The forest's unnatural silence stretched as Kael stood, his breathing shallow, each breath laced with pain. His blood mixed with the earth beneath him, a grim reminder of the battle just won. Rhea's firm hand on his shoulder kept him steady as Adrin scanned the tree line, his bow drawn, every muscle tense.
"They're gone for now," Adrin muttered. "But that portal didn't feel like the end. Just a prelude."
Kael nodded, grimacing at the sharp pain radiating from his side. "The Keepers aren't just guardians. They're messengers. Something sent them. Something stronger."
Rhea crouched, retrieving a fragment of a Keeper's dissipated form. It flickered weakly, as though struggling to maintain its existence. "Whatever power they serve isn't done with us yet. But we've disrupted their plans—for now."
Kael stared at the fragment in Rhea's hand, its faint light eerily familiar. The energy coursing through his own fragment resonated with it, like two parts of a broken whole.
"It's all connected," Kael said. "The fragments, the portals, the Keepers. The elites might have used Earth as their testing ground, but they've unleashed something far beyond their control."
Adrin frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kael hesitated, the weight of realization settling over him. "The Heart of the Earth... it's not just about healing what's broken. It's a beacon. Every time we retrieve a fragment, it sends out a pulse—a call. And something is answering."
Rhea rose, her jaw tight. "Then we don't have time to waste. If we're drawing attention, we need to move faster. The next fragment can't wait."
Kael nodded, though his body protested every movement. "The wilds will guide us. But first... we need to regroup."
Adrin pointed toward the north. "There's a stream about a mile from here. Safe enough to rest for now. Let's go."
They moved cautiously, the weight of their ordeal pressing down on them. The forest, though no longer hostile, felt watchful, as though the land itself was wary of what was to come.
At the stream, Kael collapsed onto a flat stone, exhaustion pulling at every muscle. Rhea and Adrin worked quickly, tending to his wound with a makeshift poultice crafted from nearby herbs.
"You should've told us you were this hurt," Rhea chided, her tone sharp but her hands gentle.
Kael managed a faint smile. "Didn't seem important at the time."
Rhea shot him a glare but said nothing, focusing instead on securing the poultice with strips of cloth. Adrin stood guard nearby, his eyes scanning the forest.
"You're lucky," Rhea said after a moment. "That claw nearly punctured your lung. If it had gone deeper..."
"But it didn't," Kael interrupted, his voice firm. "I'm fine."
Rhea didn't argue, but the tension in her movements betrayed her frustration. Kael knew she was right, but there was no time for weakness—not with so much at stake.
As night fell, the trio gathered around a small, carefully hidden fire. The flames danced in the darkness, their light reflecting in the fragment Kael held. He stared at it, the weight of its significance pressing on him.
"The Heart of the Earth," Adrin said, breaking the silence. "What happens when it's whole again? What does that look like?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. He didn't know. The fragments called to him, their purpose etched into his very being, but the endgame remained elusive. Would the Earth be reborn? Or would it be something unrecognizable, shaped by the power of the Heart?
"We'll find out when the time comes," he said finally. "But first, we have to survive the journey."
Adrin nodded, though his expression remained uncertain. Rhea, however, was resolute.
"Then we keep moving," she said. "No more delays. The wilds have chosen you, Kael. And we'll see this through—no matter the cost."
Kael looked at his companions, their resolve mirroring his own. The path ahead was fraught with danger, but they weren't walking it alone. Together, they would face whatever the wilds—and the forces beyond—threw at them.
The Heart called, and they would answer.