The creature lunged, its massive claws raking the air where Kael and Lysandra had stood moments before. Kael rolled to the side, Void Chains snapping into place like living armor.
"Any idea what this thing is?" Kael shouted over the deafening roar.
Lysandra circled the beast, her movements fluid and calculated. "Voidborn," she called back. "Corrupted remnants of whatever unlucky fool wandered into the wrong place."
Kael barely dodged another swipe, his chains lashing out instinctively to wrap around the creature's leg. The Voidborn howled, its warped body thrashing violently, but the chains held fast.
Lysandra took her chance, darting in to strike. Her dagger flashed, carving glowing symbols into the beast's hide. The creature shrieked, staggering back, and Kael felt a surge of triumph.
But the Voidborn didn't fall. Instead, it shifted, its grotesque form growing larger as new limbs sprouted from its sides.
"Is it regenerating?" Kael asked, his voice tight with disbelief.
Lysandra cursed under her breath. "No. It's adapting."
Kael adjusted his strategy, focusing not on brute force but on precision. He noticed the Voidborn's movements were slower on its left side, where Lysandra's dagger had struck.
That's its weakness, he realized.
"Keep hitting the left side!" Kael yelled.
Lysandra nodded, her eyes flashing with understanding. Together, they coordinated their attacks, Kael's chains binding the creature while Lysandra struck with deadly accuracy.
As they fought, Kael felt something shift within him. The Void Chains responded to his will with increasing ease, their movements fluid and almost intuitive. He began to see patterns in the Voidborn's attacks, anticipating its strikes before they landed.
With one final coordinated effort, Kael yanked the creature off balance, and Lysandra drove her dagger into the glowing mark on its chest.
The Voidborn let out a final, piercing scream before dissolving into a swirling mist, its corrupted essence fading into the ether.
As the adrenaline faded, Kael leaned against a jagged rock, his chest heaving. Lysandra joined him, her face pale but victorious.
"That was… something," Kael said between breaths.
"That was a Voidborn," Lysandra corrected. "And that was just one of many."
Kael frowned. "Many? You're saying there are more of those things out here?"
Lysandra nodded, her gaze distant. "The Void corrupts everything it touches. Creatures, people, even the land itself. This region—what you'd call the Wastelands—is a battleground between the Void and whatever's left of the natural order."
Kael's mind raced. He had seen the effects of the Void before, but this was different. The Wastelands weren't just a corrupted region—they were alive with Void energy, constantly shifting and warping.
"And Adrian's trying to control all of this?" Kael asked.
"Not control," Lysandra said, her voice grim. "Consume. If he's feeding the Void like you say, he's not just a threat to you—he's a threat to everything."
Kael swallowed hard. He'd known Adrian was dangerous, but the scale of his ambition was staggering.
As they set up camp, Kael couldn't help but notice how Lysandra moved with practiced ease, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon for threats.
"Do you always wander the Wastelands alone?" Kael asked, breaking the silence.
Lysandra paused, her expression unreadable. "I've been alone for a long time."
Kael sensed the weight behind her words but didn't press. Instead, he shared a bit of his own story—how Adrian's betrayal had shattered his life, how the Void Chains had marked him as something between human and monster.
Lysandra listened quietly, her green eyes reflecting the flickering firelight.
"You've been through hell too," she said finally.
Kael nodded. "I guess that makes two of us."
For a moment, the tension between them softened. The shared understanding of their struggles created a fragile bond, one that neither of them acknowledged aloud but both felt deeply.
As the night deepened, Kael stared at the shard embedded in his palm. It pulsed faintly, its whispers growing louder in the silence.
"Do you ever feel like the Void is... watching you?" Kael asked.
Lysandra glanced at him sharply. "Always. But don't let it see too much."
Kael frowned. "What do you mean?"
Lysandra hesitated, then rolled up her sleeve to reveal the glowing mark on her wrist—the same one Kael had noticed earlier.
"This," she said, her voice low, "is the Void's mark. It's a curse and a blessing. It gives me insight into its nature, but it also means it can find me. Always."
Kael's blood ran cold. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Would it have changed anything?" Lysandra countered. "You're already tied to the Void. Our fates were entwined the moment we met."
Before Kael could respond, a low hum filled the air—a sound he recognized all too well.
"We're not alone," Lysandra whispered, drawing her dagger.
Kael rose to his feet, the Void Chains coiling around him like living armor. In the distance, faint lights flickered, moving in unnatural patterns.
Voidborn weren't the only danger in the Wastelands.