The canyon widened into a desolate plain, its barren expanse stretching out beneath a slate-gray sky. Elaine led the way, the shard's pulsing light faint but persistent, like a distant beacon guiding them forward.
Kael walked silently beside her, his bow slung across his back, while Ferran and Lira followed a few steps behind. The silence between them was heavy, each of them lost in their own thoughts.
Ferran was the first to break the quiet. "So, what's the plan when we get wherever this thing is leading us? Charge in, fight another batch of fanatics, and hope we don't get killed?"
Elaine glanced over her shoulder, her voice calm but firm. "We'll deal with whatever we find when we get there. For now, we focus on moving forward."
Ferran scoffed. "Yeah, that's what we've been doing. Forward into more trouble."
Kael shot him a warning look. "You knew what you were signing up for."
"Did I?" Ferran snapped. "Because I don't remember agreeing to chase glowing rocks across the wasteland while everyone and their mother tries to kill us."
Lira sighed, rubbing her temples. "Could you both stop? We're all tired, and arguing isn't going to help."
Elaine's patience thinned, her voice cutting through the tension. "Enough. If you don't want to be here, Ferran, no one's forcing you to stay."
Ferran fell silent, his jaw tightening.
Signs of Disturbance
As they continued across the plain, they began to notice signs of recent activity: the remnants of campfires, broken weapons scattered in the dirt, and faint tracks leading in the same direction as the shard's pull.
Kael knelt to examine the tracks, his expression darkening. "These are fresh. Whoever made them isn't far ahead of us."
"More of the Shattered Hand?" Lira asked.
"Maybe," Kael said. "But these tracks are too orderly for scavengers. This is a group that knows what they're doing."
Elaine's grip on her satchel tightened. "If they're after the same thing we are, we need to catch up. Quickly."
The group picked up their pace, the shard's glow intensifying as they neared a ridge that rose sharply against the horizon.
As they climbed, the air grew colder, and the faint hum of energy began to vibrate through the ground beneath their feet.
The Stronghold
The ridge gave way to a plateau, and at its center stood a massive structure carved into the rock itself. Its jagged walls loomed high above them, weathered by time but still formidable.
"This is it," Elaine said, her voice hushed.
The shard pulsed brightly in her satchel, its energy resonating with the faint glow of runes etched into the stronghold's surface.
Kael frowned, his bow at the ready. "Looks like it hasn't been touched in centuries."
"Except it has," Ferran said, pointing to a set of makeshift barricades near the entrance. "Someone's been here recently."
Elaine's jaw tightened. "Stay close. We don't know what we're walking into."
They approached cautiously, their footsteps echoing against the cold stone. The air inside the stronghold was thick and still, and the faint light of the runes cast eerie shadows across the walls.
A Fragmented Past
As they moved deeper into the stronghold, they found signs of an ancient civilization—stone carvings depicting figures standing beneath a massive, glowing structure. The carvings were worn and cracked, but the symbols of the Nexus were unmistakable.
"This place was part of the system," Lira said, her voice reverent.
Elaine nodded. "But it's older than anything we've seen before. This might be one of the first places the Nexus touched."
Kael gestured to a carving that showed figures kneeling before a crystalline monolith. "Looks like they worshipped it."
"Or feared it," Elaine said. "The Nexus wasn't just a system of control. It was a god to some—and a weapon to others."
As they moved deeper, the carvings became more chaotic, the orderly patterns giving way to scenes of destruction and rebellion. Figures clashed beneath the glowing structure, their weapons raised in defiance.
"It broke them," Lira said softly. "Whatever they were, whatever they believed, the Nexus tore them apart."
Elaine's chest tightened. "And now it's happening again."
The Watchers
As they approached the central chamber, they heard the faint sound of movement ahead—footsteps echoing softly against the stone.
Kael held up a hand, signaling for silence.
Elaine drew her blade, her senses on edge. The shard in her satchel pulsed rapidly, its energy warning her of the danger ahead.
They crept forward, peering into the chamber.
Inside, a group of figures stood around a glowing crystal embedded in the floor. They were clad in dark cloaks, their faces obscured by masks etched with the same sigil as the Shattered Hand.
"These ones are organized," Kael whispered. "Look at their formation."
Elaine studied the group, her jaw tightening. "They're not scavengers. They're soldiers."
The figures were working methodically, their hands moving over the crystal as though attempting to activate it.
"We can't let them finish," Elaine said.
Kael nodded. "What's the plan?"
Elaine's gaze hardened. "We take them out. Quickly and quietly."
The Ambush
Elaine signaled to Kael and Ferran, who moved to flank the group while Lira prepared an essence vial.
On Elaine's mark, Kael loosed an arrow, striking one of the figures in the shoulder and sending them sprawling. Ferran charged in, his blade cutting through another before they could react.
Elaine lunged at the nearest figure, her blade catching their weapon and sending it clattering to the ground.
Lira hurled her essence vial, the explosion scattering the remaining figures and disrupting the energy around the crystal.
The chamber erupted into chaos as the attackers regrouped, their weapons flashing in the dim light.
A Grim Discovery
As the last of the attackers fell, the crystal at the center of the chamber pulsed violently, its glow intensifying. Elaine approached cautiously, the shard in her satchel resonating with its energy.
"It's connected to the Nexus," she said, her voice tense. "But it's different. It feels… corrupted."
Lira crouched beside the crystal, her eyes narrowing. "It's been tampered with. Someone's trying to rewrite its energy—bend it to their will."
Elaine's chest tightened. "They're not just scavenging fragments. They're building something new."
Kael frowned. "And whoever they are, they're willing to kill for it."
Elaine nodded, her resolve hardening. "Then we find them—and stop them before it's too late."