The shard in Elaine's hand flared with an intensity that lit up the chamber, its light consuming every shadow. The crystalline core pulsed in response, its energy growing erratic as the shard's connection strengthened.
"You can't hold this alone!" Rivan shouted over the deafening hum of the core.
Elaine's hands trembled, the shard's heat searing through her palms. The whispers in her mind were no longer fragmented—they had coalesced into a singular voice, steady and unyielding.
"This is your destiny. Unity will bring salvation. Resistance is ruin."
Elaine gritted her teeth, forcing herself to ignore the voice. "Rivan, take Ardyn and clear a path out of here. I'll handle the core."
Ardyn stepped forward, her expression fierce. "The hell you will. We're not leaving you here."
"If we don't destroy this now, Dominion wins," Elaine snapped. "You don't have time to argue."
Ardyn hesitated, her blade gripped tightly. "You'd better come out of this alive."
Elaine nodded sharply. "Go."
Kael and Lira's Gambit
The secondary conduits were falling apart. Sparks erupted from the walls, and the hum of energy grew into a cacophony that rattled the chamber. Lira worked frantically at the console, her fingers moving in a blur over the controls.
"This system isn't just a relay," she said, her voice trembling. "It's amplifying the shards' energy—spreading it to fractures across the entire region. If Dominion activates this, the world won't just fracture—it'll collapse."
Kael loosed an arrow into the shadows as another drone approached, the shot hitting its core with precision. "Then stop it before we run out of arrows."
Lira glanced at the console, her face pale. "I can overload it, but there's no guarantee it'll just take out the conduits. This much energy could blow the entire base—and us with it."
Kael lowered his bow, his expression grim. "Do it."
Lira hesitated. "Kael—"
He met her gaze, his tone steady. "If we don't stop this, nothing else matters. Do it."
Breaking the Core
Elaine stood alone before the crystalline core, the shard in her hand burning brighter with each passing second. Its energy coursed through her, overwhelming every sense. The whispers had become a roar, drowning out every other thought.
"You cannot destroy me," the Nexus's voice said. "You are part of me. Surrender, and you will see the truth."
"No," Elaine said, her voice trembling but resolute. "You don't get to decide for me. Or anyone else."
She raised the shard, focusing every ounce of willpower she had left. The energy surged outward, slamming into the core with a deafening explosion of light and sound.
The chamber shook violently as the core's crystalline structure began to crack, fractures spreading across its surface. Energy erupted in chaotic waves, throwing Elaine to the ground.
"Elaine!" Rivan's voice cut through the chaos as they reappeared, pulling her to her feet.
"We need to go!" Ardyn shouted, slicing through a construct as it lunged toward them.
Elaine staggered, her vision blurred as she clutched the shard. "The core—did we—"
"It's collapsing," Rivan said, dragging her toward the exit. "But if we don't get out now, we're going down with it."
A Deadly Sacrifice
In the secondary conduits, Lira slammed the final sequence into the console. The system flared to life, the energy in the room spiraling into a blinding surge.
"It's done!" she shouted, her voice barely audible over the noise.
Kael grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the exit as the conduits began to explode behind them. "Run!"
The corridors shook violently, fractures tearing through the walls as the energy backlash spread. Kael and Lira sprinted through the chaos, but the path ahead collapsed, blocking their escape.
"We're trapped!" Lira cried, her voice panicked.
Kael scanned the room, his mind racing. His eyes fell on a secondary console near the exit, its surface glowing faintly.
"There's another override," he said, moving toward it.
"But it's too far—" Lira started.
Kael grabbed her shoulders, his expression calm but firm. "You can still make it. Go."
Lira's eyes widened. "Kael, no! I'm not leaving you!"
"You have to," he said, shoving her toward the exit. "This isn't about us. Go."
Tears streamed down her face as she hesitated, but the collapsing conduits left her no choice. She ran, the sound of Kael activating the override echoing behind her.
The explosion that followed shook the entire base.
The Fallout
Elaine, Ardyn, and Rivan stumbled out of the core chamber as the base began to collapse around them. The shard in Elaine's hand was dim, its energy drained, but the whispers had finally fallen silent.
"What about Kael and Lira?" Ardyn asked, her voice tight.
Elaine's heart sank as Lira emerged from the wreckage, her face pale and streaked with ash.
"Where's Kael?" Ardyn demanded, rushing to her.
Lira shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "He… he stayed behind. He saved me."
Ardyn's expression hardened, but her hands trembled as she turned away.
Elaine clenched the shard, her chest tightening. "We'll make this count," she said quietly. "For Kael."
The group moved toward the exit, the crumbling base falling behind them.
A New Threat
As they reached the surface, the glow of the fractures had dimmed, their energy disrupted by the destruction of the core. The towering spires of Dominion's base were reduced to rubble, but the cost of their victory hung heavily over them.
Rivan surveyed the ruins, their expression unreadable. "Dominion's down, but it's not over. The fractures are still spreading, and the shards… they're not finished yet."
Elaine nodded, the shard in her hand pulsing faintly. "Then we keep fighting. For Kael. For everyone."
The sun rose over the fractured horizon, its light cutting through the smoke as the group set out once more.