Kael stumbled through the tunnels, his breathing ragged and each step heavier than the last. The shard pulsed faintly in his hand, its light growing steadier the deeper they ventured into the Nexus's depths. Behind him, Aeris moved with a quiet, practiced ease, her sharp gaze flicking to every shadow.
"You could've handled Rynar better," Aeris said, her voice calm but laced with dry humor.
Kael shot her a glare. "You're welcome to try next time."
Aeris smirked. "Next time, don't let the shard do the thinking for you."
"I didn't—" Kael stopped mid-sentence, biting back his frustration. She wasn't entirely wrong. The shard had taken over in the fight, its power surging far beyond what he could control.
The air grew colder as they descended further. Strange glyphs on the walls flickered weakly, barely holding their glow. Kael traced his fingers along one of them.
"These look like the symbols from the chamber before," he muttered.
"Resonance glyphs," Aeris said from behind him. "Markers of a time when this place actually worked." She gestured ahead. "If they're still active, it means this tunnel leads somewhere important. Or dangerous. Usually both."
The shard pulsed again, brighter this time.
"You are close," the voice said, low and steady. "The Nexus stirs."
Kael stopped in his tracks, the shard's energy coursing through him. Aeris noticed his hesitation and stepped closer, her expression curious but cautious.
"Is it always that talkative?" she asked, glancing at the shard.
"Only when it wants something," Kael replied, gripping it tighter.
The tunnel opened into a cavernous chamber. Kael froze at the sight. Smooth walls stretched high above them, etched with glowing patterns that pulsed faintly, as if they were alive. At the center of the room stood a massive crystalline structure, fractured but still intact. Its sharp angles gleamed in the shard's light, and smaller, broken nodes surrounded it like fallen satellites.
"What is this?" Kael whispered, stepping forward.
"A Nexus Archive," Aeris replied, her voice quieter than usual. She moved past him, her gaze scanning the room. "Or what's left of one. These places were built to store fragments of the Nexus's design—memories, records, Resonance blueprints. It's been a long time since I've seen one still functioning."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "You've seen this before?"
"Not this exact one. But places like it." Aeris reached out to touch one of the broken nodes, then stopped short, her hand hovering just above its surface. "They're dead. Whatever power this Archive had is long gone."
The shard in Kael's hand flared suddenly, its light syncing with the patterns on the walls. Energy rippled through the chamber, and the central structure began to glow.
Aeris backed away quickly. "Tell me that's you doing that."
Kael shook his head, sweat forming on his brow as the shard grew hot in his palm. "I can't control it—it's just reacting."
The light from the shard intensified, and the air filled with a deep, resonant hum. Kael's knees buckled, and he fell forward, his free hand catching the cold stone floor.
"Connect," the voice said. "See what was."
The crystalline structure erupted with light, and Kael felt a surge of energy drag him into its depths. The room blurred around him, twisting and warping until he was no longer standing in the broken Archive.
The chamber was whole again, its glyphs blazing with vibrant blue light. People moved around him—figures cloaked in faint Resonance energy. Kael's eyes widened as he realized they weren't human.
Tall, ethereal beings walked with purpose, their hands tracing glowing lines in the air. They worked around the central crystal, feeding streams of energy into it, weaving connections that spread outward like veins.
"This is the Prime Echo's design," Kael muttered, his voice lost in the hum of Resonance.
The shard pulsed in agreement. "The beginning of balance. The creation of connection."
Kael's attention was drawn to one figure standing apart from the others. Unlike the rest, this one seemed incomplete, flickering as if caught between moments. It raised its hand, and the entire chamber shook.
A massive fissure spread across the crystal at the center, the energy within it surging out of control. The ethereal beings around it screamed silently as the Resonance collapsed, tearing the room apart piece by piece.
Kael flinched, the overwhelming force of the vision threatening to consume him. The shard in his hand burned brightly, yanking him back to reality.
Kael collapsed onto the cold stone floor, gasping for air. The chamber was dark again, the central crystal dim and silent.
Aeris crouched beside him, her expression wary. "What just happened?"
Kael clutched the shard tightly, his voice shaking. "I saw it. The Nexus before it broke. The shard—it's a part of it. A piece of the Prime Echo."
Aeris's eyes narrowed. "The Prime Echo? You're sure?"
Kael nodded, his breathing still uneven. "It created everything—the balance between worlds. But when it broke, the Resonance collapsed, and the Nexus fractured. This shard… it's all that's left of its power."
"And now you're carrying it around like a beacon," Aeris muttered. She glanced toward the crystal, her tone darkening. "If that thing wakes up every Archive you touch, it's no wonder you're being hunted."
Kael sat up slowly, staring at the shard in his hand. Its glow had returned to its usual faint pulse, but he could still feel the energy coursing through him—the weight of the fragment's power.
"They will come," the voice said, colder this time. "To claim what remains. The balance is fragile."
Kael grimaced, his fingers tightening around the shard. He looked at Aeris, who was watching him closely. "We have to keep moving. If anyone else finds this place—"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Aeris said, standing and brushing off her hands. "But next time, maybe don't let the magic rock throw you into a coma while we're being hunted."
Kael forced a weak smile and followed her toward the exit. The shard pulsed in his grip, its faint glow a constant reminder of what he had seen—and what was coming.