The faint glow of the distant campfire flickered against the rocks.
Kael crouched low behind a boulder. Beside him was Lira, her daggers in hand glinting faintly as she peered at the camp.
"We're close enough," Kael whispered, his voice barely audible over the soft rustling of the wind.
Lira nodded, her eyes narrowing. "They're more organized than the bandits we faced. Look at their positioning."
Kael followed her gaze, noting the positions of the Skybreakers. They weren't lounging around a central fire like common thugs. Instead, they were placed in areas where could people would most likely come from.
Guards patrolled the perimeter in pairs, their weapons reflecting the fragment-powered glow of their armor.
Their weapons weren't like any other they had seen before. They looked like they were made for the fragments. They looked more advanced than any fragment weapon.
"In the center of the camp stood a strange device, a tower-like structure emitting faint blinking light."
"What do you think that is?" Lira asked, her voice showing her unease.
Kael shook his head. "No idea. But it's fragment-based. You can feel it, can't you?"
Lira nodded, her brow furrowed. "It's like the air's vibrating."
Kael and Lira's fragments pulsed faintly, their rhythm quickening as if responding to the device. Kael held his wrist, trying to calm the sensation. "Whatever it is, it's important to them. That means it could be what's keeping them here."
They watched in silence for a while longer, observing the patrolling patterns of the guards and the layout of the camp. There were at least a dozen of them, each armed and armored with fragment-enhanced gear. They moved with precision, their steps heavy but confident.
"Too many to take head on," Kael said.
"Obviously," Lira replied dryly. "So, what's the plan? Sneak in and sabotage whatever that thing is?"
Kael's considered their options. "We need to get closer. Figure out what we're dealing with before we make a move."
Lira's grin was sly. "Closer, huh? Good thing sneaking around is my specialty."
"Just be careful," Kael said, his tone serious.
"I'm always careful," Lira quipped before disappearing into the shadows.
Kael watched her go, he was slightly worried. Thanks to her constant practice of gymnastics, Lira's agility and stealth were unmatched, but the people they were against were a different kind of threat.
He couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking into something far bigger than either of them had anticipated.
Lira moved silently through the rocky terrain, her steps quick and silent.
The camp came closer with each passing moment, the strange device at its center becoming more distinct.
It was taller than she had initially thought, its surface covered in several layers of metal and switches.
She stopped just short of the outermost guards, pressing herself against a rock.
"Extraction is almost complete," one of them said, his tone clipped and professional.
"Good," the other replied. "The captain doesn't want to linger here longer than necessary. The locals are already too curious."
Extraction? Lira's mind raced. Were they mining fragments from the mountain? Or was this device pulling energy from the land itself?
She eased forward, keeping to the shadows, her heart pounding in her chest. The tension was electric, every sound amplified as she crept closer.
From her new vantage point, she could see more of the camp. The people there were indeed mining—several of them were clustered around a rocky outcrop, using strange tools to extract a glowing shard from the stone.
Lira's breath caught. These weren't just scavengers or mercenaries—they were harvesting the fragments of the stars, and they were doing it with an efficiency that showed their experience.
She slipped back the way she had come, her movements just as careful as before. When she reached Kael, she tapped his shoulder, signaling for him to follow her to a safer spot.
"They're mining fragments," she whispered once they were out of earshot. "And that thing in the middle—it's powering the operation somehow."
'Don't fragments come from the sky? Maybe the goddess Astraea meant groundbreakers instead of Skybreakers,' Kael's jaw tightened. "I believe these people were called Skybreakers, they are involved with the destruction of the stars."
"have you heard of them before?" Lira asked.
"No. I happen to have had a dream..," Kael responded.
Lira cut him of before he could finish, "I told I wasn't crazy, the gods spoke to me and they did to you" She began to happily do a silly dance.
Kael scratched the side of his cheek. "Okay you were right but we need to hurry. We can't let them keep it."
"Agreed," Lira said regaining her composure. "But there are a lot of them, Kael. And they're armed to the teeth."
Kael glanced toward the camp. "Then we don't fight them all. We create chaos and then take out the device. If we can disable it, they'll lose what's keeping them here."
"And how exactly do we do that without getting caught and dying?" Lira asked, raising a brow.
Kael smirked. "You distract them. I'll handle the device."
Lira sighed dramatically. "Of course. Make me the bait."
"With your gymnastics you're the fastest," Kael pointed out not forgetting to mention that it's only because of the gymnastics.
"And the smartest," Lira added with a smirk of her own.
Kael chuckled softly, the sound a brief respite from the tension. "Just be careful, okay?"
"I'm always careful," Lira replied, repeating her earlier words.
The plan was simple in theory but dangerous in execution.
Lira would draw the guards away, creating enough of a distraction for Kael to sneak into the camp and disable the device.
Lira moved first, darting between rocks and staying low until she was within range. She picked up a loose stone and hurled it toward the edge of the camp, it made a clatter loud enough to draw attention.
"Who's there?" one of the guards barked, his hand going to the weapon at his side.
Lira threw another stone, this time hitting a metal crate near the mining site. The guards turned toward the noise, their expressions tense.
"Spread out," the leader ordered. "Find out what's making that noise."
Lira grinned to herself. So far, so good. She moved again, leading the guards away from the center of the camp.
Her movements were loud, each step was hard enough to keep their attention on her without revealing her exact location.
Meanwhile, Kael slipped into the camp. The energy from the device was overwhelming up close, its hum caused vibrations that was almost painful. Kael gritted his teeth and pressed forward, keeping to the shadows.
The device was even more complex than he had realized, its surface covered in pulsating lines of light that seemed to shift and flow like liquid. It was stuck to the ground by thick cables that pulsed with the same type of energy.
Kael crouched beside the device, examining its structure. His attention drawn to a small panel near the base. He pried it open carefully, revealing a complex network of glowing cables, metal and crystalline pipes.
"This is way beyond me," Kael muttered under his breath. But he had no choice. He had to try.
Using his blade, he carefully cut one of the smaller cables. The device shuddered, its hum intensifying.
Kael hesitated, his mind racing. Had he just made it worse?
Before he could decide, a shout rang out from behind him.
"Stop right there!"
Kael turned to see one of the guards, his weapon drawn and glowing with fragment energy.
Lira chose that moment to reappear, her daggers flashing as she struck the guard from behind. He crumpled to the ground, falling unconscious.
"You're welcome," Lira said, panting slightly.
"Thanks," Kael replied, already turning back to the device.
The commotion had drawn the attention of the other guards. Shouts filled the air as they rushed back toward the camp, their weapons ready.
"We've got company," Lira warned, taking a defensive stance beside Kael.
Kael worked quickly, cutting another cable. The device shuddered again, its hum reaching a deafening pitch.
"We need to move!" Lira shouted as the first of the guards closed in.
Kael cut the last small cable, and the device let out a blinding flash of light, followed by a shockwave that knocked them both to the ground.
When the dust settled, the device was dark, its energy drained. The guards stood frozen for a moment, their expressions a mix of shock and fury.
"Run!" Kael shouted, grabbing Lira's arm.