THE LAST DREAMER

The mansion was collapsing. The walls groaned and creaked, as if the very bones of the structure were breaking apart. The shadows seemed to stretch further with every passing second, creeping into corners and hiding places where they hadn't been moments ago. Ethan's breath came in ragged gasps, his side still burning with pain from the creature's claws. He could feel the blood soaking through his clothes, his heart pounding with every painful step.

Maya was just ahead, her face pale, but there was something new in her eyes—something darker. Her hands shook as she held tightly to the ancient book that had been their guide, the one they had hoped would show them a way to stop all of this. She glanced over her shoulder at Ethan, her worry clearly written across her face. 

"Ethan, we need to keep moving," she said, her voice tight. "The rift... it's spreading faster than we thought."

"I know," Ethan murmured, trying to focus. "But I can't leave Jake like this. We... we can't just abandon him. We need to fix this."

But the words felt hollow even as they left his mouth. Ethan knew, deep down, that Jake was gone. There was nothing left of his best friend. Nothing but a shell of the boy they had known—a vessel for something far darker and older.

Maya shook her head. "We need to focus, Ethan. If we don't find a way to stop this, we'll all be lost."

The mansion was shifting around them. The air had taken on a thick, oppressive quality, pressing down on them from every direction. Every step they took felt heavier, as though the weight of the world had fallen upon their shoulders. Ethan's mind was a blur of guilt and fear, and he couldn't shake the thought of Jake's face—those dark, soulless eyes that had once been filled with laughter, with life. Now, those eyes were forever lost to them.

They reached the grand staircase. The broken remnants of the chandelier hung above them like an omen, the once-glistening crystals now jagged and sharp. The stairs groaned under their weight as they ascended, their footsteps echoing ominously through the empty hall.

A strange humming sound filled the air, vibrating through the walls. It was a low, guttural noise, something far too ancient to be easily explained. It seemed to be coming from the very heart of the mansion, from deep within the labyrinth of corridors they had yet to explore. Ethan could feel it in his bones—the rift was growing.

"Do you hear that?" Maya asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Ethan nodded. "It's coming from the center of the mansion. The rift. It's where it all began."

They made their way down a long, narrow hallway, the once-gilded walls now cracked and peeling. The flickering of old gas lamps cast unsettling shadows that danced on the walls, creating eerie shapes that seemed to watch them as they passed. The temperature dropped with every step, until Ethan's breath came out in visible puffs of fog.

As they reached a large, ornate door at the end of the hall, a loud, dissonant noise suddenly filled the air. A chorus of whispers. Low and sinister. The walls themselves seemed to be alive, moaning in protest as if they were trying to push them away. Ethan could feel the air thickening, choking him.

"We have to go in," Maya said, her voice steely but filled with fear.

Ethan didn't respond. He couldn't. His thoughts were clouded by the images of the things he had seen—Jake's transformation, the dark creatures that followed them, the nightmare that had crept into their reality. But they had no choice. They had to stop it before it consumed them all.

Maya pushed open the door, and they both stepped inside. The room before them was unlike anything they had ever seen. The air shimmered with a strange energy, as if the very fabric of reality was beginning to warp. The floor was covered in dust and debris, and the walls were adorned with faded, ancient tapestries that depicted scenes from another world—twisted, horrific figures, twisted landscapes, and unimaginable horrors that defied description.

In the center of the room was the rift. It pulsed and throbbed with an unnatural rhythm, like a beating heart. The edges of the rift flickered between worlds, revealing fleeting glimpses of nightmares and strange, otherworldly landscapes. A cold wind swirled around them, carrying with it the scent of decay and madness.

"This is it," Maya whispered, her eyes wide with awe and terror. "This is where it all began."

Ethan stepped forward, his heart racing. The rift seemed to pull at him, tugging at his very soul. His thoughts flashed back to the dream realm—the place where everything had started. He could still remember the weight of that choice, the moment when he had allowed the rift to tear open. He had wanted to stop the darkness, but in doing so, he had only unleashed it. 

A voice, low and guttural, filled the room.

You think you can stop this? You think you can close the door once it's open?

Ethan spun around, his heart in his throat. There, in the shadows, stood the creature—the one that had taken Jake. It was no longer the boy he had known, but something far worse, something far older. Its eyes burned with malice, its body twisted and misshapen.

"You!" Maya shouted, her fists clenched. "What have you done to him?"

The creature's lips curled into a cruel smile, revealing rows of jagged teeth. "He is gone. And now, you will join him."

Suddenly, the room seemed to warp around them. The walls shifted, bending, the rift growing larger, its pulse becoming deafening. Ethan's head spun. His vision blurred. He couldn't breathe.

A screech tore through the air, and the creature lunged.

But Maya was faster. With a desperate scream, she threw the book—the only key they had left—into the rift, hoping it might be enough. The moment it touched the swirling darkness, a brilliant light erupted from the rift, blinding them both. The creature howled in pain, the light piercing it like a blade.

For a split second, time stood still.

And then, everything shattered.