The dust still hung thick in the air as Elaine, Kael, and Lira moved through the outskirts of Ythral. The ruined building behind them smoldered faintly, its collapse leaving the air heavy with the acrid scent of charred crystals and stone.
Elaine glanced back once more before speaking, her voice tight. "That wasn't just a cult. They're trying to rebuild something—and they're getting close."
Kael frowned, his bow slung over his shoulder. "You said they had a construct? I thought the Nexus's power was gone."
"It is—or it's supposed to be," Elaine said, her jaw tightening. "But they're using the fragments left behind. The energy in those crystals was tied to the Nexus. If they figure out how to control it…"
Lira's expression darkened. "It would be like the Nexus all over again, but worse. No balance, no oversight—just raw, unrestrained power."
Elaine nodded. "And they're not the only ones. If the Shattered Hand has found a way to harness that energy, others will too. We need to stop this before it spreads."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "We? You're planning to make this our fight?"
Elaine smirked faintly. "I seem to remember you signing up for this when you didn't let me go to the Nexus alone."
Kael rolled his eyes. "Fair point."
A Town on the Edge
As they made their way back into the heart of Ythral, the unease among the town's remaining residents was palpable. People moved quickly through the streets, their eyes darting toward the collapsed building with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
The wiry man Elaine had spoken to earlier approached cautiously, his face pale. "What happened out there?"
Elaine met his gaze, her voice steady. "The Shattered Hand won't be bothering you anymore. But you need to be careful. The power they were trying to use—it's still dangerous."
The man's eyes widened. "You mean the Nexus's power?"
"Fragments of it," Elaine said. "It's unstable, and it won't stop drawing people who think they can control it."
The man nodded, his expression grim. "We'll stay alert. And… thank you. For what you did."
Elaine nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Ythral was just one town, and the Shattered Hand was just one group. If Nexus fragments were scattered across the land, there would be no shortage of others willing to exploit them.
"We can't stay here," she said, turning to Kael and Lira. "We need to move. The longer we wait, the worse this will get."
A New Path
The team left Ythral behind as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the barren landscape in shades of gold and crimson. The path ahead was uncertain, but Elaine's resolve was stronger than ever.
As they walked, Lira broke the silence. "Where do we start? If the Nexus's fragments are scattered across the land, how do we even begin to track them down?"
Elaine reached into her satchel, pulling out the faintly glowing shard. Its light was dimmer now, but it still pulsed with a faint energy that resonated through her fingertips.
"This," she said. "The shard reacts to Nexus energy. If we can find other places like Ythral, it should lead us to the source."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "And when we find these places? What then?"
Elaine's expression hardened. "We stop them. No matter what it takes."
Lira hesitated, her voice quiet. "And if there are people like the Shattered Hand? People who won't listen, who'll fight to control what's left?"
Elaine slid the shard back into her satchel, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "Then we'll deal with them too. The Nexus controlled us for too long. I won't let anyone bring that back."
A Stirring Resistance
As the team made camp that night, the faint glow of the shard cast shifting shadows across the rocky terrain. Elaine sat by the fire, her thoughts drifting to the leader of the Shattered Hand and the glowing sigil that had marked their temple.
The sigil wasn't just a remnant of the Nexus—it was something more deliberate, more calculated.
"It's not random," she murmured.
Kael, sitting nearby, glanced at her. "What's not random?"
"The Shattered Hand's leader," Elaine said. "Their mark—it wasn't just a side effect of Nexus energy. It was a design. Someone gave it to them."
Kael frowned. "You think someone's pulling the strings?"
Elaine nodded. "The Nexus is gone, but its influence isn't. Someone out there is trying to rebuild it—or at least pieces of it. If we don't find them, this will never stop."
Lira leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. "Do you think it's… connected to the Nexus itself? Like, whatever's left of its consciousness?"
Elaine shook her head. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's organized. And that makes it dangerous."
The First Lead
As the fire burned low, the shard in Elaine's satchel pulsed faintly, its glow growing stronger for a brief moment before fading again.
Elaine pulled it out, her brow furrowing as she watched the light flicker. "It's reacting to something."
Kael leaned over, his expression cautious. "Something close?"
Elaine held the shard out, its light flickering faintly as she turned it toward the northeast.
"Not close," she said. "But not far either. There's something out there."
Lira glanced at the horizon, her expression wary. "Another Nexus fragment?"
"Maybe," Elaine said, slipping the shard back into her satchel. "Whatever it is, we're going to find out."
The path ahead was long, and the dangers they faced were growing. But as the team set out once more, Elaine's resolve was unshaken. The Nexus had ruled their world for too long, and she would see its remnants destroyed—no matter the cost.