The desert night was still, the vast expanse around them illuminated by the faint light of the shards. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the crunch of sand beneath their boots.
Rivan led the group, their eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of movement. Ardyn followed close behind, her blade resting on her shoulder. Lira walked beside Elaine, the bundle of shards clutched tightly in her arms.
Elaine's steps were heavy, her mind clouded by the stranger's words. The shard in her hand pulsed faintly, its light a steady rhythm that echoed in her chest.
"What do you think they meant?" Lira asked quietly. "About the place where unity was broken?"
Elaine shook her head. "I don't know. But if the shards remember, then they'll lead us there. We just have to keep moving."
"And hope Dominion doesn't find us first," Ardyn muttered.
The Shards' Discord
The shards in Lira's pack flared suddenly, their light spilling out in chaotic waves. Lira stumbled, nearly dropping them as the energy pulsed through the air.
"Elaine!" Lira cried, her voice panicked.
Elaine turned, the shard in her hand burning hot as it reacted to the others. The whispers returned, louder this time, overlapping into a cacophony that filled her mind.
"The fractures speak, Custodian. Their pain echoes through time."
Her vision blurred as the world shifted around her.
The Origin of the Fractures
Elaine stood in the heart of a great city, its crystalline towers gleaming under a bright sky. The air was alive with the hum of energy, the shards' light flowing seamlessly through the land.
At the city's center stood a massive structure—a nexus of glowing crystal, its spires reaching toward the heavens. People moved around it in harmony, their voices blending into a unified song.
Then came the fracture.
A surge of energy ripped through the nexus, shattering its harmony. The shards splintered, their light scattering across the land as the city crumbled. The sky darkened, and the hum of unity became a roar of chaos.
Elaine saw figures standing amidst the destruction—figures cloaked in light and shadow, their faces obscured. One reached toward the fractured nexus, their hand glowing with desperate energy.
"Unity was broken," the whispers said. "And so the world was lost."
The Vision Ends
Elaine gasped as the vision dissolved, the desert night coming back into focus. She stumbled, the shard in her hand dimming as her breathing quickened.
"Elaine!" Lira steadied her, her face pale. "What happened? What did you see?"
Elaine closed her eyes, her voice unsteady. "The fractures… they started with the nexus. It was supposed to unify the shards, but something went wrong. The energy was too much—it broke everything."
Ardyn frowned, her tone skeptical. "So what? We just undo it all and hope for the best?"
Elaine shook her head. "It's not that simple. The shards don't want to be forced together. They have to come back on their own terms."
"And how do we make that happen?" Rivan asked.
Elaine looked down at the shard in her hand, its light faint but steady. "I don't know yet. But the shards do. We just have to trust them."
Dominion Closes In
The faint hum of engines broke the silence, growing louder with each passing moment. Rivan tensed, their hand moving to their bow.
"They found us," Rivan said quietly.
Ardyn drew her blade, her stance ready. "Time to make this simple, then."
Elaine scanned the horizon, her heart pounding as the engines grew closer. "We can't fight them head-on. Not with the shards this unstable."
"Then what do we do?" Lira asked, her voice trembling.
Elaine's grip on the shard tightened. "We draw them away. Split up, and regroup at the safe haven."
"Split up?" Ardyn's eyes narrowed. "That's suicide."
"It's the only way to protect the shards," Elaine said firmly. "If they get their hands on them, everything we've done is for nothing."
Rivan nodded, their voice calm. "She's right. We'll cover more ground, and Dominion will have to divide their forces to follow us."
Ardyn muttered a curse under her breath but didn't argue. "Fine. But if you die, I'm not carrying your shard."
Elaine managed a faint smile. "Noted. Let's move."
The Chase Begins
The group split into pairs, Elaine and Lira heading west while Rivan and Ardyn moved north. The shards pulsed faintly, their light flickering as though protesting the separation.
Elaine glanced back as the hum of engines grew louder, her grip on the shard tightening. The fractures beneath the desert glowed faintly, their light syncing with the shards.
"Just a little farther," she said, her voice steady despite the chaos in her mind. "We'll make it."
Lira nodded, her breathing quickened as she clutched the shards. "We have to."
The desert stretched endlessly before them, the path uncertain but their resolve unbroken.