The terrain grew harsher as they moved deeper into the fractured territories. The ground was jagged and uneven, marked by cracks that glowed faintly with pulsating light. The air itself seemed charged, carrying an unnatural stillness that prickled at Elaine's skin.
"Does anyone else feel that?" Lira asked, her voice trembling.
Kael glanced at her, his bow in hand. "Feel what?"
Lira gestured to the cracks beneath their feet. "The energy… it's alive. Like it's moving through the ground."
Elaine slowed, crouching near one of the fractures. The shard in her hand pulsed faintly, its glow syncing with the light emanating from the cracks.
"It's not just the energy," Elaine said, her voice low. "It's the shards. They're waking up, and the fractures are part of it."
Ardyn's hand rested on her blade. "If they're waking up, does that mean we're walking into another Nexus-level catastrophe?"
Elaine didn't answer immediately. She reached out toward the fracture, the shard's light flaring as her fingers hovered above it.
The hum intensified, and her vision blurred as a wave of energy coursed through her. Images flashed in her mind—fractures spreading across the land, consuming everything in their path.
Elaine staggered back, her breathing ragged.
"What did you see?" Kael asked, steadying her.
Elaine met his gaze, her voice shaking. "It's worse than I thought. The fractures aren't just a side effect—they're spreading the shards' energy. If they're not stopped, they'll tear the world apart."
An Unexpected Encounter
The group continued cautiously, the cracks growing wider and more erratic as they advanced. The shard's pulse became erratic, its light flickering like a heartbeat on the verge of collapse.
Ahead, a faint glow illuminated the horizon—a cluster of ruins rising from the desolate landscape.
"Looks like someone's been here before us," Ardyn said, her eyes narrowing.
Kael knelt, his gaze sharp as he examined the ground. "Tracks. Fresh ones. Whoever they are, they're not far."
As they approached the ruins, the sound of voices drifted through the air—sharp commands mixed with the hum of machinery.
Elaine signaled for the group to stop. "We need to see who we're dealing with."
They crept closer, using the crumbling walls for cover. In the center of the ruins, a group of scavengers worked frantically to extract something from the ground—a shard, glowing with an intense, chaotic light.
"That's not good," Lira whispered.
Elaine's chest tightened as she watched the scavengers. The shard they were extracting pulsed erratically, its energy spilling into the surrounding fractures.
"We can't let them take it," Elaine said.
Ardyn drew her blade. "Then let's stop them before they do."
The Fight for the Shard
The attack was swift and brutal. Kael's arrows struck true, taking out the scavengers' lookouts before they could sound an alarm. Ardyn charged into the fray, her blade cutting through the scavengers with practiced precision.
Elaine focused on the shard, its energy pulling at her like a magnet. She could feel its instability, the way it resonated with the shard she carried.
"Lira, shut down their equipment!" Elaine shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
"I'm trying!" Lira yelled back, her hands flying over the scavengers' crude machinery. Sparks flew as she ripped out wires, the machines sputtering to a halt.
The scavengers turned their attention to Elaine, their leader stepping forward with a makeshift weapon glowing faintly with stolen Nexus energy.
"You don't know what you're messing with," the leader said, his voice a low growl. "That shard's power is worth more than your life."
Elaine raised her blade, the shard in her hand flaring. "You're not taking it."
The leader smirked. "We'll see about that."
The Shard's Reaction
As Elaine fought, the shard in her hand began to glow brighter, its energy resonating with the shard buried in the ruins. The fractures around them widened, the ground trembling as the energy reached a dangerous crescendo.
"Elaine!" Lira shouted, her voice panicked. "The shards are syncing!"
Elaine felt the pull intensify, the shard's hum rising to a deafening roar in her mind. She clenched her fists, struggling to maintain control.
"You cannot resist forever," the Nexus's voice whispered. "The shards are meant to unite. Let them."
Elaine gritted her teeth, her voice shaking with determination. "No."
With a surge of will, she drove her blade into the ground, severing the connection between the shards. The energy flared violently, then dissipated, leaving the air heavy and still.
The scavengers fled, their leader cursing as he disappeared into the shadows.
A Fragile Victory
The ruins fell silent as Elaine's team regrouped. The shard in Elaine's hand was dim, its energy drained but still present.
"We stopped them," Kael said, his tone cautious. "But for how long?"
Elaine stared at the shard, her expression grim. "As long as the shards exist, people will keep coming for them. This won't end until we find a way to destroy them."
Ardyn sheathed her blade, her voice dry. "And here I thought we were done with impossible tasks."
Elaine looked at her team, her resolve unshaken despite the weight of the moment. "If we don't try, no one will. And if we fail, the world doesn't stand a chance."