The forest trail leading to the ruins was eerily quiet, the stillness broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath their boots. The morning light struggled to penetrate the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows that shifted with each step.
Caden walked near the front of the group, his sword sheathed but his hand resting on its hilt. The shard in his pocket pulsed faintly, a steady rhythm that felt like a quiet warning. Garrick moved ahead, his staff glowing faintly with a soft, arcane light. Kael brought up the rear, her dagger drawn, her sharp gaze darting to every flicker of movement in the underbrush.
"Feels too quiet," Kael said, her voice low.
"It's the fragment," Garrick replied without looking back. "Its energy draws everything to it—including us."
"Great," Kael muttered. "So we're the bait. Again."
Caden remained silent, his focus locked on the trail ahead. His mind replayed the stories Kael had shared back in Arden's Hollow—about people returning from the ruins paranoid, broken. Whispers and shadows. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.
"We're close," Garrick said, his voice cutting through the tension. He gestured toward a faint break in the trees up ahead. "The ruins begin just beyond this ridge."
The forest gave way to a barren expanse of rocky terrain. The ruins stood before them, their jagged spires and crumbling walls casting long shadows in the pale light. The air was colder here, tinged with a metallic tang that made the back of Caden's throat itch.
"These ruins are... worse than I expected," Kael said, her voice quieter than usual.
Caden felt it too—a weight pressing down on him, as though the ruins themselves were watching. The shard pulsed more insistently now, syncing with the faint hum of energy that seemed to emanate from the stone walls.
[Warning: System Fragment detected. Instability levels increasing.]
"This place isn't just abandoned," Garrick said, stepping closer to the ruins. "It's corrupted. The fragment's influence has warped it, likely creating echoes of the past—and the beasts tied to them."
"Fantastic," Kael muttered. "So we're walking into a death trap."
Caden glanced at Garrick. "You said fragments resonate with certain places. Why here?"
Garrick paused, studying the ruins. "Places like this hold power—old power, tied to the world before the Shattering. Fragments are drawn to it, like moths to flame. They feed on it, but they also twist it, turning it into something dangerous."
"Dangerous is an understatement," Kael said, pointing to a faint movement in the shadows ahead.
The group tensed as a low growl echoed through the ruins. From the darkness, two creatures emerged, their forms twisted and hunched, their glowing red eyes fixed on the intruders. Their bodies were covered in jagged, blackened fur, their claws too long and sharp for anything natural.
"Echo beasts," Garrick said grimly. "Stay together."
Caden drew his sword, the blade gleaming faintly in the shard's light. The beasts moved slowly at first, their movements jerky and unnatural, but as the shard's pulse quickened, they lunged forward with startling speed.
The first beast leapt at Caden, its claws swiping through the air. He sidestepped, bringing his sword down in a sharp arc. The blade struck its shoulder, cutting deep, but the creature barely reacted, its glowing eyes locking onto him with unrelenting focus.
Kael darted to the side, her dagger flashing as she struck the second beast from behind. The creature howled, spinning to swipe at her, but she was already out of reach, her movements quick and fluid.
Garrick raised his staff, a sphere of crackling energy forming at its tip. With a sharp motion, he released the spell, and a bolt of arcane light struck the first beast, sending it staggering backward.
"Caden, now!" Garrick shouted.
Caden surged forward, his sword glowing faintly as he drove it into the creature's chest. The beast howled, its body convulsing before dissolving into black smoke.
"Behind you!" Kael called out.
The second beast lunged at Caden, its claws grazing his shoulder as he twisted to avoid a fatal blow. Pain flared, but he gritted his teeth, raising his free hand instinctively.
[Ability Activated: Shard Barrier.]
A shimmering shield of energy erupted around him, the beast's next strike bouncing off with a deafening crack. The effort drained him immediately, his vision swimming as the shard's energy surged through his veins.
Garrick seized the opening, his staff glowing brighter as he unleashed another spell. A wave of crackling energy swept through the chamber, striking the beast and reducing it to ash.
The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the sound of their ragged breathing.
"That... was unpleasant," Kael said, wiping her dagger on her sleeve.
Caden lowered his sword, his chest heaving. The barrier had faded, but its cost lingered in his body—a deep, bone-deep exhaustion that left his limbs trembling.
"You pushed yourself too hard," Garrick said, his voice steady but concerned.
"I didn't have a choice," Caden replied, his tone sharp despite his fatigue.
"None of us did," Kael said, glancing toward the center of the chamber. "But we're not done yet."
Caden followed her gaze. At the center of the ruins, a faint light pulsed from a pedestal, its glow matching the rhythm of the shard in his pocket. The fragment.
Garrick stepped forward cautiously, his staff raised. "Stay close. Whatever else is here won't let us take it easily."
Caden gripped his sword tighter, his resolve hardening despite the exhaustion pulling at him. The path ahead was dangerous, but he had come too far to turn back now.
The shard pulsed again, its rhythm steady and insistent. The fragment was within reach—and with it, another piece of the System's puzzle.