The journey south was grueling. The wastelands stretched endlessly before them, a barren expanse of cracked earth and jagged rock. The air was dry and oppressive, each step kicking up clouds of fine dust that clung to their clothes and skin.
Elaine walked at the front of the group, her eyes fixed on the horizon. The fractured crystal pulsed steadily in her hands, its light faint but unwavering as it guided them.
"How much farther?" Ferran asked, his voice rough with fatigue.
Elaine glanced down at the crystal. "It's close. Another day, maybe less."
Kael, scouting a few paces ahead, stopped suddenly and raised a hand. "Hold up."
The group froze, their hands instinctively going to their weapons.
"What is it?" Ardyn asked, her blade already half-drawn.
Kael crouched, his eyes scanning the distance. "Tracks. Fresh. A patrol's been through here recently."
Elaine's jaw tightened. "Convergence?"
"Most likely," Kael said. "They're not far behind."
The Crystal's Whisper
As the group resumed their march, the fractured crystal's light grew brighter, its pulse quickening with each step. The energy radiating from it felt heavier now, pressing against Elaine's mind like an insistent whisper.
She stopped abruptly, clutching her head as a wave of dizziness washed over her.
"Elaine!" Lira rushed to her side, steadying her. "Are you all right?"
Elaine nodded, though her face was pale. "I'm fine. It's the crystal—it's… showing me something."
The others gathered around as Elaine took a shaky breath.
"I saw… a vault," she said. "Buried beneath the wasteland. That's where we need to go. That's where the final shard is."
Ardyn frowned. "And let me guess, the Convergence knows about it too."
Elaine nodded grimly. "They'll be there, waiting for us."
The Convergence's Ambush
As night fell over the wasteland, the group set up camp in the shadow of a crumbling rock formation. The fractured crystal's light dimmed slightly, its energy ebbing as though conserving itself.
Kael took the first watch, his bow resting across his lap as he sat atop a nearby boulder. The silence of the wasteland was unnerving, broken only by the faint rustle of wind through the rocks.
It was during his shift that he saw them.
"Elaine," he hissed, his voice urgent.
She woke instantly, her hand going to her blade as she followed his gaze. In the distance, faint silhouettes moved against the darkness—dozens of them, advancing steadily toward their camp.
"Convergence," Kael said, his voice tight. "They found us."
Elaine stood, her voice low but commanding. "Wake the others. We hold them here."
A Desperate Battle
The Convergence operatives attacked with precision, their movements swift and coordinated. Elaine met the first wave head-on, her blade flashing in the faint light as she parried and countered with practiced skill.
Kael fired rapidly from his vantage point, each arrow finding its mark as the enemy forces pressed closer.
"They just keep coming!" Ferran shouted, cutting down another attacker.
Lira crouched behind a boulder, her hands moving frantically over her tools as she worked to set up a disruption field. "I need more time!"
Ardyn fought beside Elaine, her strikes brutal and efficient. "We can't hold this position forever. We need to move."
"We're not leaving without the crystal," Elaine said, her voice resolute.
The Shard's Power Unleashed
As the battle raged on, the fractured crystal began to glow brighter, its energy radiating outward in powerful waves. The air around it grew heavy with tension, and the operatives faltered as the energy pressed against them.
"What's it doing?" Lira asked, her voice trembling.
Elaine's grip on the crystal tightened as it pulsed violently in her hands. "It's reacting to them—to their shards."
The light from the crystal flared, sending a shockwave through the battlefield that knocked several operatives off their feet.
Kael lowered his bow, his eyes wide. "Elaine, that's not normal."
"It's the Nexus," Ardyn said grimly. "The closer we get, the stronger its influence becomes."
Elaine's gaze hardened. "Then we use it. If the Convergence wants the shards, they'll have to go through us first."
A Narrow Escape
The disruption field activated with a deafening hum, scattering the remaining operatives as the crystal's energy surged.
"Now's our chance!" Elaine shouted.
The group retreated into the shadows, the light of the fractured crystal fading as they put distance between themselves and the Convergence forces.
As they regrouped farther into the wasteland, Elaine collapsed to her knees, the weight of the crystal's power pressing heavily on her mind.
"Elaine?" Lira knelt beside her, her voice filled with concern.
Elaine took a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she clutched the crystal. "It's close. The vault… it's just ahead."
Ardyn looked toward the horizon, her expression grim. "If it's anything like the sanctuaries we've seen, it won't let us take the shard easily."
Elaine pushed herself to her feet, her resolve hardening. "Then we'll take it anyway. Whatever it takes."
As they pressed onward, the fractured crystal's light guided them through the darkness, its pulse growing stronger with each step. The wasteland seemed to hold its breath, the air thick with anticipation as they approached the vault—and the final piece of the Nexus's puzzle.