The Riftborn Hunter

The Rift pulsed—slow, deep, a heartbeat thumping through Aiden's bones, his lungs, his skin.

Something watched them—cold, heavy, like eyes boring through the dark.

Nobody else felt it.

The E-Tier boss should've been here—sprawled dead under their boots. Instead, a hulking shadow loomed over its corpse, limbs slick with something too thick, too black to call blood. Its presence twisted the air—wrong, gut-churning, like the Rift had coughed up a nightmare it couldn't swallow.

This thing didn't belong.

And the real kicker?

Jenna squared her shoulders, blade steady. "Hold formation—everyone."

Marcus twirled his daggers, smirking. "Just a D-Tier. We eat these for breakfast."

Garrick scoffed, gauntlets gleaming. "Five of us? This is a warmup."

Aiden's fingers twitched.

Idiots.

They didn't see it—the air warping, the Rift's hum turning sour.

He did. Always had—Kains bred him for nothing, but he'd learned to spot death before it hit.

Tess lounged, flipping her knife like it was a toy, grinning at him. "What's up, blind boy? Scared—or did those useless eyes catch something?"

Aiden's jaw tightened. "Keep talking, Tess. Maybe it'll die laughing."

Jenna's grip tightened, voice cutting sharp. "Stay together. We drop it, job's done."

Nobody listened.

The creature moved.

Not a lunge—not even a step.

It flickered.

One second, it crouched in the boss's guts—torn open, ribs splayed like a butchered hog. The next—

Marcus was gone.

A clawed limb—black, glistening—speared him through the ribs, hoisting him like a ragdoll.

He twitched, mouth gaping, blood bubbling out in a frothy gurgle—then it flung him aside, a broken toy skidding across pavement.

No effort. No care.

It barely noticed.

Tess stumbled back, cursing—"Oh, hell no!"—knife flipping into a stance as she bolted forward.

Aiden's gut sank. He saw it—the air twisting, the Rift's pulse bending around her.

She thought stealth would save her.

It wouldn't.

The thing blurred—faster than sound.

A claw punched through her spine—sharp, clean, a wet snap.

Her body folded, lifeless before it hit the dirt—knife clattering useless beside her.

Aiden swallowed hard. "Not a fight," he muttered. "A meat grinder."

Jenna moved—sword arcing fast, a silver blur aimed for its throat.

Should've hit.

It flickered—reality skipping like a scratched feed.

Her blade sliced air—nothing but dust.

Soren snapped into gear, heated wires whipping out, coiling around its arm—air sizzling with heat.

For a heartbeat, it held—then the creature flexed.

Wires snapped like string, sparking as they fell.

Soren dodged—barely—claws raking his side instead of his heart, shredding flesh in red ribbons.

He crashed down, gasping, blood pooling between his fingers—alive, but not for long.

Aiden's stomach flipped. It wasn't done with him.

Garrick's bravado cracked—he choked a breath, feet shuffling to bolt.

Then—he grabbed Soren.

Shoved him forward—meat shield, panic-stink rolling off him.

Aiden's gut dropped. Coward.

Soren's eyes widened—"You—"

The creature pounced—claw piercing his chest, ripping through like wet paper.

Blood sprayed Garrick's face, hot and thick—he staggered back, gasping, too late to see it didn't care.

It turned—black claws blurring.

A crunch—Garrick's reinforced arms shattered like cheap glass, his body splitting in two, halves flopping wetly to the ground.

Aiden didn't flinch—couldn't.

Jenna exhaled, blade up, shoulders taut—steady, but her eyes betrayed it: tired, bleeding from a gash he hadn't noticed.

Just them now.

The creature stopped—still, not charging.

Watching.

Aiden's throat lumped—pulse hammering.

Jenna's knuckles whitened on her grip, breath controlled but ragged.

She couldn't take it solo—not like this.

It tensed—coiled to end them.

Aiden's breath steadied—he saw it coming, like always.

Jenna wouldn't stop it.

He stepped in front—square between her and the thing.

"Guess it's my turn to play shield," he said, voice low, dry as bone.