The wind carried a bitter chill as Elaine led the group along the rocky path that stretched toward the horizon. The shard pulsed faintly in her satchel, its rhythm slow but steady, like a distant heartbeat calling her forward.
"We've been walking for hours," Ferran muttered, breaking the tense silence. "If that thing's leading us, I hope it knows where it's going."
Elaine glanced over her shoulder, her tone calm but firm. "The shard reacts to Nexus energy. Wherever we're going, there's something worth finding."
Lira adjusted her pack, her eyes scanning the barren landscape. "Let's just hope it's something we can handle. After Ythral, I'm not eager to see what's waiting for us."
Kael, walking alongside her, gave a faint smirk. "Not exactly the adventure you signed up for, huh?"
Lira shot him a glare. "If I wanted adventure, I'd have stayed in the guild and let the constructs kill me there."
Elaine let their banter fade into the background, her focus on the shard's faint glow. The land around them felt heavy, its air charged with an undercurrent of unease.
The Town of Rathall
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the faint outline of a settlement appeared in the distance. The town was small and isolated, its buildings clustered around a central tower that loomed against the darkening sky.
"Rathall," Kael murmured, his voice tinged with recognition. "I've heard stories about this place. They say it's cursed."
Elaine frowned. "Cursed how?"
"People disappear," Kael said. "Strangers show up and vanish without a trace. The locals don't talk about it, but everyone knows to avoid it."
Ferran let out a low chuckle. "So, naturally, that's exactly where we're going."
Elaine ignored his remark, her gaze fixed on the faintly glowing tower. The shard in her satchel pulsed faster now, its energy resonating with the settlement ahead.
"Whatever's happening here," she said, "it's tied to the Nexus."
Lira hesitated. "And if it's like Ythral? If there are more people trying to control its power?"
Elaine's expression hardened. "Then we'll stop them."
The Silent Welcome
The streets of Rathall were eerily quiet as they entered the town, their footsteps echoing against the weathered stone buildings. Shadows danced in the faint light of scattered rune-lamps, but no one emerged to greet them.
"This place feels wrong," Lira whispered, her hand resting on the pouch of essence vials at her side.
Elaine nodded. The air here was heavy, charged with a faint hum that prickled at her skin. It was different from the raw energy of Ythral—more controlled, but no less dangerous.
"Stay sharp," she said, her voice low.
As they moved deeper into the town, they noticed the signs of recent activity: a half-filled water trough near a stable, the faint glow of embers in a forge, and scattered footprints in the dust.
"They're hiding," Kael said.
Ferran raised an eyebrow. "From us? Or something worse?"
Before anyone could answer, a door creaked open ahead, and an elderly man stepped into the street. His eyes were sunken and wary, his posture hunched as he clutched a staff for support.
"You shouldn't have come here," he said, his voice raspy but firm.
Elaine stepped forward, her tone measured. "We're not here to cause trouble. We just want to know what's happening."
The man's gaze flicked to the shard in her satchel, his expression tightening. "That thing… it doesn't belong here."
Elaine frowned. "You know what this is?"
The man hesitated, his grip tightening on his staff. "I know enough. It's tied to the tower—and the tower brings nothing but ruin."
The Tower's Influence
Elaine glanced toward the central tower, its surface faintly illuminated by the last rays of sunlight.
"What's in the tower?" she asked.
The man's expression darkened. "Power," he said simply. "Power that doesn't belong to us. The tower calls to some, and they answer. They go in… but they don't come out."
Lira shivered. "Why haven't you left?"
The man's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Where would we go? The Nexus is gone, and the world's falling apart. At least here, we know what to fear."
Elaine nodded slowly. "We're going to the tower."
The man's eyes widened. "Don't. Whatever's inside, it doesn't want to be disturbed. And neither do the ones who serve it."
Elaine's jaw tightened. "Then we'll be careful. But we're not turning back."
A Warning Ignored
As they approached the tower, the hum in the air grew stronger, its rhythm resonating with the shard in Elaine's satchel. The faint glow of runes etched into the tower's base pulsed faintly, their light shifting with an unnatural energy.
"This feels familiar," Lira murmured, her eyes scanning the runes. "It's like the constructs in Ythral—unstable, but controlled."
Kael frowned. "Controlled by what?"
Elaine didn't answer. The shard's glow intensified as they neared the entrance, and she could feel the pull of its energy deep in her chest.
"We need to go in," she said.
Ferran snorted. "Of course we do."
Elaine stepped forward, placing a hand on the heavy door at the tower's base. The runes flared brightly for a moment before dimming, and the door creaked open with a low, resonant groan.
The air inside was thick and cold, and the faint hum of energy seemed to echo endlessly through the narrow hall beyond.
Elaine took a deep breath, her grip tightening on her blade. "Stay close. We don't know what we're walking into."
As they stepped into the darkness, the shard's glow illuminated the way ahead—a path that promised danger, answers, and the echoes of a power that refused to be forgotten.