The fire crackled in the hearth, casting erratic shadows across the cramped, dimly lit room. Caden sat hunched on a rough wooden bench, exhaustion pressing down on him as if he carried the weight of the entire forest. The chilling memory of the System's warning lingered in his mind:
[Warning: System Fragment detected. Proximity to other echoes may attract further anomalies.]
The words had flashed before him just before he reached the village, a final jab to his already frazzled nerves. Now, as he watched Garrick move with practiced ease among jars and vials, the implications gnawed at him. The old man's every movement seemed deliberate, a steady calm amidst the storm of Caden's mind.
"You're fortunate you made it out of that forest," Garrick said, his voice rough but lacking judgment. He didn't turn from his task, selecting a small pouch filled with dried herbs that smelled sharp and earthy. "Most who cross paths with Shadow Wraiths don't live to speak of it."
Caden nodded, though the tension in his jaw made it hard to respond. His fingers brushed against the shard in his pocket, cold and inert now, yet it seemed to hum in sync with the memory of that warning. The thought of other echoes—other beings or forces drawn to the fragment—tightened his chest.
Garrick finally faced him, gray eyes meeting Caden's. "You're marked," he said, his tone laced with the weight of knowledge. "Not just from tonight. That Fragment you carry… it sings to those who listen."
Caden shifted, unease prickling his skin. "The System… it warned me before I reached the village. It said something about attracting anomalies."
Garrick's expression darkened, the flicker of the flames sharpening the lines of his face. "That's because it's true. Fragments like the one you have are pieces of the old System. Once, they were part of something grand, something powerful beyond measure. Now, they're shattered echoes, drawing the attention of things better left forgotten."
Silence settled between them, punctuated only by the crackle of the fire and the distant rustle of wind against the wooden walls. Caden's mind raced, trying to process the implications. If the Wraiths weren't the worst of what could come, then what other horrors awaited him?
"How do you know so much about them?" Caden asked, breaking the silence.
Garrick's eyes flickered with something unreadable—sorrow, perhaps, or the weight of old wounds. He sat down opposite Caden, the bench creaking under his weight. "I wasn't always just a keeper of herbs and secrets. Once, I was a seeker, like you, chasing whispers of the System's remnants. I learned the hard way that such pursuits come at a price."
Caden's gaze dropped to the floor, the unease twisting into something colder. "What kind of price?"
Garrick's jaw tightened, a shadow crossing his expression. "I lost companions to the echoes, good people who were drawn to the promise of power but didn't understand the consequences. The System, as fragmented as it is, doesn't discriminate. It tests, it breaks, and only those who can navigate its madness survive."
A shiver ran down Caden's spine. He realized then that the shard wasn't just a gift; it was a burden, one that came with a price he had yet to comprehend fully. He looked back at Garrick. "If I keep this, more will come, won't they?"
"Yes," Garrick said simply, the firelight casting deep shadows on his face. "But abandoning it now would be even more dangerous. The System has marked you. The echoes won't just stop because you wish it."
The weight of Garrick's words settled heavily in Caden's chest. The thought of being hunted, of more encounters like the one with the Wraiths, gnawed at the edges of his courage. But beneath the fear, there was a flicker of something else—resolve. If the System had marked him, if this shard was part of some larger design, then perhaps he could find a way to understand it. Maybe even control it.
A knock at the door shattered the tense silence, and both men's heads snapped toward the sound. Garrick stood, one hand reaching instinctively for a dagger hidden beneath his cloak. The tension in the room coiled tighter, like a bowstring drawn to its limit.
"Stay here," Garrick whispered, eyes sharp and wary as he moved toward the door. Caden's heart thudded in his chest, each beat loud enough to drown out the crackle of the fire. The air seemed to hold its breath as Garrick cracked the door open just enough to peer outside.
Voices drifted in, too muffled to understand. Garrick's posture relaxed, if only slightly, and he opened the door wider. A young woman stepped inside, her eyes wide and searching until they landed on Caden. She carried a lantern, the warm light revealing her freckled face and auburn hair pulled into a messy braid.
"Garrick, there's news from the patrol," she said, glancing between the two men. "More creatures have been spotted near the eastern perimeter."
Caden's stomach clenched, the echoes of the System's warning surging back with renewed urgency.
[Warning: The presence of System Fragments may destabilize surrounding areas.]
Garrick looked at Caden, his expression hardening into a mask of resolve. "It seems your arrival has stirred more than just shadows. We need to prepare."