Auren felt the shard pulse in her hand as she and Caleb trekked deeper into the desert, the landscape around them eerily quiet. Every step seemed heavier, weighed down by the memory of Elyndra's wrath and the strange visions the shard had shown her.
"What did you see back there?" Caleb asked, his voice breaking the silence.
Auren hesitated, her fingers tightening around the shard. "I saw... everything," she whispered. "The gods, their war, their pain-it's all connected to this. But I don't know how."
Caleb frowned but didn't press her further. The tension between them was palpable, a silent acknowledgment that their journey was only becoming more dangerous.
As the sun began to set, they stumbled upon a camp nestled in a rocky canyon. Torches burned in a circle, and figures moved about, their voices carrying faintly on the wind.
"Survivors?" Caleb asked, his hand resting on his sword.
"Or bandits," Auren replied, her instincts on edge.
They approached cautiously, their steps muffled by the sand. As they drew closer, the figures became clearer-travelers dressed in patchwork armor, their faces worn with exhaustion.
One of them, a tall man with a scar running across his face, noticed them first. He raised his hand, signaling the others. "Who goes there?"
"We mean no harm," Caleb called out, stepping forward with his hands raised. "We're travelers, like you."
The man studied them for a moment before nodding. "If you've survived this long in the Expanse, you're either lucky or dangerous. Either way, you're welcome to share our fire."
Around the campfire, the strangers introduced themselves as remnants of the Eryndor Rebellion, a group resisting the Liberator Gods' influence in the shattered world. Their leader, the scarred man, was Lorien, a former captain of the Bastion Guard.
"We've been fighting Elyndra's forces for years," Lorien explained, his voice bitter. "But every victory feels hollow. Her power only grows, and our people dwindle."
Auren exchanged a glance with Caleb. "We've faced Elyndra too," she said. "We have something that might help turn the tide."
Lorien's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"
Caleb shot her a warning look, but Auren ignored it. She pulled out the shard, its light casting an ethereal glow over the camp.
Lorien's breath caught, and the others murmured in awe. "The shard of the Eternal Seal," he said reverently. "How did you come by this?"
"It called to me," Auren replied. "I think... I think it's part of something bigger. If we can gather all the shards, we might be able to stop Elyndra for good."
Lorien's expression darkened. "If Elyndra finds out you have it, she won't stop hunting you."
"She already is," Caleb said grimly. "We need allies. Will you help us?"
Lorien hesitated, his gaze shifting to the shard. "I'll help you. But only because I believe in the fight, not in fate."
The camp settled into uneasy quiet as the night wore on. Auren sat near the fire, staring at the shard in her hands. Its light seemed to dim and flicker, as though responding to her emotions.
"Something on your mind?" Lorien asked, sitting beside her.
Auren glanced at him. "Everything," she admitted. "This shard... it feels like more than just an object. It's alive, in a way. And it's heavy. Like it knows things I don't."
Lorien studied her, his expression unreadable. "You carry the weight of something ancient and powerful. That kind of burden can either strengthen you or break you."
"What do you think it will do to me?" she asked.
"That depends," Lorien said, standing. "On how much you're willing to sacrifice."
The attack came just before dawn.
Auren woke to the sound of shouting and clashing steel. She scrambled to her feet, clutching the shard as soldiers poured into the camp, their dark armor unmistakable-they were Elyndra's elite.
"Caleb!" she screamed, searching the chaos for him.
He appeared beside her, sword drawn. "We're surrounded! We have to move!"
As they fought their way toward the canyon's exit, Auren spotted Lorien standing amidst the fray. But instead of fighting the soldiers, he was speaking with them, his hand outstretched in a gesture of command.
"No," she whispered, her heart sinking.
Caleb saw it too. "He sold us out."
Lorien turned, his expression cold as he met Auren's gaze. "I told you the shard was dangerous," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "I'm just doing what's necessary."
Before Auren could respond, a soldier lunged at her. Caleb deflected the attack, pulling her back toward the canyon.
"We can't win this fight," he said urgently. "Run!"
They fled through the narrow canyon, the soldiers close on their heels. Auren's mind raced, her thoughts a jumbled mess of betrayal and fear.
"Why did he do it?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"Power," Caleb replied grimly. "Or fear. It doesn't matter now. We need to survive."
The canyon opened into a vast cavern, its walls glittering with strange crystals that cast a faint, otherworldly light. The soldiers hesitated at the entrance, seemingly unwilling to follow.
"Why are they stopping?" Auren asked, her breath ragged.
Caleb didn't answer. Instead, he pointed to the far end of the cavern, where a massive, slumbering creature lay coiled around a pool of liquid light.
Auren's chest tightened as the pull of the shard guided her forward. The creature stirred, its glowing eyes opening to fix on her.
"We're not alone," Caleb said quietly.
The shard in Auren's hand flared brightly, and the creature let out a low, rumbling growl.
"I think," Auren said, her voice trembling, "it's guarding another shard."
Caleb's eyes widened. "We can't take it on. Not like this."
But Auren didn't move. The pull of the shard was stronger than ever, compelling her forward.
The creature rose to its full height, its form massive and terrifying. It let out a deafening roar, and the cavern walls shook.
"Get ready," Caleb said, stepping in front of her. "This is going to get ugly."