The air in the chamber grew electric as Dominion soldiers poured in from multiple entry points, their weapons glowing with Nexus energy. The conduits pulsed violently, reacting to the tension in the room.
"Elaine!" Rivan shouted, firing an arrow that struck one of the soldiers square in the chest. "Do what you need to do—we'll hold them off!"
Ardyn lunged into the fray, her blade flashing as she cut down two soldiers in quick succession. "Make it fast, or we're not getting out of here alive!"
Elaine stood near the conduits, her hand trembling as the shard in her grip flared violently. The whispers in her mind grew louder, overlapping until they became a deafening roar.
"The shards resist their bonds, Custodian. Free them or they will shatter."
"I'm trying!" she shouted, raising the shard. Its light spiraled outward, connecting with the captured shards suspended in the conduits. The energy between them flared, chaotic and unstable, as though the shards themselves were fighting back.
The Battle Rages
Dominion soldiers advanced, their weapons firing arcs of crackling energy. Rivan ducked behind a console, loosing another arrow that struck a soldier's weapon, disabling it.
"We're outnumbered," Rivan called. "Lira, any chance you can disrupt their gear?"
Lira crouched behind the generator, frantically working at its controls. "I can overload their systems, but it'll destabilize the whole room!"
"Do it!" Ardyn shouted, cutting through another soldier. "We don't have time for subtle!"
Lira hesitated before slamming her fist onto the console. The conduits flared violently, sending out a pulse of energy that disrupted the soldiers' weapons. Sparks flew as several of them dropped their rifles, their circuits fried.
The remaining soldiers regrouped, pulling back toward the exits to avoid the cascading energy.
A Critical Choice
Elaine staggered as the shard in her hand burned hotter, its light blinding as it synchronized with the captured shards. Her mind raced as she fought to contain the surging energy.
"Elaine!" Lira shouted. "The conduits are overloading! If we don't shut them down, they'll take the whole fortress with them!"
Ardyn deflected a blade, spinning to face Elaine. "Destroy them now, or we're done!"
Elaine's chest tightened as she stared at the conduits. The shards within them pulsed erratically, their light flickering as though on the verge of collapse.
"Unity is inevitable," the shard's whispers said. "But balance demands sacrifice."
Elaine clenched her teeth. Destroying the conduits would free the shards, but the resulting energy surge could collapse the fortress—and possibly the fractures beneath it. Leaving them intact would buy time, but Dominion would gain control of the shards.
"We don't have time for this!" Ardyn shouted.
Elaine raised the shard, her voice trembling. "Get out of here. Now!"
"What?" Ardyn snapped.
"I said go!" Elaine shouted, the shard's light flaring as she channeled its energy into the conduits.
Shattering the Conduits
The room erupted as the shard's energy surged through the conduits, severing their bonds to the captured shards. The conduits cracked, their structures collapsing as the shards fell to the ground, glowing faintly.
The energy released from the conduits spiraled outward, shaking the fortress to its core. Cracks spread across the walls, and chunks of debris rained down from the ceiling.
Rivan grabbed Lira, pulling her toward the nearest exit. "Move! This whole place is coming down!"
Ardyn hesitated, her gaze fixed on Elaine. "You're coming with us."
Elaine staggered, the shard in her hand dimming as its energy waned. "Not until I secure the shards."
"You'll die here!" Ardyn shouted, grabbing her arm.
Elaine yanked free, her voice firm. "Not if you help me. Grab them, and let's go!"
Ardyn cursed under her breath before scooping up one of the fallen shards. Rivan and Lira followed suit, each carrying a shard as the group sprinted for the exit.
Escape
The fortress groaned, its structure collapsing as they raced through the corridors. The glow of the fractures beneath the fortress grew brighter, their energy spiraling upward in chaotic waves.
"This place isn't going to hold!" Lira shouted, her voice panicked.
"Keep moving!" Rivan barked, firing an arrow at a collapsing beam to clear their path.
They burst through the final exit just as the fortress caved in behind them, sending up a massive plume of dust and debris. The ground trembled violently before finally settling, leaving the team sprawled across the sand.
Elaine lay on her back, the shard in her hand faint but steady. She turned her head, meeting Ardyn's glare.
"Don't ever do that again," Ardyn snapped.
Elaine managed a weak smile. "You're welcome."
Aftermath
The team regrouped a short distance from the ruins, the shards they had recovered glowing faintly in the fading light.
"What now?" Lira asked, her voice quiet.
Elaine stared at the shards, her expression unreadable. "We keep them safe. Dominion lost this round, but they're not going to stop."
"And neither are we," Rivan said firmly.
Ardyn folded her arms, her tone sharp. "If we're going to do this, we need a better plan. No more improvising."
Elaine nodded, the weight of the shard heavy in her hand. "Agreed. But first, we figure out what these shards are trying to tell us. They're the key to all of this."
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the desert. The shards' light flickered faintly, a reminder of the power—and the danger—they carried.