The chamber was quiet now, the fractures' light subdued, their chaotic energy tamed. Elaine leaned against the jagged wall, her breathing slow and labored as she recovered from the battle's toll.
Lira crouched nearby, carefully unwrapping the shards from her pack. Their glow was soft and rhythmic, syncing faintly with the pulse of the stabilized fractures.
"They're calmer now," Lira said softly, her voice tinged with relief.
Elaine nodded, her gaze fixed on the fractured crystal at the chamber's center. Its jagged edges shimmered faintly, and faint symbols began to emerge on its surface, illuminated by the shards' light.
"What is that?" Lira asked, stepping closer.
Elaine stood, her legs shaky but steady. "A message," she said, her voice filled with quiet resolve. "The fractures remember."
The Inscriptions
Elaine approached the fractured crystal, the shard in her hand flaring as she raised it toward the glowing symbols. The whispers in her mind grew clearer, forming fragments of words and phrases.
"Unity… broken by greed. Balance… demands truth."
"What does it mean?" Lira asked, standing at her side.
Elaine traced the symbols with her fingers, their energy resonating faintly beneath her touch. "The fractures weren't just a mistake. Someone—something—caused them."
Lira's brow furrowed. "But why? If the shards were meant to sustain the world, why would anyone break them?"
Elaine's jaw tightened as the shard pulsed in her hand. "Control. They wanted to use the shards' power to reshape the world in their image."
The inscriptions shifted, forming a new phrase.
"The Custodian will decide. Unity or chaos."
Elaine's chest tightened as the fractures' whispers echoed in her mind.
"The choice is yours, Custodian."
A Risky Infiltration
In the Northern Plains, Rivan and Ardyn moved carefully through the shadows of Dominion's encampment. The earlier sabotage had plunged the camp into chaos, but soldiers were quickly regaining control, their movements sharp and efficient.
"We won't get another chance like this," Ardyn whispered, her blade gleaming faintly in the light of nearby fires.
Rivan nodded, their expression focused. "The central crystal—it's the key. If we can disrupt its connection to the fractures, we can stop them."
The pair approached the crystal, its massive form pulsing steadily as energy flowed through the conduits into the surrounding fractures.
Ardyn crouched low, her sharp eyes scanning the guards stationed nearby. "Too many to take head-on. You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Rivan smirked faintly. "Distraction?"
Ardyn nodded, already moving toward a supply cache stacked near one of the conduits. She set a small explosive charge, her movements quick and practiced.
Rivan positioned themselves nearby, their bow drawn. "On your mark."
Ardyn grinned, lighting the fuse. "Mark."
The explosion sent a plume of fire and debris into the air, drawing the soldiers' attention away from the crystal. Rivan fired a volley of arrows, striking key points on the conduits and causing energy to arc wildly.
The crystal pulsed violently, its light dimming as the fractures beneath the camp flickered.
Secrets Revealed
Back in the chamber, Elaine staggered as the fractures' whispers grew louder. Images filled her mind—flashes of a world unbroken, a council of shadowed figures standing before the first fracture, their hands raised in unison.
"They tried to control it," Elaine said aloud, her voice trembling. "They thought they could force unity, but they only created chaos."
Lira stepped back, her expression fearful. "And now Dominion's doing the same thing."
Elaine nodded, her grip on the shard tightening. "If they succeed, the fractures won't just destabilize—they'll consume everything."
The shard in her hand flared brightly, and the fractures beneath the chamber pulsed in response. The inscriptions shifted again, forming one final phrase.
"The Custodian must decide. The balance is fragile."
Dominion's Pursuit
Elaine turned toward the canyon entrance as the faint sound of engines echoed through the air once more. Dominion forces were regrouping, their presence a constant reminder of the danger that loomed.
"They're coming back," Lira said, her voice trembling.
Elaine nodded, her resolve hardening. "Then we move now. The fractures won't hold them off again."
She wrapped the shard tightly in cloth, its whispers fading to a faint hum as she placed it in her pack. The fractures' light dimmed, leaving the chamber in shadow as the pair prepared to leave.
"This isn't over," Elaine said, her voice steady despite the tension. "Not until the fractures are whole again."