The fractured landscape was eerily quiet. The chaotic energy that had surged through the terrain was gone, replaced by a faint, steady pulse that resonated through the air. The fractures beneath the ground glowed softly, their rhythmic light casting shifting patterns across the shattered remains of Dominion's amplifier.
Rivan stood at the center of the site, their gaze fixed on the fractures. Their hands trembled as they reached toward the glowing fissures, their sharp eyes searching for something—anything.
"She's really gone," Rivan said, their voice barely a whisper.
Ardyn approached slowly, her blade sheathed but her stance still wary. "We don't have time for this," she said, her tone sharp but not unkind. "Dominion's regrouping, and if we don't move, they'll catch us before we're ready."
Rivan turned to her, their expression filled with quiet anguish. "She held the fractures together. Without her, how do we keep going?"
Ardyn sighed, crossing her arms. "We keep going because we have to. Lira wouldn't have done what she did just so we could sit here and fall apart."
A Quiet Signal
The fractures pulsed faintly beneath their feet, their light steady but subdued. Rivan knelt beside a glowing fissure, their brow furrowing as they placed a hand on its surface.
"They're... different," Rivan said, their tone thoughtful. "The chaotic energy is gone, but there's still something here. It's faint, like an echo."
Ardyn raised an eyebrow. "An echo of what?"
Rivan closed their eyes, focusing on the fractures' steady rhythm. "Of Lira. Of the shards. Of everything the fractures were trying to tell us."
The faint hum of the fractures grew louder for a moment, forming a series of fragmented whispers that overlapped in Rivan's mind. The words were faint, but their meaning was clear:
"The path continues. The Custodian watches. Balance demands clarity."
Rivan opened their eyes, their expression resolute. "The fractures are still guiding us. Lira's sacrifice didn't end this—it just opened the next door."
Ardyn frowned, her grip tightening on her blade. "Then what's behind it? Another Nexus? Another disaster waiting to happen?"
"I don't know," Rivan admitted. "But we can't stop now. Whatever's waiting for us, it's tied to the fractures—and to Lira's choice."
Dominion Regroups
Far from the fractured site, Dominion's forces regrouped in a fortified encampment. Engineers worked frantically to repair equipment, while officers reviewed maps and reports.
The commander stood at the center of the camp, his expression cold as he listened to a junior officer's report.
"The amplifier is destroyed, and the fractures have stabilized," the officer said hesitantly. "But the energy readings are still fluctuating. There's something... new in the network."
The commander's gaze sharpened. "Define 'new.'"
The officer hesitated before responding. "The fractures are emitting a signal we've never seen before. It's faint, but it's spreading through the network. Whatever it is, it's not natural."
The commander's jaw tightened. "Then we find it. Send scouts to the surrounding areas. I want that signal tracked and contained before they figure out what it means."
"Yes, sir," the officer replied, issuing the order.
A Strange Energy
Back at the site, the fractures' faint glow began to shift, their steady rhythm tinged with a strange, resonant energy. The air around the group shimmered faintly, as if the fractures' light were bending and distorting the space around them.
"Do you feel that?" Rivan asked, their voice low.
Ardyn glanced around, her blade already drawn. "Yeah, I feel it. And I don't like it."
The fractures pulsed again, their glow intensifying as the strange energy rippled outward in faint waves. The shards in Lira's abandoned pack flared brightly for a brief moment before dimming again.
"They're reacting to something," Rivan said, moving cautiously toward the pack. "Whatever this energy is, it's tied to the fractures—and the shards."
Ardyn frowned, her grip tightening on her blade. "You sure it's not just another Dominion trick?"
Rivan shook their head. "This is something else. It's not Dominion—it's the fractures themselves. They're trying to show us something."
The fractures pulsed faintly, their chaotic rhythm replaced by a steady hum that echoed through the site. The strange energy grew stronger, casting the terrain in an ethereal glow.
"We need to move," Rivan said, their voice resolute. "The fractures are pulling us forward again. Whatever this is—it's the next step."