The air was unnervingly still as the fractures' chaotic energy settled into a steady rhythm. The Veilspire, once alive with violent pulses and spiraling light, now stood as a silent sentinel of what remained. The jagged terrain glowed faintly, its once volatile fissures reduced to a quiet hum.
Rivan sat at the edge of a fractured platform, their hands trembling as the last remnants of the shard's energy coursed through them. The once-blinding light of the artificial shard had dimmed, its jagged surface now inert and dull.
"It's over," Rivan said softly, their voice weary.
Ardyn sheathed her blade, her sharp eyes scanning the battlefield. The shattered remnants of Dominion's forces lay scattered across the terrain, their weapon reduced to glowing debris. "If this is what victory feels like, I'm not impressed," she muttered.
The Watcher approached silently, their shimmering cloak glowing faintly in the fractures' dim light. "The fractures are stable—for now," they said, their tone calm. "But stability is never permanent. Balance demands vigilance."
Rivan turned to the Watcher, their expression grim. "The shard—it did something to me. I can feel its energy, even now. It's like it's... still connected to me."
The Watcher tilted their head slightly, their gaze thoughtful. "The shard is a fragment of the Nexus's essence. By stabilizing it, you have bound yourself to its purpose. Its power may yet prove invaluable—but it will demand much of you."
The Shard's Echo
Rivan closed their eyes, their mind racing as the fractures' whispers grew faint but persistent. The shard's presence lingered within them, its energy pulsing faintly with the fractures' rhythm.
"Rivan," Ardyn said cautiously, stepping closer. "Are you... still you?"
Rivan opened their eyes, their gaze steady but distant. "I think so," they replied. "But I feel... different. Like the fractures are part of me now, more than they were before."
Ardyn folded her arms, her brow furrowing. "Let's hope that's a good thing. I've had enough surprises for one day."
The Watcher's expression remained unreadable. "The fractures have accepted you as their bridge," they said. "But the connection is fragile. If you falter, they will not hesitate to sever it."
Rivan's jaw tightened as they glanced at the shard. "What about this? Can we use it to restore the Nexus?"
The Watcher's faint smile flickered. "The shard contains knowledge—fragments of the Nexus's purpose. But it is not a solution. It is a step. To restore balance, you must seek the greater truth of the Nexus."
Dominion's Retaliation
Before they could respond, a sudden tremor rippled through the terrain, the fractures' steady rhythm faltering for a brief moment. Ardyn drew her blade instantly, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon. "What now?"
The Watcher turned toward the source of the disturbance, their shimmering cloak flickering faintly. "Dominion," they said softly. "They have not given up."
From the edge of the Veilspire's fractured platform, a wave of Dominion soldiers emerged, their movements swift and coordinated. At their center stood a towering figure clad in gleaming armor, his presence commanding as he raised a jagged weapon that pulsed with unstable energy.
"The commander," Ardyn muttered, her grip tightening on her blade. "Looks like he's not done with us yet."
Rivan rose to their feet, their breathing steady as the fractures' whispers grew louder in their mind. "He's carrying another shard," they said, their voice filled with quiet dread. "But it's corrupted."
The Watcher's gaze sharpened. "That shard is a weapon. It feeds on the fractures' instability. If it is activated here, the Veilspire will collapse."
"Then we take him down," Ardyn said, her stance firm. "Before he has the chance."
The Commander's Gambit
The Dominion commander stepped forward, his voice carrying over the battlefield with cold authority. "You think you've won," he said, his tone sharp. "But the fractures are not yours to control. They belong to Dominion—and we will take them by force."
Ardyn smirked faintly, her blade gleaming in the fractures' light. "You can try," she said, her tone edged with defiance.
The commander raised the corrupted shard, its unstable energy spiraling outward in jagged waves that clashed with the fractures' steady rhythm. The ground beneath them trembled violently, the fractures' light dimming as the shard's chaotic pulses disrupted their stability.
"He's destabilizing the fractures," Rivan said, their voice urgent. "If we don't stop him, the whole region will collapse."
The Watcher stepped forward, their shimmering cloak glowing brightly. "Then act quickly. The fractures will not hold for long."
The Battle for the Veilspire
Ardyn charged forward, her blade flashing as she cut through the advancing soldiers with ruthless precision. The fractures' chaotic energy spiraled around her, their light casting jagged shadows across the battlefield.
Rivan focused on the fractures, their connection to the shard surging as they attempted to stabilize the region. The whispers in their mind grew louder, overlapping into fragmented commands that filled their thoughts with urgency.
"The path must hold. Balance demands action. The Custodian must... act."
The Dominion commander raised the corrupted shard, its energy flaring brightly as he aimed it toward the Veilspire's core. "You cannot stop what has already begun," he said, his voice cold.
Rivan stepped forward, their hands trembling as they reached out toward the fractures. The shard's energy surged through them, syncing with the fractures in a desperate attempt to counteract the commander's destabilizing pulses.
"I won't let you destroy this place," Rivan said firmly, their voice resonating with the fractures' rhythm.
The commander smirked, his gaze filled with disdain. "Then you will fall with it."