The fractures trembled violently beneath Rivan's feet, their light flickering in chaotic bursts that cast the battlefield in a kaleidoscope of jagged shadows. The shards in their pack pulsed erratically, syncing with the fractures' chaotic rhythm but offering no clarity.
"You're asking me to give up who I am," Rivan said, their voice low but steady.
The Watcher inclined their head, their shimmering cloak of light rippling faintly. "I am asking you to make a choice," they replied. "The fractures cannot survive without you. Their chaos will consume this region—and eventually the Nexus itself—unless balance is restored."
Ardyn deflected a barrage of energy blasts, her blade flashing in the fractures' light as she shouted over her shoulder. "Rivan, whatever you're doing, decide fast! This thing isn't waiting around for us!"
The weapon's towering spires pulsed with a steady, menacing rhythm, their glow intensifying as the hum of its machinery grew louder. Dominion soldiers regrouped around the device, their weapons blazing as they advanced toward Ardyn and Rivan.
Rivan's jaw tightened as they glanced between the fractures, the shards in their pack, and the Watcher's impassive figure. "If I do this," they asked, their tone sharp, "what happens to the fractures? Will they finally be stable?"
The Watcher's gaze remained steady. "They will stabilize, but only as much as the Nexus allows. Balance is not an endpoint—it is a constant act of creation and destruction. By merging, you become part of that act."
Ardyn's Resolve
Ardyn dodged another barrage, her breathing heavy as she cut through another line of soldiers. She turned briefly toward Rivan, her expression fierce. "If you're going to do this, just do it! We can't hold out much longer!"
Rivan hesitated, their hands trembling as they reached for the glowing fractures beneath their feet. The chaotic energy surging through the terrain pulsed against their touch, the fractures' whispers filling their mind with fragmented words.
"Balance demands strength. The Custodian must... act. Chaos must... be contained."
"I don't even know what I'll become," Rivan muttered, their voice filled with quiet dread.
"You'll become what the fractures need," the Watcher said, their tone calm.
Ardyn deflected another attack, her frustration boiling over. "We don't have time for second-guessing! Either trust the fractures, or let's get out of here!"
Rivan's gaze met hers, their expression filled with quiet determination. "I can't let this place collapse," they said softly. "Not when we've come this far."
The Merging
The fractures' light flared suddenly as Rivan placed both hands on the glowing fissures beneath their feet. The shards in their pack pulsed brightly, their chaotic energy spiraling upward in jagged waves that clashed with the weapon's destabilizing pulses.
The fractures' whispers grew louder, their fragmented words overlapping into a single, commanding voice.
"The Custodian must endure. The Nexus must survive. Balance must be restored."
Rivan closed their eyes, their breathing steady as they focused on the fractures' chaotic rhythm. The shards flared brighter, their energy syncing with the fractures in resonant pulses that rippled through the terrain.
The Watcher stepped closer, their shimmering cloak glowing faintly. "Let go of who you were," they said softly. "Embrace what you must become."
Rivan exhaled slowly, their mind syncing fully with the fractures' energy. The chaotic rhythm subsided slightly, replaced by a faint, harmonious hum that resonated through the trembling terrain.
"I'm ready," Rivan said, their voice calm but resolute.
The fractures' light surged upward in a blinding wave, enveloping Rivan in a vortex of shimmering energy. The shards in their pack disintegrated into glowing fragments, their chaotic energy spiraling into the fractures as the terrain trembled violently.
The Weapon's Collapse
The fractures' sudden surge of energy clashed with the weapon's destabilizing pulses, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. The towering spires of the device trembled, their glow flickering as the fractures' harmonic rhythm pushed back against its destructive output.
The Dominion commander shouted orders, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "Increase the output! Don't let them stabilize the fractures!"
Engineers scrambled to adjust the weapon's controls, but the fractures' energy continued to surge, overwhelming the device's chaotic pulses. The spires emitted a final, blinding pulse of light before collapsing inward, their jagged edges crumbling into glowing debris.
Ardyn staggered as the shockwave rippled through the battlefield, her blade still drawn as she surveyed the destruction. "Rivan!" she shouted, her voice filled with alarm.
The fractures' light dimmed slowly, their chaotic rhythm replaced by a steady, harmonious hum. Rivan stood at the center of the glowing fissures, their figure wreathed in faint, shimmering light.
Rivan's Transformation
Rivan opened their eyes slowly, their expression calm but distant. The fractures' energy pulsed faintly around them, their light syncing with the steady rhythm of the terrain.
"Rivan?" Ardyn asked cautiously, lowering her blade as she stepped closer.
Rivan turned to her, their voice quiet but resonant. "I'm still here," they said. "But... it's different now."
The Watcher stepped forward, their gaze filled with quiet approval. "The fractures have accepted you," they said softly. "You are no longer merely a Custodian—you are part of the Nexus itself."
Ardyn frowned, her grip tightening on her weapon. "What does that mean? Are they... still Rivan?"
Rivan met her gaze, their expression steady. "I don't know," they admitted. "But the fractures—they're stable now. This region is safe."
The fractures beneath them pulsed faintly, their harmonious rhythm a quiet reminder of the fragile balance that had been restored.
"For now," the Watcher said, their tone somber. "But balance is fleeting. The Nexus's true test is yet to come."