Kael Ardyn was running again.

The narrow alleyways of Cinder Veil twisted and stretched like a serpent as rain slicked the cobblestones beneath his boots. He clutched the small, metallic object against his chest, its sharp edges biting into his palm. Behind him, the echoes of pursuit grew louder—heavy boots splashing through puddles, shouts cutting through the storm.

"Don't let him escape!" one voice roared, deep and commanding.

Kael glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of his pursuers: dark-cloaked figures with silver masks that gleamed like pale moons. The Masked Choir. They moved in eerie unison, their steps calculated, their presence suffocating.

He turned a corner, his breath ragged, his heartbeat hammering like a war drum. His escape route ended abruptly at a crumbling wall.

"Perfect," he muttered, teeth clenched.

Kael's hand trembled as he brought the shard into the faint glow of a nearby lantern. The artifact was no bigger than his palm, but it pulsed faintly, as if alive. It was a piece of a broken mirror, its jagged edges glowing faintly with an ethereal blue light.

"Do it," he whispered to himself, desperation thick in his voice.

The masked figures rounded the corner just as Kael held the shard to his chest. Its glow flared, enveloping him in a kaleidoscope of colors.

And then, he was gone.

Kael tumbled onto the soft, mossy ground of a forest drenched in gold. Sunlight filtered through impossibly tall trees, their bark shimmering like polished bronze. He groaned, pushing himself up and brushing dirt off his jacket.

His head spun. The shard's magic always left him disoriented, as if a part of him had been left behind.

"Not the worst landing," he muttered, glancing around.

The forest was unlike anything he'd seen before. Strange, bird-like creatures with crystalline feathers flitted through the air, their melodic cries harmonizing with the rustling leaves. The ground beneath his feet pulsed faintly, as if the entire shard had a heartbeat.

But Kael didn't have time to marvel at the scenery. He knew the Masked Choir would follow him. They always did.

"Great job, Kael," he said to himself, pacing. "Steal the mysterious shard, they said. Easy payday, they said." He shook his head, muttering curses under his breath.

Before he could formulate a plan, a sharp voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Drop the shard, or I'll carve it out of your hand."

Kael froze. The voice was cold, commanding, and far too close for comfort.

He turned slowly, raising his hands in surrender. Standing a few feet away was a woman with piercing green eyes and a blade that seemed to hum with latent energy. Her dark hair was tied back, and her leather armor bore the emblem of a crescent moon—a symbol he recognized from hushed whispers in the underground.

"You're one of them," Kael said, trying to sound casual despite the weapon pointed at him.

"One of what?" she asked, her voice sharp.

"An Ecliptica Seeker," Kael replied, nodding toward the crescent moon insignia. "You lot are obsessed with shiny, magical things. Kind of like me, but with a lot more stabbing."

The woman's expression didn't change. "You're running from the Choir. That makes you either reckless or stupid."

"Why not both?" Kael quipped, flashing a crooked smile.

The woman didn't laugh. Instead, she stepped closer, her blade inches from his throat. "The shard doesn't belong to you."

"And yet, here it is," Kael replied, holding up the glowing fragment.

The shard reacted as he moved, its glow intensifying as if in protest. For a moment, the woman's stern expression faltered, replaced by something he couldn't quite place.

"You've activated it," she said, her tone shifting.

Kael blinked. "Uh… yeah. That's kind of how I got away from the Choir. What's your point?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You idiot. Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Kael opened his mouth to retort, but before he could speak, the forest trembled. The ground beneath them rippled like water, and a low, guttural hum filled the air.

The woman cursed under her breath, lowering her blade. "They're here."

"Who's here?" Kael asked, stepping back instinctively.

As if in answer, the space around them seemed to warp. Shadows bled into the golden forest, twisting and coalescing into humanoid forms. The Masked Choir emerged, their silver masks glinting ominously.

"You are surrounded," one of them said, their voice echoing unnaturally. "Surrender the shard, or face annihilation."

Kael glanced at the woman. "So, any chance we're on the same side now?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she tightened her grip on her blade and stepped forward, her stance ready for battle.

"Figures," Kael muttered, gripping the shard tightly.

The Choir moved as one, their cloaks billowing like smoke as they advanced. Kael's pulse raced. He wasn't a fighter—his talents leaned more toward running and occasionally talking his way out of trouble.

"Get behind me," the woman ordered, her voice cutting through his panic.

Kael hesitated for a moment before reluctantly obeying. The shard's glow flared brighter, reacting to the tension in the air.

The first of the Choir lunged, its movements unnaturally fast. The woman met it head-on, her blade cutting through shadow like a flash of lightning. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, the force of the impact reverberating through the air.

Kael watched in awe as she fought, her movements precise and deadly. She was outnumbered, but she didn't falter, weaving through the attackers with a grace that seemed almost otherworldly.

But the Choir wasn't easily deterred. As one of them fell, another took its place, their numbers seemingly endless.

Kael's grip on the shard tightened. He could feel its power surging, a pulsing energy that begged to be unleashed.

"You're not just going to stand there, are you?" the woman snapped, her blade slicing through another foe.

Kael hesitated. He didn't fully understand the shard's power—or the consequences of using it. But as another wave of attackers closed in, he realized he didn't have a choice.

Taking a deep breath, he held the shard aloft. The glow intensified, casting the forest in an eerie blue light.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered.

The shard's power erupted, a blinding surge of energy that swept through the forest. The Choir recoiled, their forms disintegrating into smoke as the light consumed them.

When the glow faded, the forest was silent once more.

Kael staggered, the shard's energy leaving him drained. He looked at the woman, expecting gratitude, or at least acknowledgment.

Instead, she glared at him.

"You don't even know what you've unleashed," she said, her voice low and dangerous.

Kael frowned. "Uh… you're welcome?"

The woman shook her head, sheathing her blade. "Come with me. If you want to survive, you'll need answers. And fast."

Kael hesitated, but the weight of the shard in his hand—and the lingering shadows in the forest—made his decision for him.

"Lead the way," he said, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

As they disappeared into the golden forest, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that he had just stepped into something far bigger—and far more dangerous—than he'd ever imagined.