The hidden chamber was still as the group stirred to life, the faint flicker of the lantern casting long shadows across the worn stone walls. Caden stretched, the ache in his limbs a dull reminder of the trials they had faced in the tunnels. His hand instinctively brushed the shard in his pocket, its presence both reassuring and unsettling.
Kael remained perched near the entrance, her gaze sharp and focused as she kept watch over the narrow passage. Garrick sat cross-legged by the remnants of their campfire, his injured arm cradled against his chest as he traced faint patterns in the dirt with his staff.
"How's the arm?" Caden asked, breaking the quiet.
"It'll hold," Garrick replied, his voice steady but strained. "Not my first scrape with trouble, and it won't be the last."
Kael glanced over her shoulder, a wry smirk tugging at her lips. "He's being modest. That gash looked bad enough to fell a lesser man. You're lucky to still have the arm."
Garrick shot her a sharp look. "Luck had nothing to do with it."
Caden leaned back against the wall, letting out a slow breath. The shard pulsed faintly, its energy subdued after the chaos of their escape. But even in its quiet state, he could feel it—a constant presence, humming at the edge of his mind.
"What now?" Caden asked. "We can't stay here forever."
"No, we can't," Garrick said, shifting to stand with some effort. "We need to keep moving. The Reclaimers will track us if we stay too long."
"Do you have a destination in mind, or are we just running blind?" Kael asked, her tone casual but her eyes sharp.
"There's a town a day's journey from here," Garrick said. "It has a guildhall—a place where travelers and mercenaries gather. If anyone has information on the Reclaimers' movements or fragment activity, it'll be there."
Caden frowned, his fingers brushing the shard. "And what if the Reclaimers are already there? You said they're relentless."
"They might be," Garrick admitted. "But we don't have many options. We need to know what we're up against."
Kael stood, her movements fluid as she stretched. "A guildhall, huh? Full of people looking for coin and willing to sell out whoever they need to. Sounds safe."
"We'll be careful," Garrick said firmly. "And we'll move quietly."
Caden hesitated, his mind racing with questions. "What if… what if we run into more people like the ones in the tunnels? People who want the fragment?"
"Then you'll need to be ready," Garrick said, his gaze locking onto Caden's. "You've seen what the shard can do, but its power isn't limitless. It takes a toll, and you can't rely on it for every fight."
Kael stepped closer, her expression skeptical. "So, what's the plan if the boy burns himself out? You can't fight, not with that arm."
"I'll do what I can," Garrick replied. "But Caden has to learn to stand on his own. That's the nature of the System."
Caden's stomach churned at the thought. The memory of the shard's raw power surging through him was still fresh—exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure. He didn't know if he could control it, let alone use it without risking himself.
Kael's sharp voice cut through his thoughts. "We should leave before midday. The longer we sit here, the more time we give the Reclaimers to close the gap."
Garrick nodded, his expression resolute. "Agreed. We'll move soon."
As the group gathered their belongings and prepared to leave, Caden felt the weight of the shard pressing against him like a silent burden. The path ahead was uncertain, the dangers mounting with every step. But he knew one thing for sure: staying still wasn't an option.
The hidden chamber fell quiet as they extinguished the lantern and stepped into the passageway, the faint glow of the shard their only light. The forest awaited them, and with it, the next chapter of their journey.