Kael's eyes fluttered open to the sight of a world around him reduced to ruble.
The rocky terrain around him was non-existent only leaving behind scorched grounds.
The effects of his battle with the Skybreakers had carved a deep hole into the earth and the trees around where no where to be seen, they had all been burnt and blasted away.
Smoke and dust hung in the air, and the faint scent of burned stone lingered in his nose.
His body ached, every muscle and joint screaming as he forced himself to sit up. His blade lay nearby, its edge cracked but intact.
"Lira," Kael whispered, panic surging through him as he turned his gaze to the cleared area surrounding him. She was nowhere to be seen.
He staggered to his feet, his legs trembling under his body's weight. "Lira!" he called, his voice hoarse. Only silence answered him.
The a voice echoed softly in his mind, startling him.
"She's not here."
Kael froze. "Who... who said that?"
The voice was calm, beautiful and almost soothing. "I am Neo. You've already felt my presence before, Kael."
He swallowed hard, his mind racing. "Neo? You're the voice from the battle... aren't you?"
"Yes," Neo replied, her tone even. "I guided you when you were on the brink of defeat. And now, I am here to guide you further."
Kael's head swam with questions. "Why didn't you speak to me before? Who are you? And why were those... Skybreakers so weak? Their weapons were so strong, but they didn't... merge with fragments or have any good combat techniques."
Neo paused before answering, her voice softening. "I couldn't speak to you until now because my connection to you was incomplete. Goddess Astraea placed me as your companion, though not without risk. My interference isn't something the Celestials would openly allow."
"Astraea?" Kael muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"Yes," Neo continued. "I am bound to you as part of her will, tasked with aiding you as the Herald of the Celestials. As for the Skybreakers... they are not like ordinary fragment users. Their strength doesn't come from merging with fragments. They shatter fragments and absorb their raw energy directly, tainting their bodies and minds in the process. It's a twisted perverted version of the celestial power."
"Those you just fought were a new group that emerge a few months ago, as you know Skybreakers have existed for a long time, but their mission to shatter the skies was nothing but a mere dream till Orion came along." She added.
"The machine you so graciously destroyed was what was used to shatter pieces of the constellations and then mine the fragments which always gets attached to the ground upon falling," She continued to huge amounts of information upon him. "You know the sky's electrons getting attached to the protons of the ground."
Kael let her words sink in, his fists clenching. "And Lira? Where is she? Why didn't she come back?"
"I don't know," Neo admitted, her voice gentle. "But she would not have abandoned you willingly. It was your fragment power that controlled and convinced her to leave. You must search for her."
Kael nodded, determination surging through him. "Then tell me where to start."
"That is something I cannot do," Neo said. "But you can retrace your steps. Look for signs, use your instincts. She would have left something behind."
Kael gritted his teeth. "Then I'll find her. No matter what."
"As soon as I find my way out of this hole," he said thoughtfully
Thirty minutes later Kael had gotten out and began to search the area, his eyes scanning for any sign of Lira. He found nothing. No footprints, no discarded items, no sign of her at all.
Hours passed, the sun rose higher into the sky. Kael's throat hurt from dryness, his stomach growling from hunger, but he ignored the discomfort.
"Come on, Lira," he muttered under his breath. "You're out here somewhere. I know you are."
He stumbled upon a shallow indentation in the dirt—a mark left by her boots, they were faint but undeniable.
It was a lead, but it wasn't enough to tell him where she had gone.
The search took him further from the battlefield and into unfamiliar territory.
The mountains here stretched endlessly in every direction. Kael paused at a narrow cliff overlooking a steep ravine, his gaze sweeping across the horizon.
Neo's voice broke the silence. "Kael, you need to stop and think. This isn't sustainable."
Kael shook his head, frustration bubbling up inside him. "I can't stop. Not until I find my sister."
"And what happens if you collapse?" Neo asked. "You won't help her by running yourself into the ground."
Kael exhaled sharply, closing his eyes. She was right, but the thought of stopping felt unbearable.
He sat down on the cliff, his body heavy with exhaustion. Neo remained silent, allowing him a moment to collect himself.
As Kael rested, he thought back to their journey before the battle. He retraced their steps in his mind, piecing together a rough map of the area.
Lira had the actual map, and their supplies, but Kael had his memory and a self-proclaimed good sense of direction.
He took a small piece of burnt wood from the ground and began sketching marks on the ground, creating a basic representation of the trails they had traveled.
"I'll find my way back to that village," he muttered. "She might have gone there to wait for me."
"A sound plan," Neo said approvingly. "But you'll need to stay alert. The Skybreakers may not be finished with you. Not all of them were at the fight"
Kael nodded, rising to his feet. "Let them come. I'll be ready."
The journey back toward the village was slow and difficult. Kael relied on his memory and the faint markings he left on stones and trees to guide him.
The terrain shifted from rocky cliffs to dense forests.
He passed through a small meadow where plenty of wildflowers grew. Their bright colors improving his mood and for a brief moment, he allowed himself to hope.
But hope dwindled as the hours stretched on. Kael found no sign of Lira. He encountered a few scattered villages along the way, their inhabitants tight-lipped and weary of him.
"Have you seen a young woman?" he asked a farmer tending to his fields. "Dark hair, carrying daggers? She might have passed through here."
The man shook his head, with a guarded expression. "Haven't seen anyone like that. Roads aren't safe these days."
Kael thanked him and moved on, his frustration only continued to add up.
As night fell, Kael set up a makeshift camp near the base of a tree. He sat with his back against the trunk, his blade resting across his lap.
"She's not at the village," he said aloud, his voice tinged with despair. "Where else could she have gone?"
"Think, Kael," Neo urged. "Where were you headed before the battle? What was your destination?"
Kael's eyes widened in realization. "The capital. She'd go to the capital. She'd think I'd do the same."
"Then that's where you must go," Neo said.
Kael nodded, he would find her. He had to. And it looked like he would be heading north, at least that's the direction he thought the capital would be in.
Meanwhile, miles away, Lira stood at the edge of the battlefield, her heart pounding in her chest. The area was unrecognizable, the land scorched, a large hole lay near the spot she had left Kael at.
"Kael," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Where are you?"
She searched frantically, her eyes scanning the ground for any sign of her brother. Then she saw something, markings carved into the dirt.
She immediately recognized the drawing style and her heart leapt. "You're alive," she murmured, her voice filled with relief.
The markings formed a rough path leading away from the battlefield. Lira traced them with her fingers, her mind racing.
"He's heading for the capital," she realized. "He thinks I went there."
Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. "Stay safe, Kael," she whispered. "I'll find you."
With renewed determination, Lira followed the map, her steps were quick despite her limping as she began her journey toward the capital in the south.