The battlefield lay in eerie silence, the glow of the fractures casting faint, rhythmic pulses across the jagged terrain. Where the towering spires of Dominion's weapon once loomed, only scattered shards of dark metal remained, their edges still humming with residual energy.
Ardyn stood a few paces from Rivan, her blade resting at her side. The sharpness in her posture had faded, replaced by unease. "You're... still you, right?" she asked hesitantly, her gaze locked on Rivan.
Rivan turned toward her, their figure wreathed in a faint, shifting light that pulsed in harmony with the fractures beneath them. "I think so," they said quietly. Their voice was familiar, but the resonance was new—a layered, almost melodic quality that seemed to vibrate through the air.
"'I think so' isn't exactly reassuring," Ardyn said, folding her arms. "You're glowing, Rivan. And you've got that... tone. Like the fractures are speaking through you."
"They're not speaking through me," Rivan replied, shaking their head. "But they are part of me now. I can feel them—their energy, their whispers. It's like I'm connected to something bigger than myself."
Ardyn exhaled sharply, her jaw tightening. "Bigger doesn't always mean better," she muttered. "As long as you don't start talking like our glowing friend over there."
The Watcher's Revelation
The Watcher stepped forward, their shimmering cloak of light flickering faintly as they approached. "The fractures have accepted Rivan as a bridge—a connection to the Nexus's deeper truths," they said, their tone calm.
"That's great," Ardyn replied sharply, "but the deeper truths nearly got us killed. What's next, more riddles?"
The Watcher inclined their head slightly, their expression unreadable. "The fractures have stabilized for now, but the Nexus's balance remains fragile. Dominion's failure here will not dissuade them. They will return with greater force—and more dangerous tools."
Rivan glanced at the Watcher, their expression steady. "If the fractures are stable, why do I feel like we're running out of time?"
The Watcher's gaze shifted toward the distant horizon, where the fractures' light pulsed faintly against the dark sky. "Because the fractures are alive, and they are afraid. The Nexus's collapse is not merely a mechanical failure—it is an unraveling of purpose. And there is one name that resonates within their whispers, a name that may hold the key to what lies ahead."
Ardyn raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess—you're going to be cryptic about it."
The Watcher's faint smile returned. "Not this time. The name is Elaine Kastor."
A Familiar Name
Rivan froze, their sharp eyes narrowing. "Elaine Kastor? Who is that?"
The fractures beneath them pulsed faintly, their whispers growing louder in their mind. The name echoed through the rhythm of the fractures, fragmented and overlapping like the strands of a broken melody.
"Elaine Kastor... the physicist. The creator. The lost. The returned."
"I don't know," Rivan said softly, their voice tinged with confusion. "But the fractures—they know her. They call her the creator. And... something else. Something unfinished."
Ardyn frowned, her grip tightening on her blade. "Is she part of Dominion?"
"No," the Watcher replied, their tone firm. "Elaine Kastor is not their ally. If anything, she is their greatest threat. And perhaps yours as well."
Rivan's gaze sharpened. "What do you mean?"
The Watcher's expression remained calm. "Elaine Kastor's existence is tied to the Nexus in ways even the fractures cannot fully comprehend. She is both an anomaly and an inevitability—a force that could restore balance or unravel it entirely."
Dominion's Retaliation
The fractures' light dimmed suddenly, their harmonious rhythm faltering as the distant hum of Dominion's machinery echoed across the battlefield. The remnants of the soldiers who had survived the weapon's destruction were regrouping, their movements precise and deliberate as they assembled a new formation.
Ardyn raised her blade, her stance defensive. "Looks like we've got company again."
Rivan stepped forward, their figure still wreathed in faint light. "The fractures are warning me. They're bringing reinforcements—something more powerful than before."
"More powerful than a weapon that nearly tore this place apart?" Ardyn muttered. "Great."
The Watcher's gaze remained fixed on the horizon. "Dominion's desperation grows. They sense the fractures' stabilization, and they will stop at nothing to disrupt it. But your focus must remain on Elaine Kastor. Her path is now intertwined with yours."
Rivan's jaw tightened as the fractures' whispers grew louder, their fragmented words forming a single, urgent plea.
"Seek the creator. Follow the path. The Custodian must act."
"We need answers," Rivan said firmly. "If Elaine Kastor is connected to the Nexus, then we have to find her. But first, we deal with them."
Ardyn smirked faintly, her blade gleaming in the fractures' light. "Now that's a plan I can get behind."