Shattered mask

Riven's sword gleamed in the dim light as he stood over the fallen Wraithspawn, its body crumpled and still. His breath came in ragged gasps, sweat beading on his brow. He had struck the creature with precision, but something had gone wrong. The pulse, that unmistakable signal, still vibrated in the air—a faint hum, a trace of the Net reaching out into the world.

"I didn't finish it," Riven muttered, his gaze fixed on the Wraithspawn's lifeless form. "It's still calling them."

Beside him, the female Phantom's mask remained expressionless, as always. Her voice, low and unwavering, cut through the tension. "You didn't kill it cleanly. They'll be here soon."

Riven's heart pounded in his chest. He had thought he could finish the creature off quickly, but it had managed to alert the others. The Net was a force that couldn't be ignored, and now they would pay the price.

"We need to move," the female Phantom urged, stepping forward with quiet urgency. "The bridge is our only chance."

With no time to waste, the group began their sprint toward the bridge that stretched across the vast chasm leading to the City of Silence. The massive structure loomed ahead, ancient stone and iron twisting together in a way that seemed to defy logic. As they ran, the weight of the silence pressed against them, and the hum of the Net grew louder in Riven's ears.

They reached the bridge, and immediately, the female Phantom stepped forward, her hand sweeping over the body of the Wraithspawn. Her fingers brushed against its chest, where the monster's core pulsed faintly, glowing with a sickly light.

"Use this," she said, holding the core up to Riven. "It'll detonate if the right conditions are met."

Riven eyed the shard cautiously. The core, a jagged, bone-like object, seemed like it could explode at any moment. He'd heard rumors of how these things could be weaponized, but he'd never seen it used in person.

"Place it near the supports," the female Phantom instructed, her voice steady. "The shockwave will destroy the bridge."

Without a second thought, Riven set the core down near one of the bridge's large iron supports. The shard pulsed again, and Riven took a step back, holding his breath. The core was unstable, but it had to be done. The Wraithspawn were closing in, and this was their only chance to stop them from crossing.

The core throbbed once more, then—BOOM—the explosion rocked the air. The force was blinding, a deafening roar filling the atmosphere as the bridge shuddered violently. The stone and iron supports splintered, cracking apart under the intensity of the blast. The air was thick with dust and debris, and the bridge tilted, its frame twisting and snapping before finally crumbling into the chasm below.

But even as the structure collapsed, the Wraithspawn surged forward, leaping onto the ruins of the bridge. Some made it across, scrambling over the wreckage with relentless determination.

"Run!" the female Phantom ordered, and without hesitation, Riven followed her as they sprinted toward the City of Silence. But just as they neared the final stretch of their journey, a shape emerged from the shadows—tall, skeletal, and horrific.

A Dreadspawn.

The creature's elongated limbs and jagged skull-like face seemed to distort the very air around it. Riven's heart skipped a beat as the Dreadspawn let out a deafening roar and lunged at them, its claws cutting through the air with terrifying speed.

Before they could react, the Dreadspawn's massive form leapt across the shattered bridge, landing heavily on the path ahead of them. The ground trembled under its weight, and Riven's instincts flared. This wasn't a fight they could run from.

"Get ready!" the female Phantom's voice cut through the chaos, and her form blurred as she sprang into action, meeting the Dreadspawn head-on.

Riven didn't need any further prompting. He gripped his sword tighter and charged, his breath coming in sharp bursts as the Dreadspawn roared again, its eyes glowing with an unnatural hunger. The battle was about to begin.