The narrow passage Garrick led them through eventually opened into a vast cavern. Unlike the crystalline sanctuary, this place was filled with the remnants of a forgotten settlement. Broken stone structures jutted from the earth like gravestones, their edges worn smooth by time and Void corruption. The air was heavy, not with the oppressive presence of the Void, but with the sorrow of lives long lost.
Kael ran his fingers along the edge of a collapsed wall. Strange carvings, partially eroded, adorned its surface. They depicted figures standing beneath a glowing sphere—a sun, perhaps—holding hands, surrounded by symbols he didn't recognize.
"This was a village?" Kael asked, his voice echoing softly.
"A city," Garrick corrected. "One of the last before the Shattering reached this part of the world."
Garrick crouched near a fallen pillar, brushing away the dust to reveal more carvings. "Before the Shattering, the world wasn't like this. The Void didn't exist as a force we had to contend with. People lived in harmony with magic—Elemental Forces, they called them. Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. They were the lifeblood of civilization."
Kael tilted his head, intrigued. "What happened?"
"Hubris," Garrick said grimly. "The ancient kingdoms sought to combine the Elemental Forces into something greater, something that could rival the gods. They tore a hole in the fabric of reality, and from that tear, the Void seeped in."
Kael exchanged a glance with Lysandra, whose expression was unreadable.
"This isn't just a history lesson," Garrick continued. "The Shattering fractured more than just the world's physical structure. It shattered the bonds between nations, between people. Now, most of the populace lives in fragmented enclaves, cut off from one another and struggling to survive."
Garrick's words painted a grim picture of the world beyond the Wastelands.
To the south lay the remnants of the Ashen Empire, a once-great civilization reduced to warring city-states. Its people lived in towering fortresses surrounded by desolate plains, their lives dictated by the constant threat of marauding warlords and Void incursions.
The northern highlands, known as the Veil Peaks, were home to nomadic tribes. These people had adapted to the harsh environment, using ancient rituals to shield themselves from the Void's influence. Yet they were fiercely territorial, and outsiders were rarely welcomed.
To the west stretched the Azure Basin, where sprawling wetlands and dense jungles teemed with life—both natural and corrupted. Here, survival depended on striking precarious deals with the elemental remnants still present in the region, spirits who held grudges against humanity for the Shattering.
And to the east, where Kael and Lysandra had come from, the Verdant Dominion held sway. A realm of dense forests and fertile valleys, it was ruled by an iron-fisted aristocracy that exploited its people in the name of progress. Adrian had risen to power here, using the Dominion's resources to pursue his obsession with the Void.
"What about the Wastelands?" Kael asked.
"The Wastelands were the epicenter of the Shattering," Garrick said. "No one truly lives here. The Void's corruption runs too deep. The people who do come here are either desperate or mad."
Kael felt a pang of sorrow as Garrick spoke. The world Garrick described was one where survival outweighed community, where people were so consumed by their own struggles that they couldn't unite against the greater threat.
"Is there no hope?" Kael asked, his voice tinged with desperation.
Garrick hesitated. "Hope exists, but it's fragile. There are pockets of resistance—people who fight back against the Void and the chaos it brings. But they're scattered, divided. And divisions are exactly what the Void thrives on."
Kael clenched his fists. The more he learned, the more he realized how monumental his task truly was. Adrian wasn't just an individual threat; he was a symptom of a world broken by fear and greed.
As they continued exploring the ruined city, Garrick led them to a partially intact building. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of decay, but it was also filled with artifacts—books, tools, and maps.
"This was a library," Garrick explained. "One of the last to hold records of the old world."
Kael's eyes widened as he scanned the shelves. Most of the books were damaged, but a few were intact. He pulled one down, its leather cover worn but still legible.
"'The Elemental Pact,'" Kael read aloud.
Lysandra peered over his shoulder. "It's written in Old Common. Can you read it?"
Kael nodded. "My father taught me."
He opened the book, its pages filled with diagrams and incantations. It described rituals used to bind Elemental Forces, a practice that had been lost after the Shattering.
"This could be useful," Kael murmured.
Garrick raised an eyebrow. "Useful, maybe. Dangerous, definitely. The Elemental Forces might hold the key to fighting the Void, but they won't trust humanity after what happened."
As they packed up the books and prepared to leave, Kael felt a shift within himself. The weight of the Void Chains was becoming less oppressive, and his movements were more fluid.
Lysandra noticed too. "You're adapting," she said.
Kael looked at her, puzzled.
"The Chains," she clarified. "When we first met, they controlled you more than you controlled them. But now… they're responding to your will."
Kael hadn't realized it, but she was right. The Chains no longer felt like an external force; they felt like an extension of himself.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
"It means you're growing," Lysandra said. "Physically, mentally, even spiritually. The Void is a parasite, but it's also a teacher. If you survive its lessons, you come out stronger."
Kael wasn't sure if that was reassuring or terrifying.
As they made camp that night, Lysandra approached Kael, her expression softer than usual.
"You're carrying a lot on your shoulders," she said.
Kael glanced at her. "So are you."
Lysandra smiled faintly. "True. But I've had years to get used to it. You've been thrust into this without warning."
Kael shrugged. "I don't have much of a choice. If I don't fight, people I care about will die."
Lysandra's gaze lingered on him, her emerald eyes reflecting the firelight. "You remind me of someone I knew. He had the same determination, the same fire."
"What happened to him?" Kael asked.
Lysandra looked away, her expression shadowed. "The Void took him."
Kael hesitated, then reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."
Lysandra met his gaze, her eyes shimmering with unspoken emotion. "Don't be. Just don't let it take you too."
The next morning, Garrick unveiled a map he had pieced together from the fragments in the library.
"This," he said, pointing to a mark in the northern Wastelands, "is where we need to go. It's an ancient fortress called Durnthall. The texts say it was the center of Void research during the Shattering."
Kael studied the map. "Why there?"
"Because if there's any place that holds the key to defeating the Void, it's Durnthall," Garrick said.
Lysandra frowned. "It's also likely to be the most dangerous place in the Wastelands."
"Exactly," Garrick said. "But if we don't take risks, we're just running in circles while the Void tightens its grip."
Kael nodded. The path was becoming clearer, but the stakes were higher than ever.