The corrupted crystal pulsed violently in Lira's hands as they approached the outskirts of Tethered Hollow. Its dark glow illuminated her pale face, and the oppressive hum of its energy had only grown louder since they had opened the chest.
"We shouldn't bring this thing back to the settlement," Kael said, his voice tense. "It's unstable, and if it blows, we're taking half the Hollow with us."
Elaine glanced at the crystal, her jaw tightening. "We're not keeping it. Calder is going to explain exactly what this is—and why he sent us to die for it."
Ferran grunted. "And if he doesn't?"
Elaine's eyes hardened. "Then we make him."
Confronting Calder
The tavern in Tethered Hollow was as dim and smoky as before, its patrons murmuring in hushed tones as Elaine and her team stormed inside.
Calder sat at his usual table, flanked by his guards, his expression calm but watchful as they approached.
"Well, if it isn't my favorite couriers," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I trust the delivery went smoothly?"
Elaine slammed the chest onto the table, the crystal's glow spilling out like dark fire. "Explain. Now."
Calder's smirk faltered as he glanced at the crystal, his expression tightening. "You opened it."
"Damn right we opened it," Ferran growled. "You didn't tell us we were carrying a ticking bomb."
Calder raised his hands, his tone placating. "Calm down. If you handled it carefully, it wasn't going to explode."
Elaine leaned in, her voice cold. "Start talking. What is this, and why did you send us after it?"
Calder hesitated, glancing at his guards before speaking. "It's a Nexus fragment, but it's been… modified. The Convergence has been working on weaponizing them—turning them into tools of control. That crystal is one of their prototypes."
Lira's face paled. "They're experimenting with Nexus power? That's insane. They can't control it."
"They don't need to control it," Calder said. "They just need to use it long enough to break anyone who opposes them."
Elaine's chest tightened. "And you're working for them?"
Calder shook his head quickly. "No. I work for myself. But I keep my ears open. I sent you to retrieve this because I knew they'd come after it—and you. Now they think you have something they want."
Kael frowned. "So, you used us as bait."
"Bait with teeth," Calder said with a shrug. "And it worked. The Convergence will come for you now, and when they do, they'll reveal themselves."
Elaine's grip on the table tightened. "You put lives at risk for leverage."
"Leverage is how you survive in this world," Calder said, his voice sharp. "If you want to stop the Convergence, you need to understand them—and that crystal is the key."
An Unstable Situation
Before Elaine could respond, the crystal pulsed violently, the glow intensifying as the air around it grew heavier.
"It's destabilizing!" Lira shouted, scrambling to reinforce the containment field around it.
The patrons in the tavern scrambled for the exits, their shouts filling the room as the oppressive energy radiated outward.
"What's happening?" Calder demanded, his calm demeanor cracking.
"It's resonating with something nearby," Lira said, her voice tight. "There's another fragment here—or someone using one."
Kael drew his bow, his eyes scanning the room. "If that's true, we're about to have company."
The door to the tavern burst open, and a group of masked figures stormed inside. Their leader, clad in dark armor etched with glowing runes, stepped forward, their voice calm but commanding.
"Hand over the fragment," they said, their gaze fixed on Elaine. "You don't understand the power you're meddling with."
Elaine drew her blade, her expression resolute. "Neither do you. If you want it, come and take it."
The Tavern Battle
The masked figures surged forward, their movements quick and coordinated. Kael loosed a volley of arrows, forcing them to take cover, while Ferran charged into the fray, his blade clashing against theirs in a burst of sparks.
Elaine met the leader head-on, their weapons colliding with a deafening crash. The runes on their armor flared brightly, their energy feeding into their strikes as they pressed the attack.
"You're out of your depth," the leader said, their tone cold. "You don't even know what you're protecting."
Elaine countered, her blade flashing as she drove them back. "I know enough. And I'm not letting you use this to rebuild the Nexus."
The leader's expression darkened. "The Nexus was just the beginning. What comes next will reshape this broken world."
The Crystal's Power Unleashed
As the battle raged on, the corrupted crystal began to pulse erratically, its energy spilling out in unstable waves. Lira scrambled to reinforce the containment field, but the energy continued to surge.
"It's too much!" she shouted. "I can't hold it!"
Elaine's chest tightened. If the crystal detonated, it would destroy the entire settlement.
"Lira, get it outside!" Elaine called.
Lira hesitated, her hands trembling as she fought to stabilize the field. "It'll take me a minute—"
"You don't have a minute!" Ferran shouted, cutting down another attacker.
Elaine turned to Kael. "Cover her. Get her out of here!"
Kael nodded, firing another arrow before moving to Lira's side. Together, they began maneuvering the crystal toward the exit.
A Narrow Escape
The attackers redoubled their efforts, their focus shifting to Kael and Lira as they tried to escape with the crystal.
Elaine intercepted the leader, her blade locking with theirs in a desperate clash. "You're not going anywhere," she said, her voice low and fierce.
The leader sneered. "Neither are you."
With a surge of energy, they broke the lock, their blade slicing toward Elaine's side. She twisted away, the strike grazing her armor as she countered with a swift thrust.
Behind her, Kael and Lira burst through the door, the crystal's glow spilling out into the street as they made their way toward the edge of the settlement.
"Ferran, go with them!" Elaine shouted, her blade flashing as she drove the leader back.
Ferran hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Don't get yourself killed."
A Pyrrhic Victory
The leader staggered, their armor cracked and their movements slowing. "This isn't over," they said, their voice filled with quiet fury.
Elaine raised her blade, her gaze unwavering. "It is for you."
Before she could strike, the leader's form dissolved into shards of light, their presence fading into the air.
Elaine's chest heaved as she lowered her blade, her gaze shifting to the chaos outside. The corrupted crystal was still pulsing violently, its energy threatening to tear the settlement apart.
"We need to finish this," she murmured, following her team into the fray.