Sarah and the protection team.
William positioned himself at the head of the diversion team. "Morvan. With me."
I took my place beside him, and he glanced at me.
"If you run," he said quietly, "I won't chase you. I'll just let everyone know what a coward you really are."
"I'm not going to run."
"We'll see."
The signal was given. The support team took their positions on the ridge. The protection team prepared to move. And the diversion team, William and me at the lead, began our descent into the valley.
The corrupted monsters noticed us immediately. A howl went up, it sounded extremely inhuman and wrong the suddenly dozens of twisted heads turned in our direction.
"Here we go," William muttered. Then, louder: "Charge!"
We ran down the slope, weapons ready, and crashed into the eastern cluster of monsters. My sword blazed with fire as I swung at a corrupted wolf, the flames searing its flesh. William fought beside me, his movements precise and deadly.
"Fall back!" William shouted after we'd engaged for thirty seconds. "Retreat to the ridge!"
We turned and ran, the monsters pursuing exactly as planned. Behind us, I could hear the inhuman shrieks of corrupted creatures giving chase.
I risked a glance back and saw the protection team moving toward the rift, Valerie and Sarah at their center.
"Focus!" William barked, and I turned forward just in time to dodge a swipe from a twisted bear that had gotten too close.
We were halfway to the ridge when everything went wrong.
A roar shook the valley—deeper, more terrible than any sound I'd heard before. The rift pulsed violently, and something began to emerge.
"No," William breathed. "It's too soon. It's not supposed to—"
A massive claw pushed through the rift, followed by a head the size of a carriage. The creature was draconic but looked wrong—it had many eyes, scales that shifted colors and teeth arranged in impossible patterns.
A dungeon boss. Manifesting early.
"Run!" William screamed. "Everyone fall back!"
But the protection team was already engaged, fighting off monsters that had circled around. Valerie stood before the rift, darkness magic swirling around her hands, trying to complete the spell even as the boss creature emerged.
I didn't think. I just moved.
I broke away from the diversion team, running toward Valerie instead of away.
"Morvan!" William shouted. "What are you doing?!"
I didn't answer. I couldn't let her face that thing alone.
The dragon-thing was halfway through the rift now, its bulk causing reality to tear further. Valerie's magic flared as she and Sarah poured everything they had into closing it, but the creature's emergence was fighting against them.
Marcus and Elena fought desperately to hold back the monsters swarming their position, but they were being overwhelmed.
I reached the protection team just as the dragon opened its jaws, revealing a throat that glowed with unnatural fire.
"Get down!" I screamed, throwing myself in front of Valerie.
The creature breathed, and the world turned to flame.