The trio moved quickly through the winding streets of the port, the distant sound of waves and creaking docks masking their hurried steps. The fragment, wrapped tightly in cloth and tucked under Garrick's arm, pulsed faintly, its glow occasionally flickering through the fabric.
"Back to the tavern?" Kael asked, her voice low as her sharp eyes scanned the darkened alleyways.
"No," Garrick replied. "We're too exposed. The Reclaimers will be sweeping the area soon."
"Then where?" Caden asked, his breaths shallow as he struggled to keep pace. The shard's toll weighed heavily on him, its energy still simmering uneasily within him.
"There's an old boathouse on the outskirts of the docks," Garrick said. "It'll give us cover for the night. Kael, lead the way."
Kael nodded, taking the lead without another word.
The boathouse was a weathered structure on the edge of the port, its walls leaning precariously against the pressure of time and salt-laden air. Inside, the air was damp and cold, carrying the faint scent of brine and rotting wood.
Kael swept the room with a quick glance, checking for signs of life before motioning for the others to enter. "Empty. For now."
Garrick dropped the fragment onto a crate, his face pale with fatigue. "We'll rest here tonight. If the Reclaimers are as determined as I think, they'll assume we've fled the port entirely."
Caden leaned heavily against the wall, his legs trembling as he slid to the ground. The shard's faint hum in his pocket seemed louder here, its energy a constant reminder of its presence.
[User health compromised. Rest recommended to restore functionality.]
"I'm fine," Caden muttered under his breath, though his hands trembled as he rubbed his temples.
"You don't look fine," Kael said, leaning against a nearby post as she cleaned her dagger. "If you collapse on us, don't expect me to carry you."
"I won't collapse," Caden snapped, though the sharpness in his voice surprised even himself.
Kael raised an eyebrow but didn't respond, her smirk returning as she resumed her work.
The silence in the boathouse was oppressive, broken only by the occasional creak of wood or the distant call of gulls. Caden sat with his back against the wall, his head resting against the damp planks as he stared at the faint glow of the fragment on the crate.
"What now?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Garrick, seated nearby, turned to him. "Now, we figure out what this fragment holds. And how it connects to the shard you carry."
"And what happens when we do?"
"That depends," Garrick said. "Each fragment we find brings us closer to understanding the System—and the danger it poses. But it also brings more risk. The Reclaimers won't stop, and the fragments themselves will only grow harder to control."
Caden frowned, his gaze fixed on the shard in his hand. "This thing... it's changing me."
Garrick nodded slowly. "It will. The shard isn't just a tool; it's a part of the System itself. Its energy isn't meant to be wielded lightly, and the more you use it, the more it will try to bend you to its will."
Kael looked up from her seat, her expression unreadable. "Then maybe you should stop using it."
Caden's jaw tightened. "That's not an option. Without it, we wouldn't have made it this far."
"True," Garrick said. "But Kael's not wrong. You need to learn restraint. Every time you draw on the shard's power, it takes a piece of you. Too much, and there won't be enough left to fight back."
Sleep came uneasily that night, pulling Caden into a restless haze. The whispers from the shard were quieter now, but they still lingered, their presence like a shadow at the edge of his mind.
He dreamed of a vast, broken landscape—a world of shattered stone and flickering light. Figures moved in the distance, their forms distorted and their voices unintelligible.
At the center of the vision stood a figure cloaked in shadow, its eyes glowing with the same eerie light as the shard. It reached out to him, its hand curling as though beckoning.
"Come closer," it whispered, its voice low and resonant. "See the truth."
Caden tried to resist, but his legs moved of their own accord, carrying him closer to the figure. The shard in his pocket pulsed wildly, its energy resonating with the figure's presence.
As he neared, the figure's form shifted, becoming clearer. It wasn't a man or a beast, but something in between—something ancient and terrible, bound by the same power that coursed through the shard.
"You cannot resist forever," the figure said, its voice echoing in his mind. "You are mine."
Caden woke with a start, his chest heaving as sweat drenched his skin. The shard was silent now, its glow faint in the darkness of the boathouse.
"Another dream?" Garrick's voice came from the shadows, his tone steady but watchful.
Caden nodded, his breaths slowing. "It's getting worse. The shard... it's showing me things. Things I don't understand."
"You don't have to understand them," Garrick said. "Not yet. But you do need to control them. The shard's influence will grow stronger with each fragment we find. If you don't learn to push back, it'll consume you."
Caden closed his eyes, the weight of Garrick's words pressing heavily on him.
Morning came with a gray sky and the sound of distant waves. The group packed their belongings quickly, their movements quiet and efficient.
"We need to leave the port," Garrick said as they stepped into the cool morning air. "The Reclaimers won't stop searching, and the longer we stay, the more exposed we are."
"Where to?" Kael asked, her tone casual but her eyes sharp.
"North," Garrick replied. "There's a town on the edge of the forest—safe enough to regroup and plan our next move."
Caden nodded, though his mind was still clouded by the lingering echoes of his dream. As they moved through the narrow streets, he tightened his grip on the shard, its faint pulse a reminder of the path he had chosen.
The road ahead was uncertain, and the shadows of the System loomed larger than ever. But Caden clenched his jaw, his resolve hardening. Whatever lay ahead, he would face it.
And he would not fall.