The stronghold loomed before them, a monolithic structure of steel and crystal that pulsed faintly with captured energy. Towers jutted skyward like jagged shards of glass, and faint beams of light moved methodically across the sand—sentries scanning for intruders.
Elaine crouched behind a dune, her eyes narrowing as she studied the defenses. "We'll need to move quickly. They've got sentries on every level."
"Quickly?" Ardyn asked, her tone sharp. "This place is a fortress. Unless you've got some magic way of turning invisible, we're going to get spotted."
Rivan knelt beside them, their gaze fixed on the fortress. "There's a gap in their patrol pattern near the west tower. If we move now, we can make it to the conduits before they notice."
Lira clutched the field generator strapped to her back. "And what happens when they do notice? Because you know they will."
Elaine glanced at the shard in her hand. Its light was faint but steady, and she could feel the pull of the captured shards within the stronghold. "We don't stop moving. The shard will guide us to the conduits, but we'll have to deal with whatever's waiting for us when we get there."
Ardyn let out a sharp breath. "This is a terrible plan."
"It's the only plan we've got," Elaine said, her voice firm. "Let's go."
Infiltration
The team moved swiftly across the dunes, their footsteps muffled by the shifting sand. The hum of the stronghold's defenses grew louder as they approached, a low, steady rhythm that resonated through the air.
Rivan motioned for the group to stop as they reached the edge of the fortress. A narrow service hatch was set into the steel wall, its surface marked with faint glowing lines that pulsed in time with the towers above.
"Security grid," Rivan said quietly. "If we trip it, the whole base will know we're here."
Elaine turned to Lira. "Can you disable it?"
Lira nodded, though her hands trembled as she set up the field generator. "Give me a minute."
"You've got thirty seconds," Ardyn said, her blade ready.
The seconds stretched painfully long as Lira worked, her fingers flying over the generator's controls. Finally, the lines of light dimmed, the hum of the grid fading.
"Done," she whispered, stepping back.
Elaine nodded. "Let's move."
The Inner Labyrinth
Inside, the stronghold was a maze of narrow corridors and massive chambers, their walls lined with conduits that pulsed faintly with energy. The air was heavy with the hum of Nexus power, and the shard in Elaine's hand pulsed in time with the glow of the conduits.
"This place is crawling with energy," Lira said, her voice hushed. "It's like the whole fortress is alive."
"It's the shards," Elaine said quietly. "They're powering everything."
Rivan motioned for silence, their eyes narrowing as faint footsteps echoed down the corridor. A patrol of Dominion soldiers marched past, their rifles glowing faintly with Nexus energy.
The team pressed against the wall, holding their breath until the patrol moved out of sight.
"Too close," Ardyn muttered.
Elaine motioned for them to keep moving, her steps quick but cautious. The shard's pull grew stronger with each step, guiding them deeper into the fortress.
The Shard Conduits
The team entered a massive chamber, its center dominated by a series of glowing conduits. Each one was linked to a crystalline shard suspended in the air, their energy spiraling upward into the towers above.
Elaine's chest tightened as she stared at the shards. They pulsed faintly, their light erratic as though resisting the energy being drawn from them.
"This is it," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lira's face paled. "They're using the shards like batteries. That much energy… it's not stable."
"That's the point," Rivan said grimly. "They're overloading them. For what, I don't know, but it's not good."
Elaine stepped closer, the shard in her hand flaring in response to the captured shards. The hum of energy grew louder, resonating through her mind like a warning.
"They seek unity through destruction," the whispers said. "The shards cannot survive such violence."
"Then we free them," Elaine said, her voice resolute.
A New Discovery
As Elaine moved toward the conduits, Ardyn grabbed her arm. "Wait. Look at this."
She pointed to a nearby console, its surface glowing faintly with lines of data. Lira approached cautiously, her hands hovering over the controls.
"It's a command terminal," she said, her tone tense. "I can access their logs, but it'll take a minute."
Elaine nodded. "Do it. We need to know what Dominion's planning."
Lira worked quickly, her fingers flying over the console. After a moment, the display shifted, revealing a series of schematics and data streams.
"They're not just weaponizing the shards," Lira said, her voice shaking. "They're linking them to a central nexus—a new one. If they complete it, they'll have control over every shard in the region."
Ardyn cursed under her breath. "And let me guess—this nexus thing will destabilize the fractures even more."
Lira nodded grimly. "If it doesn't destroy them entirely."
Elaine's grip on the shard tightened, her resolve hardening. "Then we stop it. Destroy the conduits and get the shards out of here."
The hum of energy grew louder, and the ground trembled faintly beneath their feet.
"Too late for that," Rivan said, their voice sharp. "We've got company."