The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly, its walls glowing with an unsteady, pulsating light. The air grew colder as they descended, each step accompanied by a faint hum that seemed to vibrate through their bones.
Ardyn ran her hand along the crystalline surface, her expression guarded. "This place doesn't feel right. It's like the walls are watching us."
"They might be," Rivan said, their tone grim. "The fractures are alive in their own way. This deep, they're not just reacting to the shards—they're feeding on us."
Lira shuddered, pulling her cloak tighter around her. "Feeding on us? What does that even mean?"
Rivan didn't answer, but their silence spoke volumes.
Elaine pressed on, the shard in her hand flaring faintly. Its light illuminated the path ahead, revealing jagged formations that twisted unnaturally, as though the earth itself had been warped by the shards' power.
"Stay close," she said, her voice steady despite the unease growing in her chest. "The shard's energy is pulling us forward. Whatever's down here, it's close."
The Shard's Influence
The further they went, the more the environment began to shift. The tunnel walls seemed to ripple, the glowing fractures forming patterns that shifted when no one was looking. Shadows moved in the corners of their vision, disappearing whenever they turned to face them.
"Did you see that?" Lira whispered, her voice trembling.
Ardyn glanced at her, frowning. "We've been seeing things since we got here. Don't let it get to you."
"It's not just tricks," Lira said, her gaze darting to the shadows. "It's… familiar. Like I've seen it before."
Elaine slowed, her brow furrowing. The shard in her hand flared, and for a moment, the whispers in her mind became clearer, forming words.
"The fractures reflect what lies within you. Your fears, your doubts… they are part of the path."
Elaine stopped, her breath catching. The tunnel around her seemed to dissolve, replaced by a vision of the Nexus—a towering structure of light and crystal, its spires piercing the sky. She could see herself standing at its center, the shards in her hands, their energy spiraling outward.
She heard voices—familiar voices, echoing through the vision.
"You've always wanted control," one voice said, low and bitter. "That's what this is really about."
Another voice, softer but no less cutting, replied. "You think you can save everyone? You'll only destroy yourself."
Elaine staggered, the vision shattering as Ardyn grabbed her arm.
"Elaine!" Ardyn's voice was sharp. "Snap out of it!"
Elaine blinked, the tunnel snapping back into focus. Her breathing was uneven, and her grip on the shard trembled.
"I'm fine," she said quickly, though her voice was strained.
Ardyn's eyes narrowed. "You don't look fine."
Elaine pulled away, her tone firm. "We don't have time for this. Keep moving."
A Fractured Reality
The tunnel opened into a massive cavern, its ceiling lost in darkness. The fractures here were larger, their glow casting jagged patterns across the walls. At the center of the cavern was a massive crystalline structure, its surface pulsing with the same erratic energy as the shard in Elaine's hand.
"This is it," Rivan said, their voice low. "The source."
Elaine stepped forward, the shard's glow intensifying. The whispers in her mind became deafening, overlapping until they were impossible to ignore.
"The first shard lies within," the voice said. "Its power will bind the fractures—or destroy them. The choice is yours."
Ardyn approached cautiously, her blade drawn. "And what happens if you're wrong? What if this thing decides to rip the world apart instead?"
Elaine didn't answer. She could feel the shard's energy building, resonating with the massive crystal before her. It was alive, its power radiating in waves that pressed against her mind.
"We need to be careful," Lira said, her voice trembling. "If this thing is what's holding the fractures together, one wrong move could—"
Before she could finish, the crystal flared, sending a shockwave through the cavern. The ground trembled, and the fractures spread outward, their glow blinding.
A Test of Will
Elaine fell to her knees, clutching the shard as its energy surged. The whispers in her mind became a roar, drowning out everything else.
"Do you see now, Custodian? You are nothing without unity. Embrace the shards, and you will find strength. Resist, and you will break."
Elaine gritted her teeth, her hands trembling as she struggled to control the shard's power. Images flooded her mind—Kael's sacrifice, the fractures spreading across the land, the destruction left in the Nexus's wake.
The voices grew louder, each one cutting deeper than the last.
"You can't save them," one voice said. "You can't even save yourself."
Elaine shook her head, forcing herself to stand. "You're wrong. I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing it for them."
The shard flared, its light piercing through the crystal's energy. The cavern trembled, the fractures beginning to close as Elaine poured everything she had into stabilizing the energy.
Rivan and Ardyn rushed to her side, shielding her from the debris falling around them.
"Elaine!" Ardyn shouted. "You can't hold this forever!"
Elaine's voice was steady, despite the strain in her body. "I don't have to. Just long enough."
The Crystal Awakens
As the energy subsided, the massive crystal at the cavern's center began to shift. Its surface cracked, revealing a core of blinding light. The shard in Elaine's hand pulsed in response, its glow merging with the crystal's energy.
A voice echoed through the cavern, deep and resonant.
"You have come far, Custodian. But your journey is not over. The first shard is awake, and its will cannot be denied."
The light intensified, enveloping the cavern in its glow. Elaine felt the shard's energy surge through her, its power both exhilarating and terrifying.
The crystal's voice spoke again, its tone commanding.
"Prove your worth, Custodian. Or be consumed."