The night air was heavy with the smell of dust and ash as Elaine and her team made camp on a rocky plateau overlooking the smoldering remains of the Nexus facility. The Unity Engine's destruction had left the area eerily quiet, the faint hum of its energy replaced by an oppressive stillness.
Kael stood at the edge of the plateau, his bow in hand as he scanned the horizon. "No sign of pursuit," he said, though his voice was tense. "But that doesn't mean we're safe."
"We're never safe," Ferran muttered, his tone bitter as he tossed a handful of dry wood onto the campfire.
Lira sat cross-legged beside the fire, her hands trembling as she adjusted the containment field around her tools. "That explosion… if we'd been a minute slower…" She trailed off, her voice shaky.
Elaine crouched beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "But we weren't. You did your part, and we got out."
Lira gave a faint nod, though her expression didn't ease.
A Divided Team
Ardyn sat a short distance away, her dark armor scuffed but intact. She cleaned her blade methodically, her expression calm despite the tension radiating from the others.
"Nice little operation you've got here," she said, her tone almost casual. "Shame you don't trust each other."
Ferran glared at her, his fingers gripping the hilt of his sword. "You've got a lot of nerve talking about trust when you're the reason we nearly got killed back there."
Ardyn raised an eyebrow, unfazed by his anger. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even made it into the facility. So, you're welcome."
Kael stepped forward, his gaze sharp. "Why are you really here, Ardyn? If you were so loyal to the Convergence, why switch sides now?"
Ardyn's smirk faded, her expression hardening. "I didn't sign up to help them rebuild the Nexus. I thought we were creating something better, but all they're doing is repeating the same mistakes. Worse, even."
Elaine stepped between them, her voice firm. "Enough. We don't have time for this. Ardyn helped us back there, and for now, we're on the same side."
Ferran scoffed, but he didn't argue further.
Kael crossed his arms, his voice quieter but no less serious. "What happens when her side changes again?"
Elaine met his gaze. "Then we deal with it. But for now, we need her knowledge if we're going to stop the Convergence."
The Shard's Warning
As the group settled down for the night, Elaine sat away from the others, her focus on the shard resting in her palm. Its glow was faint now, a soft pulse that seemed to beat in time with her own heartbeat.
Ardyn approached silently, her footsteps light against the rocky ground. "Still working, even when the day's done?"
Elaine didn't look up. "This doesn't stop just because we're tired."
Ardyn crouched beside her, her gaze flicking to the shard. "That thing… it's more than just a guide, isn't it?"
Elaine hesitated before answering. "It's tied to the Nexus. Everything we've faced—the crystals, the constructs, the Unity Engine—it's all connected through this."
Ardyn frowned. "And you're sure it's not using you?"
The question hung in the air, heavy and unspoken until now. Elaine's grip on the shard tightened.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But if it's the only way to stop the Convergence, I'll take the risk."
Before Ardyn could respond, the shard pulsed violently, its light flaring bright enough to make them shield their eyes.
"What the—" Ardyn started, but the words caught in her throat as a voice filled the air, echoing faintly in their minds.
"Fragment… incomplete. Reconnection required."
Elaine's breath caught as the voice faded, the shard's glow dimming once more.
Ardyn stared at her, her expression unreadable. "What was that?"
Elaine shook her head, her chest tight. "The shard. It's… it's never done that before."
"Reconnection?" Ardyn repeated, her tone wary. "That doesn't sound good."
Elaine stood, her mind racing. "It means there's something else out there. Another piece of the Nexus."
A New Destination
The rest of the team gathered around as Elaine explained what had happened.
"You're saying the shard talked to you?" Kael asked, his skepticism clear.
"It wasn't exactly talking," Elaine said. "It was… a memory, maybe. A fragment of whatever's left of the Nexus."
Lira frowned, her voice quiet. "If it's calling for reconnection, it means there's another shard—or something bigger—waiting to be found."
Ferran groaned. "Of course there is. Can't we just destroy this thing and be done with it?"
"No," Elaine said firmly. "If there's another shard, the Convergence will be looking for it too. We can't let them find it first."
Kael nodded reluctantly. "Where do we go?"
Elaine held the shard up, watching as its pulse shifted faintly, pointing southeast. "There's something out there. A Nexus site—or what's left of one."
Ardyn crossed her arms, her expression grim. "If it's southeast, you're heading straight into Convergence territory. They've got outposts all over the region."
"Then we'll go around them," Elaine said. "We've faced worse."
Moving Forward
As dawn broke over the plateau, the group packed their gear and prepared to set out. The shard's pulse guided them like a faint heartbeat, pulling them toward the unknown.
Kael walked beside Elaine as they descended the rocky path, his voice quiet. "You sure about this? About the shard, about Ardyn… about any of it?"
Elaine glanced at him, her expression resolute. "No. But if we don't try, the Convergence wins. And I'm not letting that happen."
Kael nodded, his trust unspoken but clear.
As the group disappeared into the wilderness, the shard pulsed steadily in Elaine's hand, its light a constant reminder of the path ahead—and the dangers that waited in the shadows.