Kael moved through the dense woods, his boots sinking into the soft earth with every step.
He clutched his blade tightly, his senses sharp. Every rustle in the bushes, every snap of a twig set his nerves on edge.
His mind was full of worry. Lira, his little sister, his only family in this shattered world, was somewhere out there, alone.
The thought of her limping through the dangerous forest, unprotected and burdened with their supplies, gnawed at him relentlessly.
"You're too far from the battlefield now," Neo's voice chimed in his mind.
"I know," Kael muttered, not being used to having a voice in his head. "But I have to keep moving. If I stay still, I'll lose her for good."
Neo's tone softened. "You won't lose her. But survival is not a race. You need to stay sharp, and stay alive."
Kael exhaled a deep breath, her words sinking in. He hadn't eaten in over a day, and his energy was dropping fast.
He couldn't afford to push himself to the brink—not now, not when Lira was still out there.
Lira, miles away and unaware of Kael's misdirection, was moving just as relentlessly.
Her limping slowed her down, but she refused to stop. Each step sent jolts of pain up her leg, but she gritted her teeth and kept going.
The crude markings Kael had left in the dirt had pointed her toward the capital, and she clung to that direction desperately.
She couldn't lose hope—not when Kael was out there, somewhere.
She came across a small stream. Kneeling, she cupped her hands and drank from it, the cold water soothing her parched throat. For a moment, the world felt still, almost peaceful.
But the moment was shattered by a low growl.
Lira's head snapped up. Across the stream, the bushes rustled violently, and a pair of glowing eyes emerged from the shadows.
The creature was massive, its fur bristling with streaks of silver that shimmered faintly. A fragment embedded in its chest glowed like a pulsing heart, its rhythm steady and menacing.
Lira's daggers were in her hands before she even registered the movement. She rose slowly, her injured leg protesting from every movement.
"Let's see what you've got," she muttered.
The creature lunged, its massive jaws snapping inches away from her face.
Lira twisted to the side, her agility saving her by a hair's breadth. She slashed at its hind legs, her blade scraping against the metallic fir.
"I didn't know animals could merge with fragments too. How annoying." She said, the frustration clear in her voice.
It roared, the sound sending a shiver down her spine.
Kael, meanwhile, had stumbled upon his own trial.
The clearing he entered was peaceful. A soft breeze carried the scent of wildflowers, and the grass brushed the side of his feet.
But something felt wrong. It was too quiet, too still.
His fragment pulsed faintly, it was what he had come to know as a warning.
A gut turning snarl broke the silence, and Kael turned just in time to see a massive boar-like creature charge at him. Its tusks gleamed, each one tipped with faintly glowing crystal.
Kael dove to the side, rolling to his feet as the beast skidded to a halt and turned to face him.
Its eyes glowed faintly, the same ominous light emanating from the fragment embedded in between its brows.
"Perfect," Kael muttered in frustration.
The boar pawed at the ground, dragging its foot back and forth, preparing to charge again. Kael tightened his grip on his blade, his mind racing.
"Fragments have corrupted these creatures. Usually they would just merge with it but it would seem that this boar had stumbled upon a fragment that had already been corrupted," Neo's voice cut in. "It's stronger, faster, and harder to kill now."
"Yeah, I noticed," Kael replied dryly.
The boar charged, its speed defying its massive size. Kael sidestepped at the last second, bringing his blade down hard on the beast's side.
Sparks flew as the fragment's energy met it's crystal skin, the cut barely grazed it.
It spun around, its tusks swinging dangerously close to Kael's torso. He stumbled back, his foot catching on a tree root, and fell hard onto the ground.
"Shit!"
The boar loomed over him, it's task ready to attack him. Kael raised his blade, ready for the inevitable impact—
Then suddenly, a surge of energy shot through his body, his fragment flaring to life.
The boar hesitated, its glowing eyes narrowing as if sensing the sudden energy.
Kael didn't wait. He lunged upward, his blade driving deep into the fragment embedded in the beast's head.
The creature let out a deafening roar as its body convulsed, the fragment's glow flickering wildly. With a final shudder, it collapsed, its massive form hitting the ground with a thunderous crash.
Kael staggered to his feet, his chest heaving. "One down," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
"You need to learn how to control your fragment ability," Neo told him. "Next time you won't be so lucky."
—---
Lira's battle was no less brutal.
The beast she fought wasn't corrupted—it had merged with a fragment.
This fusion granted the wild animal, a wild cat, powerful fragment abilities and a terrifying transformation. Its once-natural form had been twisted into something larger and far more dangerous, exuding an intimidating aura.
The fragment-powered cat was relentless, each swipe of its claws carving deep cuts into the earth. Lira darted and dodged, her movement were slow and painful.
Her injured leg gave out as she leapt back to avoid another lunge, and she hit the ground hard, her breath knocked from her lungs.
The creature seized the opportunity, its jaws snapping as it closed in.
Lira twisted at the last moment, her dagger slicing across its face. The blade struck the glowing fragment in its chest, sending a pulse of energy rippling through the beast's body but the fragment did not break.
It reared back, its roar a mixture of pain and rage. Lira used the momentary reprieve to push herself to her feet, ignoring the searing pain in her leg.
"You're tough," she said through gritted teeth. "But I'm tougher."
The beast lunged again, but this time, Lira was ready. She sidestepped and drove her dagger deep into the beast's neck, twisting the blade with all her strength.
The creature let out a final, mournful cry before collapsing, its body twitching once before going still.
Lira fell to her knees, her chest heaving. Her hands trembled as she wiped the blood from her daggers.
—---
The days stretched into a blur for both Kael and Lira.
Kael's survival skills were tested to their limits. With no supplies, he was forced to scavenge for food, relying on wild berries, roots, and whatever edible creatures he could catch.
Neo guided him where she could, she offered advice on searching for food and navigation. But his isolation was suffocating, and the worry for Lira continued to gnaw at him relentlessly.
"I shouldn't have let her go," he muttered one night, staring into the small fire he had managed to build.
"You didn't 'let' her go," Neo replied. "The fragment abilities you can't control did."
Kael put on a deadpan expression. "Is that supposed to make me feel better."
"She's strong, Kael. She'll survive" Neo replied.
Lira's journey was no easier.
Her limp worsened with each passing day, the injury slowing her progress.
She tied the wood taken branches to her leg for support, but the pain was still there.
Despite the hardships, she refused to stop. Her thoughts were consumed by Kael—his face, his voice, the way he always seemed to know how to calm her.
Kael knelt by the riverbank, his hands cupping the cold water as he drank. The night was silent, the moonlight reflected on its surface.
He stared at the reflection of his face, weary and tired, and let out a shaky breath.
'Somewhere,' he thought, 'Lira was looking at the same moon.'
Miles upstream, Lira crouched by the same river, her trembling fingers carry water as she splashed it on her face. The cool touch calmed her slightly, but the ache in her chest remained.
She gazed at the rippling image in the water—her tired eyes and the silver glow of the moon.
Unaware of each other's position, they rose and turned away, their paths growing further apart.