The air inside the ruin grew heavy as the fractures' rhythmic pulse intensified. Lira stood frozen beside the crystalline relic, her breath uneven as the shards in her pack pulsed brightly.
"They're getting louder," Lira said, clutching her head. "I can't think—they're pushing too hard!"
Rivan knelt beside her, their voice calm but urgent. "Focus on the shards. Let them guide you—they're connected to the fractures, just like the relic."
The fractures' light flared suddenly, casting jagged shadows across the ruin as a faint hum filled the air.
"They're not guiding," Lira said through gritted teeth. "They're demanding!"
Dominion Breaches the Ruin
A deafening explosion shattered the quiet as Dominion's forces breached the ruin's outer wall. Dust and debris rained down as soldiers poured into the chamber, their weapons glowing with Nexus energy.
"Hold your positions!" the commander barked, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Secure the artifact and take them alive if possible."
Ardyn reacted instantly, stepping in front of Lira as her blade caught the light of the fractures. "Guess talking it out's off the table."
Rivan moved quickly, notching an arrow tipped with Nexus disruptor energy. "Keep them away from the relic."
The first wave of soldiers fired their weapons, the air crackling with energy. Ardyn deflected the shots with precise movements, her blade slicing through the nearest attacker.
"They're better equipped this time!" Ardyn shouted, her voice tense.
"They won't win," Rivan replied, releasing their arrow. The projectile struck the nearest conduit, sending a pulse of destabilizing energy through Dominion's weapons. Several soldiers faltered as their equipment sparked and failed.
"Nice shot," Ardyn said, a faint grin breaking through her tension.
"Focus!" Rivan snapped, already preparing their next move.
The Relic's Surge
The crystalline structure flared brighter, its energy spiraling upward as the fractures beneath the ruin pulsed violently. Lira staggered back, her hands trembling as the shards in her pack resonated with the relic's light.
"What's it doing?" Ardyn shouted, glancing over her shoulder as she deflected another attack.
"It's waking up," Rivan said, their tone grim. "The fractures are feeding it."
Lira's voice broke with panic. "It's not just waking up—it's reaching out. I can feel it trying to… connect."
"To what?" Ardyn demanded.
"To everything," Lira said, her voice trembling. "It's pulling the fractures together, but it's unstable—it doesn't know how to stop!"
The ground beneath them trembled violently, cracks spreading outward as the fractures' chaotic energy surged. The Dominion soldiers hesitated, their movements faltering as the ruin quaked.
"What's happening?" one soldier shouted, panic breaking through their discipline.
The commander barked an order. "Hold your ground! Whatever this is, we control it now!"
A Critical Choice
Rivan moved toward the relic, their expression calm but resolute. "We can't let them take it. If Dominion gets control, they'll use it to weaponize the fractures—and the Nexus."
"And what happens if we just leave it here?" Ardyn asked, her tone sharp. "You think it's not dangerous in our hands too?"
Rivan met her gaze, their voice steady. "It's dangerous either way. But at least we'll try to understand it—they'll only use it to destroy."
Another tremor shook the ruin as the fractures' light flared brighter. The relic emitted a low, resonant hum, its energy spiraling upward in jagged waves.
Lira clutched the shards tightly, her voice breaking. "It's too much—it's going to collapse the whole site!"
Rivan turned to her, their tone urgent. "The shards—can they stabilize it?"
"I don't know!" Lira said, her voice trembling. "I can't control it—it's too strong!"
Ardyn stepped forward, her blade at the ready. "Then we cut our losses and destroy it before Dominion gets the chance."
"No," Rivan said firmly, their gaze fixed on the relic. "If we destroy it, we lose everything it could tell us about the fractures—and how to stop Dominion for good."
"And if we don't destroy it?" Ardyn snapped. "It takes us all down with it?"
Rivan's jaw tightened. "It's a risk we have to take."
The Fractures' Warning
The fractures' chaotic rhythm grew louder, their whispers filling the chamber with a single, commanding voice.
"Balance demands clarity. Unity awaits. Act now."
The relic's light flared blindingly bright, casting the ruin in an ethereal glow. The Dominion soldiers faltered, their commander shouting orders as their weapons failed to respond.
"Fall back!" the commander barked, his tone sharp. "We'll regroup outside—this isn't over."
As the soldiers retreated, the fractures' energy began to stabilize slightly, their chaotic rhythm subsiding into a faint hum.
Ardyn lowered her blade, her expression tense. "They'll be back—with reinforcements."
Rivan nodded, their gaze fixed on the relic. "Then we need to be ready."
Lira collapsed to her knees, her breath ragged as the shards in her pack dimmed. "Whatever this thing is," she said, her voice trembling, "it's not done yet."
The fractures pulsed faintly beneath them, their chaotic energy whispering of unity, chaos, and the fragile balance between them.