The chamber's stillness was a welcome reprieve from the chaos of the tunnels. Caden sat on the cold stone floor, leaning against the rough wall, his body heavy with exhaustion. The shard in his pocket pulsed faintly, its rhythm slower now, mirroring his own heartbeat as he finally let himself breathe.
Garrick sat nearby, his injured arm resting in his lap. He had removed his cloak to better wrap the wound, using strips of cloth torn from his spare tunic. Despite the faint sheen of sweat on his brow, his expression was calm, his breathing measured.
Kael stood near the chamber's entrance, her sharp eyes scanning the narrow passage that led inside. Though her posture was relaxed, her fingers hovered close to the hilt of her dagger, ready to strike at the first sign of trouble.
"Is it always like this?" Caden asked, breaking the silence. "Running, hiding… barely making it out alive?"
Garrick chuckled softly, though the sound lacked humor. "That's the life fragments bring. They're a magnet for trouble, and the more you carry, the worse it gets."
Caden frowned, pulling the shard from his pocket. Its faint glow illuminated his face, casting shadows that danced along the chamber walls. "Why me?" he murmured. "Why did the System give this to me if all it does is make me a target?"
"The System doesn't choose," Garrick said, his voice low but firm. "It's broken, fragmented—just like these shards. It reacts to those who find its remnants, but it doesn't guide or protect. That's up to you."
Kael turned from the entrance, her expression unreadable. "He's right. The System doesn't care about you—or anyone else. If you're looking for answers, you won't find them by asking 'why.' The only question that matters is what you're going to do now."
Caden clenched his jaw, her words striking a nerve. He looked at the shard again, its glow steady but unyielding. "I'm not giving up," he said quietly. "I don't know why this happened to me, but I'm not going to let it break me."
Garrick nodded approvingly, though his gaze remained sharp. "Good. Because the Reclaimers won't stop, and neither will the dangers tied to that shard. You'll need every bit of resolve—and every ounce of strength—you can muster."
Caden glanced at Garrick's bandaged arm, guilt flickering in his chest. "And you? Will you be able to fight if they find us again?"
"I'll manage," Garrick said, though the strain in his voice betrayed him. "But I'll need time to recover. That's why we're here."
Kael snorted softly. "Time is a luxury you don't have. The Reclaimers are relentless, and they've got trackers who can follow fragment energy. This place might be safe for a while, but they'll find the trail eventually."
"Then we'll make sure we're ready when they do," Garrick said, his tone unyielding.
Caden leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. His body ached, and the shard's energy still thrummed faintly through him, a reminder of how much it had taken to escape the tunnels. Sleep tugged at the edges of his consciousness, but his mind refused to let go.
"What about you?" he asked Kael, opening one eye to glance at her. "Why are you still here?"
Kael shrugged, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Maybe I like a challenge. Or maybe I'm just curious to see how long you'll last."
Caden frowned, but Garrick shook his head, silently warning him to let it go.
Hours passed in uneasy silence. Caden drifted in and out of restless sleep, the fragment's hum lulling him like a heartbeat. When he finally woke fully, the chamber was dim, the lantern's flame low but steady. Garrick was still seated, his eyes closed in meditation, while Kael remained by the entrance, her stance as sharp as ever.
"You should rest," Caden said, his voice hoarse.
Kael glanced at him, one eyebrow raised. "I don't need much sleep. Besides, someone has to keep watch."
"You don't trust this place," Caden said, more a statement than a question.
"I don't trust anything," Kael replied, her tone matter-of-fact. "Trust gets you killed. But I know how to spot danger, and right now, the only thing I see is you, holding onto that shard like it won't get us all killed."
Caden's fingers brushed the shard in his pocket, her words cutting deeper than he cared to admit. "I didn't ask for this," he said, his voice low.
"No one asks for it," Kael replied. "But here you are. So, what's your plan when the Reclaimers catch up? Blast them all away with that shard of yours?"
Caden hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"That's what I thought," Kael said, turning her attention back to the passage. "Figure it out, boy. Fast."
Garrick stirred, his eyes opening as he shifted to stand. "Enough," he said, his tone quiet but firm. "We all have our roles to play, Kael. Caden's learning. Let him."
Kael didn't respond, but the faint tension in her posture eased slightly.
Caden pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the protest of his aching muscles. "We need a plan," he said, looking between Garrick and Kael. "Not just for the Reclaimers, but for what happens after. If I'm going to keep this shard, I need to figure out how to use it without it tearing me apart."
"That will come with time," Garrick said. "For now, focus on staying alive. The System has chosen a harsh path for you, but you're not alone on it. Remember that."
Caden nodded, his resolve hardening. He glanced at Kael, whose sharp gaze was now fixed on him.
"Fine," Kael said. "But don't expect me to hold your hand when things get ugly."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Caden replied, his voice steady.
The tension in the chamber eased slightly, though the weight of what lay ahead still hung heavy in the air. Caden's mind churned with thoughts of the Reclaimers, the fragment, and the path they had yet to walk.
For now, they had a moment of rest. But he knew it wouldn't last.
The storm was coming, and they would face it together.