The desert stretched endlessly before them, a sea of shifting dunes and swirling sand. The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a hazy, golden light over the barren landscape.
Elaine adjusted the scarf around her face, her eyes narrowing against the biting wind. The shard in her hand pulsed faintly, its light muted as though reluctant to reveal its presence.
"Are we sure this is the right direction?" Lira asked, her voice muffled by the fabric covering her mouth.
Elaine glanced at the faint glow of the shard. "It's leading us. As long as we stay on its path, we'll get there."
Ardyn shielded her eyes from the sand, her tone sharp. "Great. Following a glowing rock through a storm. What could possibly go wrong?"
Rivan, walking ahead of the group, stopped abruptly. "Something's off."
Elaine approached, her grip tightening on the shard. "What is it?"
Rivan gestured to the sand ahead. The wind had uncovered a series of jagged formations—structures that jutted out of the dunes like broken teeth.
"Ruins," Rivan said, their voice low. "And they're not abandoned."
The First Encounter
The team approached the ruins cautiously, their movements slow and deliberate. The structures were ancient, their surfaces worn smooth by the relentless winds. Symbols etched into the stone glowed faintly, resonating with the shard in Elaine's hand.
"This place feels… alive," Lira said, her voice trembling.
Ardyn unsheathed her blade, her eyes scanning the ruins. "Alive or not, we're not alone. Stay alert."
As they rounded a corner, a group of figures emerged from the shadows. They were cloaked in desert robes, their faces obscured by masks. Each carried a weapon, ranging from crude blades to Nexus-powered rifles.
One of them stepped forward, their stance commanding. "You shouldn't be here."
Elaine held up a hand, her voice steady. "We're not here to fight. We're looking for something—something dangerous that needs to be contained."
The figure tilted their head, their mask glinting in the light. "The shard."
Elaine tensed. "You know about it."
The figure nodded slowly. "We know. And we've been watching you. Your actions have stirred forces you don't understand. The fractures are not yours to heal."
Ardyn stepped forward, her blade glinting. "And who are you to decide that?"
The masked figure ignored her, their focus fixed on Elaine. "You've already caused enough harm, Custodian. Leave this place before you make it worse."
A Fragile Stand-off
Elaine stepped forward, the shard pulsing faintly in her hand. "I don't know who you are, but if you know about the fractures, then you know what's at stake. We're here to stop them from spreading, not make them worse."
The figure's stance didn't waver. "You think your actions are noble, but the shards are not tools for you to wield. They are alive. They will resist you, just as they resisted those before you."
"And what do you suggest?" Elaine asked, her voice firm. "That we just leave them in the hands of people like Dominion? If we don't act, the fractures will destroy everything."
The figure hesitated, their gaze shifting to the glowing shard in Elaine's hand. "Perhaps you believe that. But belief alone will not save you. The shards have chosen their path, and it may not align with yours."
Ardyn tightened her grip on her blade. "Enough riddles. Are you going to help us, or are we doing this the hard way?"
The masked figure raised a hand, and the others behind them moved into defensive stances. "Turn back. This is your only warning."
Elaine looked at her team, her jaw tightening. "We're not leaving."
The air grew tense, the silence broken only by the howling wind.