The corrupted shard pulsed with violent energy, its chaotic light casting jagged shadows across the battlefield. Dominion soldiers advanced in disciplined waves, their weapons glowing with the faint resonance of the shard's corrupted power.
Ardyn darted forward, her blade flashing as she cut through the first line of soldiers. Each movement was precise, her strikes aimed to disarm and disable without wasting a single ounce of energy.
"Rivan!" she shouted, deflecting an incoming strike with a sharp clang. "Whatever you're doing, do it faster!"
Rivan stood near the edge of the fractured platform, their hands trembling as they reached out toward the glowing fissures beneath their feet. The fractures' whispers filled their mind, fragmented and urgent, as the corrupted shard's pulses clashed violently with the fractures' natural rhythm.
"Balance demands strength. Chaos must... be contained. The Custodian must... act."
"I'm trying," Rivan muttered, their voice strained. "The shard—it's fighting back."
The Shard's Resistance
The corrupted shard's energy spiraled outward in jagged waves, clashing with the fractures' chaotic light. Rivan's connection to the fractures surged painfully, their mind flooded with overlapping whispers that blurred the line between thought and action.
The Dominion commander raised the shard high, its unstable glow flaring brightly as the ground beneath the Veilspire trembled. "You cannot stop the inevitable," he said coldly. "The fractures will bow to Dominion's will—or be destroyed."
Rivan's gaze sharpened as they stepped closer, their connection to the fractures deepening. The shard's energy pulsed violently, its chaotic rhythm resonating with the fractures in jagged, discordant waves.
"I won't let you destroy this place," Rivan said firmly, their voice resonating with the fractures' rhythm.
The commander smirked, his expression filled with disdain. "And what can you do, Custodian? You are nothing but a pawn to forces you cannot control."
Ardyn's Duel
Ardyn's blade clashed against the commander's weapon, the sharp sound echoing across the battlefield. She pressed forward, her movements swift and calculated as she tested his defenses.
"You talk a lot for someone about to lose," she said, her tone edged with defiance.
The commander parried her strike, his movements deliberate and precise. "Bravado will not save you," he replied, his voice calm but cold.
Ardyn smirked faintly, stepping back to assess his stance. "No, but this might."
With a sudden burst of speed, she feinted to the left, drawing his weapon away before striking upward in a calculated arc. The commander barely managed to deflect her blade, his expression darkening.
"You're persistent," he muttered.
"It's a habit," Ardyn replied, her blade gleaming in the shard's chaotic light.
Rivan's Desperate Gambit
The fractures' light flared brightly as Rivan stepped closer to the shard, their hands trembling as its chaotic energy surged through them. The whispers in their mind grew louder, forming a single, commanding voice.
"The shard must be contained. Balance demands... sacrifice. The Custodian must... endure."
Rivan exhaled slowly, their focus sharpening as they reached out toward the shard. The fractures' energy spiraled upward in jagged waves, clashing violently with the shard's destabilizing pulses.
"I can stabilize it," Rivan said softly, their voice filled with quiet determination. "But I need more time."
The Watcher stepped forward, their shimmering cloak glowing faintly. "Time is a luxury we do not have," they said. "If you fail, the Veilspire will collapse—and take you with it."
"I'm not failing," Rivan replied firmly.
The shard's light flared suddenly, its chaotic energy surging outward in a violent pulse that sent shockwaves rippling across the fractured terrain. Rivan staggered, their connection to the fractures faltering as the shard's rhythm grew more erratic.
The Turning Point
Ardyn deflected another strike, her movements growing more deliberate as the battle pressed on. The Dominion commander's strikes were relentless, each one aimed with lethal precision, but Ardyn's reflexes kept her one step ahead.
"You can't keep this up forever," the commander said, his tone filled with quiet confidence.
Ardyn grinned faintly, her blade gleaming as she parried his attack. "Neither can you."
Before the commander could respond, the fractures beneath them trembled violently, their chaotic rhythm spiraling out of control. The shard's unstable energy surged upward, its pulses clashing violently with the fractures' light.
"What's happening?" Ardyn shouted, glancing toward Rivan.
Rivan's hands trembled as they focused their connection to the fractures, their voice filled with urgency. "The shard—it's destabilizing the entire region. If I don't stop it now, everything collapses."
"Then stop it!" Ardyn shouted, her blade flashing as she blocked another strike.
Rivan exhaled slowly, their focus sharpening as they poured their energy into the fractures. The shard's chaotic light flared brightly, its unstable pulses clashing with the fractures' rhythm one final time before dimming into a steady glow.