Elian jolted awake, but this time, he did not cry. Instead, his eyes, sharp and determined, scanned his room with purpose. The letter from his father lay in his hand, its paper wrinkled from being clutched through restless dreams. He sat up slowly, clutching it as he spoke, his voice hushed but resolute. "In Father's letter, he wrote only about himself—he didn't mention Mother. That must mean…" He paused, letting the thought solidify. "She could still be alive."
The shard beside him pulsed softly, like a heartbeat, its faint glow catching the first traces of dawn. "I am not certain… but I know she stood beside your father," it whispered, the voice more present, almost soothing in the quiet room. "She was… relentless."
Elian felt a surge of resolve. He was no longer the young boy drowning in grief—he was the son of a warrior, and now, he had a mission of his own. If his mother was still out there, he would find her. But he knew he couldn't do it without understanding the dangers that lay ahead. Crossing the room, he picked up the shard, feeling its cool surface warm in his hands as if responding to his touch.
"Then tell me," he said, his voice firm. "Who are these enemies Father feared? Who are they, that he wanted me to protect you from?"
The shard was silent, as if gathering its thoughts, before it finally spoke, its tone dark and warning. "There is one who sits in shadows, the hunter who never sleeps. He has watched you, Elian, waiting, unseen."
A chill crept down Elian's spine. He held the shard tighter, drawing strength from its glow. "Tell me everything," he whispered. "What are you? Why was my father so determined to protect you? And… who was he protecting you from?"
The shard seemed to brighten, casting Elian's shadow long across the walls as it answered, "I am Sky. The one who stretched above the earth, who touched the heavens and sheltered the world."
The words carried a weight, ancient and powerful, and Elian found himself captivated, leaning closer. "So… you're more than just a shard. What happened?"
"Long ago," the shard continued, "a war raged among cosmic beings—entities as ancient as time itself, each seeking to rule all realms as the one true god. Their power was immense, a storm that tore through the heavens, the ripple of which reached even Earth. I was strong, stronger than any of them, but alone. They united against me, and I could not withstand their combined might."
Elian felt a strange sorrow from the shard, a grief that reached across time. "They… shattered you?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Yes," the shard said softly. "Piece by piece, I fell from the heavens, scattered across the world. Your father discovered one fragment—what you hold now. He understood the danger it held, the chaos that could follow if it fell into the wrong hands. Vaeloris, the most ambitious among them, seeks these pieces. He would use me to destroy the heavens and rewrite existence itself."
A name etched in darkness settled in Elian's mind: Vaeloris. He tightened his grip on the shard. "And if the pieces are brought together…?"
"If reunited, my fragments would grant unimaginable power—power to reshape the heavens or bring them to ruin. Vaeloris knows this, and he would stop at nothing to gather them. For him, it is a prize beyond mercy."
Elian felt the weight of the shard's words, the room around him fading as he absorbed its story. "Then… Vaeloris is still out there? Searching for you?"
The shard's light dimmed, almost as though it were grimacing. "The entities cannot enter this world in their true forms," it explained. "But Vaeloris has found ways around this. He uses human vessels—strong ones, capable of bearing his presence. They walk among humans, concealed, their purpose hidden but unwavering."
Elian's pulse quickened. "And they're here, hunting for you. I'll need a way to stop them. But… will you trust me enough to work with me?"
The shard flickered, considering his words. "Yes, Elian. I can become a part of you. But understand, I am only a fragment of what I once was. To protect you and give you the strength needed to stand against Vaeloris, I need more of myself. At least ten fragments."
Elian's mind raced with the implications, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. Merging with an ancient being… the idea was both daunting and thrilling. He took a deep breath, his resolve hardening. "Then we'll find them. You and me, together. I'll finish what my father started."
The shard glowed with warmth, as if acknowledging his determination. "If you are truly willing, we shall walk this path together. But know this: Vaeloris and his followers will not stop. They are relentless, and they will use every trick, every deceit to claim me. The shadows are filled with those who would mislead and betray."
Elian swallowed, feeling the weight of the shard's warning. Every shadow in his room seemed darker, every quiet sound sharper.
"One more thing, Elian," the shard said, its voice tinged with gravity. "Once you accept this path, you may never return to the life you once knew. Friends, family… all could become pawns in Vaeloris's game. The power to reshape the heavens draws dangers you cannot imagine."
The warning settled on him like a cloak of iron. But Elian's resolve didn't waver. He was ready to face the unknown, whatever it might bring.
"I'll do it," he replied, his voice strong and unwavering. "I'll protect you. I'll find the fragments. And I'll make sure my father's sacrifice was not in vain."
The shard pulsed brighter than ever, its light filling the room, a warm embrace that wrapped around him, solidifying the pact they had forged. "Then prepare yourself, Elian," it said, its voice both solemn and proud. "The journey before you will test every fiber of your being. Hold to your resolve, stay true, and you may be the one to mend the shattered sky."
The shard's words left Elian with a sense of purpose unlike any he had known. In that moment, he was not just a young boy with a lost family—he was a protector, a vessel, carrying the legacy of his father and the weight of a cosmic war. And as dawn broke, casting light through his window, Elian knew that his life, his path, had changed forever.
Far away, in the cold, desolate halls of an ancient stronghold, a cloaked figure knelt on the stone floor, his head bowed, his breath shallow with fear. Shadows danced across the walls, cast by the flickering torchlight that did little to warm the frigid air. Before him, perched upon a massive throne, was another figure, draped in a mantle of darkness, his face hidden but his presence palpable—a looming aura of malice and control. His true name was known only to a few, but they all called him "That Person."
The kneeling figure swallowed hard, voice trembling as he dared to speak. "My… my lord, I beg your forgiveness… The shard… it has slipped from our grasp. Someone else… someone unknown has taken it."
The silence that filled the hall was suffocating, and every moment felt like an eternity, stretching until the air was so thick it seemed impossible to breathe. The figure on the throne did not speak. He moved only slightly, raising a gloved hand. Light, cold and harsh, began to gather at his fingertips, casting an eerie glow that threw the kneeling figure's shadow long across the stone floor. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and controlled, but with an edge that cut like glass.
"I gave you a single task." The tone was calm, unhurried, yet it dripped with lethal purpose. And with the smallest flick of his hand, the gathered light leapt forward, enveloping the kneeling figure, whose shocked gasp was quickly drowned by the searing brightness as his form dissolved into ash, scattering lifelessly across the floor.
"That Person" watched, his expression unchanged, only a glimmer of mild curiosity in his darkened eyes. "So," he murmured softly to himself, his voice a whisper of interest. "A new player has entered the game."
In the silence that followed, Elian felt a strange sense of peace, as though his father's spirit were beside him, guiding him forward. The weight of the fragment in his hand felt right, like it belonged there.
And in that moment, he knew there was no turning back.
TO BE CONTINUED...