The forest grew quieter as dusk fell, the golden light of the setting sun fading into muted grays. The trio trudged onward, their steps careful and deliberate, every crack of a twig underfoot setting their nerves on edge.
Caden's body ached, the toll of using the Shard Barrier lingering in every muscle. His breaths came in shallow draws, and though the shard's glow had dimmed, its presence in his pocket felt heavier than ever.
"Let's stop here," Garrick said, motioning toward a small clearing off the trail. The ground was soft with moss, and the dense trees provided some cover from prying eyes.
Kael eyed the clearing with suspicion, her dagger spinning in her hand. "We're exposed here."
"We're always exposed," Garrick replied, lowering himself onto a fallen log. "But we need rest, and Caden needs it most."
Caden opened his mouth to protest but closed it again, his legs too weak to argue. He sank to the ground, leaning against a tree trunk.
[User health critical. Rest required to stabilize energy levels.]
The System message flickered across his vision, sharp and unyielding. He groaned, rubbing his temples.
Kael crouched beside him, her expression unreadable. "Let me guess. Your little shard friend reminding you that you're falling apart?"
"Something like that," Caden muttered.
Kael smirked faintly. "Get some rest, boy. We'll need you alive tomorrow."
Sleep came fitfully, pulling Caden into a world of half-formed dreams and fleeting whispers.
The void returned, dark and endless. This time, he wasn't alone. Shadows moved at the edges of his vision, coiling and twisting, their forms indistinct but menacing.
"You're slipping..." one voice hissed, low and venomous.
"Give in..."
"It's easier that way..."
Caden clenched his fists, his breath coming in sharp gasps. "I won't. You don't control me."
The shadows laughed, their voices a chorus of mockery. "You're already ours."
The shard's glow pulsed faintly in the darkness, its light flickering as though struggling to stay alive. Caden reached for it, but the shadows swirled closer, their tendrils wrapping around his arms, his chest, his throat.
"Stronger with us..."
"Alone, you're nothing..."
"No!" Caden shouted, his voice echoing into the void.
The light of the shard flared suddenly, blinding and searing. The shadows recoiled, their laughter turning to shrieks of rage as they dissolved into nothingness.
Caden jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat. His breaths came in shallow gasps, his heart hammering against his ribs. The shard's pulse was faint but steady, its glow hidden beneath his cloak.
"You're awake," Garrick said from across the clearing, his tone calm but watchful.
"Yeah," Caden replied, his voice hoarse. He sat up, rubbing his face. "Dreams again."
"Worse this time?" Garrick asked.
"Different," Caden said, his gaze distant. "It's like... it's trying harder. Like it knows I'm fighting back."
"That's because you are," Garrick said. "The shard's influence is strongest when you're vulnerable. You've pushed it back, but it won't give up easily."
Caden nodded slowly, though the weight of Garrick's words pressed heavily on him.
Kael returned to the clearing, her steps light despite the bundle of firewood in her arms. She dropped it near the center, pulling flint from her belt. "You look like you've been wrestling ghosts," she said, glancing at Caden.
"Something like that," he muttered.
Kael shrugged, striking the flint and setting the wood alight. The fire crackled to life, its warmth pushing back the chill of the forest. "Well, whatever's haunting you, get over it. We've got enough real problems without you losing your head."
Caden bristled at her tone but said nothing. She wasn't wrong.
As the night deepened, the group huddled closer to the fire. Garrick's staff leaned against a nearby tree, its faint glow dim in the firelight. Kael sharpened her dagger, her eyes darting occasionally toward the darkness beyond the clearing.
Caden stared into the flames, his thoughts a tangle of questions and fears. The shard's influence was growing, its whispers more persistent, its presence more suffocating. How much longer could he resist?
"I have to ask," Caden said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Why are you both helping me?"
Garrick looked up from his seat, his expression calm. "Because the shard chose you. Whether we like it or not, you're tied to the System now. And if you fall, the consequences won't stop with you."
Kael snorted softly. "I'm here because Garrick's paying me. Don't read too much into it."
Caden's head snapped toward her, his brow furrowing. "Paying you?"
Kael raised an eyebrow, smirking faintly at his reaction. "What, you thought I was doing this out of the kindness of my heart? Sorry to disappoint, boy. Coin's the only thing I trust."
Caden turned to Garrick, his expression questioning. "You didn't think to tell me this?"
"It wasn't relevant," Garrick replied evenly. "Kael has skills we need, and she agreed to help. That's all that matters."
"It matters to me," Caden said, his voice cold. "If she's only here for the money, what happens when she decides it's not worth it?"
Kael's smirk widened, but her eyes were sharp. "I stick around as long as it's interesting. And trust me, boy, you're plenty interesting."
Caden glared at her but said nothing. The revelation sat uneasily in his mind, another layer of distrust added to his already fragile confidence.
Garrick broke the tension, his voice calm but firm. "Rest, both of you. We'll need our strength tomorrow."
Caden leaned back against the tree, his gaze fixed on the fire. The shard's whispers were quiet now, but their echoes lingered, weaving doubt and frustration into his thoughts.
As the flames flickered and the night deepened, Caden resolved to keep his guard up—not just against the shard or their enemies, but against his so-called allies as well.