feet, the vibrations rattling up his spine as he struggled to process what was happening. Ardyn's face had hardened into something he hadn't seen before: grim determination.
"What's coming?" Rowan asked, his voice shaking despite himself.
Ardyn didn't look at him. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the horizon, where the glow had grown brighter, a searing orange light that danced against the clouds. The distant rumble of thunder now carried an unnatural rhythm, like the pounding of war drums.
"Something we don't have time to prepare for," Ardyn muttered, his tone clipped. He slid his sword from its sheath, the blade gleaming even in the dim light. "We need to move. Now."
Rowan hesitated. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to run, to find somewhere safe to hide, but where could he go? This wasn't his world, and nothing about it felt safe.
"Move where?" he demanded, frustration bubbling to the surface. "You're the one who's supposed to know what's going on!"
Ardyn shot him a look that shut him up instantly. "Don't waste time asking questions when the answer won't save your life. Follow me, and stay close."
Before Rowan could argue further, Ardyn was already moving. The older man's stride was purposeful and fast, forcing Rowan to jog to keep up. They wove through the crumbling courtyard, the scorch marks on the walls glowing faintly in the eerie light.
"Is it the soldiers from the battle?" Rowan asked, his breath coming in gasps as he struggled to match Ardyn's pace.
"No." Ardyn didn't elaborate.
Rowan glanced over his shoulder, the glow growing brighter, the sound louder. Whatever it was, it was closing in.
They reached a set of stone stairs that led to a lower level of the fortress. Ardyn descended quickly, and Rowan followed, his legs burning with the effort. The stairwell was dark and narrow, the air thick with dampness and decay.
At the bottom, they emerged into what looked like a storage room. Broken crates and rusted weapons were scattered across the floor, and the air smelled of mildew. Ardyn didn't pause; he headed straight for a heavy wooden door on the far side of the room.
"Help me with this," he said, motioning for Rowan to grab the other side.
Rowan rushed over, his hands slipping on the damp wood as he helped Ardyn push the door open. It groaned loudly on its hinges, revealing a dark tunnel beyond.
"What is this?" Rowan asked, staring into the shadows.
"An escape route. Hopefully." Ardyn stepped inside, his sword still drawn. "Stay close, and don't make a sound."
Rowan swallowed hard, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly as he followed. The tunnel was narrow, the walls closing in around him as they moved deeper into the darkness. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed, that whatever was out there wouldn't stop until it found them.
The glow and the sound faded as they moved further away, but the unease didn't leave Rowan. The tunnel twisted and turned, and he quickly lost track of where they were. Ardyn seemed to know the way, though, and Rowan forced himself to trust the mercenary, even as his heart pounded in his chest.
Finally, the tunnel opened into a larger chamber. The ceiling was high, the walls lined with old stone carvings that depicted battles and strange, otherworldly creatures. In the center of the room was a pedestal, and on it rested a small, glowing shard.
Ardyn froze, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the shard.
"What is that?" Rowan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ardyn didn't answer immediately. He stepped closer to the pedestal, his movements slow and deliberate, as if he were afraid to disturb something.
"It's a Binding Shard," he said finally. "One of the rarest artifacts in this world."
Rowan frowned. "Is it like my shard? The Memory Echo?"
"No," Ardyn said sharply. "This is different. It doesn't mimic. It binds power to its user permanently—but at a cost."
"What kind of cost?"
Ardyn's expression darkened. "A piece of yourself. Your memories, your willpower, your humanity. It varies."
Rowan felt a chill run down his spine. "And you're just going to leave it here?"
Ardyn shot him a look. "No. We're taking it. Because if we don't, someone else will."
Before Rowan could protest, Ardyn reached out and grabbed the shard. The moment his fingers touched it, the chamber shook violently, the carvings on the walls glowing with an intense, blinding light.
Rowan stumbled back, shielding his eyes as the room seemed to come alive. The carvings moved, the figures stepping out of the stone and onto the floor. They were spectral and translucent, their forms shifting like smoke, but their weapons were solid and sharp.
"Of course," Ardyn muttered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Guardians."
Rowan's stomach dropped. "Guardians? What are—"
"Fight first, talk later!" Ardyn shouted, raising his sword just in time to block a spectral blade aimed at his throat.
Rowan barely had time to react as one of the figures lunged at him, its weapon slicing through the air with unnatural speed. He stumbled back, raising his sword in a clumsy attempt to block. The force of the impact sent a jolt through his arms, but he managed to hold his ground.
The Guardian pressed its attack, its movements swift and relentless. Rowan could feel the panic rising in his chest as he struggled to keep up. His arms were already aching from the earlier fight with Ardyn, and now he was facing an enemy that didn't seem to tire.
"Rowan! Focus!" Ardyn's voice cut through the chaos.
Rowan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to remember what Ardyn had taught him. He stepped to the side, dodging the Guardian's next strike and countering with a slash of his own. The blade passed through the figure's translucent body, leaving a trail of shimmering light but no visible wound.
"What the hell?" Rowan gasped, his chest heaving.
"They're not fully physical!" Ardyn called out, his own blade clashing against another Guardian's weapon. "Aim for the core—the glowing center!"
Rowan's eyes darted to the center of the Guardian's chest, where a faint light pulsed. He adjusted his grip on his sword, waiting for the right moment. When the Guardian lunged again, he sidestepped and drove his blade forward, straight into the glowing core.
The Guardian froze, its form flickering before it dissolved into a cloud of light. Rowan stared in disbelief as the particles faded, his heart racing.
"One down," Ardyn said, his tone almost approving. "Now keep going!"
Rowan barely had time to catch his breath before another Guardian was upon him. He dodged its strike, his body moving on instinct as he aimed for the core. His sword connected, and the figure disintegrated, leaving him gasping for air.
The fight was brutal and unrelenting, but with each Guardian he defeated, Rowan felt a flicker of hope. He wasn't just surviving—he was fighting back.
Finally, the last Guardian fell, its form dissolving into light. The chamber grew quiet, the carvings on the walls fading back into stone. Rowan leaned against the pedestal, his body trembling with exhaustion.
Ardyn stood nearby, the Binding Shard glowing faintly in his hand. He looked at Rowan, his expression unreadable.
"You're getting better," he said simply.
Rowan exhaled, his chest still heaving. "What now?"
Ardyn's gaze shifted to the shard. "Now, we figure out what this is worth. And if it was worth the risk."
Rowan wasn't sure how to feel about that. The shard had brought them nothing but trouble so far, and he had a feeling it wasn't done yet.