The Node's pulses grew frantic, sending shockwaves that rattled the chamber. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, and fragments of stone rained down from the ceiling. The corrupted energy spiraling out from the Node's core twisted and surged, the air thick with static and heat.
Kael gritted his teeth, the dark tendrils of his Shadow Conduit flickering as they strained to suppress the Node's chaotic energy. His vision blurred, and a sharp pain lanced through his chest, forcing him to his knees.
[Warning: Critical Mana and Health Levels Detected.]
"Kael!" Elira shouted, firing another arrow at a corrupted creature leaping from the shadows. Her shot struck true, but the creature dissolved into sparks only to be replaced by two more emerging from the Node's energy.
"I'm fine!" Kael lied, his voice hoarse as he struggled to keep his focus. His hands trembled, and the tendrils connecting him to the Node flickered violently.
"You don't look fine!" Torran barked, smashing a creature into the ground with his shield. "If you're going to fix this thing, now's the time!"
Kael forced himself to his feet, his shadow writhing beneath him like a living thing. "I'm trying!" he shouted, the strain evident in his voice. He poured everything he had into the connection, the dark energy pushing back against the Node's corrupted light.
The Node flared suddenly, releasing a shockwave that knocked Kael back. He hit the ground hard, his vision swimming as his Health bar dropped dangerously low.
[Health: 25/150]
The Node's energy swirled faster, its glow dimming before brightening again in a blinding surge. Torran threw himself in front of Kael, his shield raised to deflect a wave of energy that shattered the stone floor beneath them.
"It's falling apart!" Elira yelled, disabling another rune and scrambling back toward Kael.
Kael's shadow recoiled, the tendrils snapping as the Node rejected his efforts entirely. A deafening crack echoed through the chamber as the Node fractured, its core splitting into jagged shards.
The explosion that followed was unlike anything Kael had experienced. A pulse of corrupted energy erupted outward, hurling him and his companions across the room. The walls groaned under the force, and a section of the ceiling caved in, sending plumes of dust and debris into the air.
Kael landed hard, his ears ringing and his body screaming in pain. The glow from the Node dimmed to a faint flicker, its energy spiraling out of control as the chamber fell silent, save for the creaking of unstable stone.
Elira crawled toward him, coughing through the haze of dust. "Kael," she said urgently, shaking his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
He opened his eyes, his vision blurred but clearing slowly. "The Node... I couldn't..."
"It's done," Torran said grimly, limping over to them with his shield still raised. "Whatever that thing was, it's not coming back together."
Kael tried to stand, but his legs refused to cooperate. The faint hum of the Node's remaining energy buzzed at the edge of his senses, its presence still ominous despite its fractured state. "It's not over," he muttered.
And deep down, he knew he was right.
Kael lay motionless, his body too weak to rise, while the fragmented Node pulsed faintly in the ruined chamber. The corrupted energy that once lashed violently now spiraled slowly, pulling inward toward the shattered core. The hum of the Node grew sharper, and Kael's shadow twitched as if alive, stretching toward the flickering light.
"Kael, stay with us!" Elira's voice sounded distant, muffled by the intense ringing in his ears.
He blinked slowly, trying to focus on her face, but the world around him blurred. The faint pull in his chest intensified, and his shadow surged forward, connecting him to the Node once more.
[System Intrusion Detected: Node Fragment Interfacing.]
Kael's body seized as his mind was ripped away, drawn into the Node's energy.
He found himself in a vast, dark expanse, a world of shadows and flickering lights. Above him, a network of luminous tendrils stretched endlessly, each one connecting to distant points of golden light—other Nodes. But corruption coiled through the web, blackening the tendrils and dimming the lights.
A deep, disembodied voice echoed through the space, low and resonant: "Catalyst... you are chosen."
Kael turned, searching for the source, but the void remained empty. "Chosen for what?" he called out, his voice trembling.
The voice continued, heavy with warning: "The Reset has begun. The corruption will spread. You will either sever the ties that bind... or become the harbinger of collapse."
Kael's breath quickened as the vision shifted. He saw the Monolith—a towering structure of jagged obsidian and glowing red veins. Its immense power radiated outward, and the tendrils connecting the Nodes all led to it, their corruption feeding its light.
The voice grew harsher. "The Monolith is the key. It will break the cycle, but at a cost. Choose wisely, Catalyst."
The vision shattered, and Kael gasped as he was hurled back into the real world.
He sat up abruptly, his chest heaving. Elira and Torran knelt beside him, their faces pale with concern. "What just happened?" Torran demanded.
Kael struggled to find the words. "The Monolith," he whispered. "It's all connected to the Monolith. And... the Reset has already started."
The chamber grew colder, and the faint hum of the Node seemed almost accusatory.
The oppressive chill in the chamber deepened, and the faint hum of the fractured Node shifted, growing sharper and more rhythmic. Kael staggered to his feet, his shadow twitching erratically at his feet as if sensing something unseen.
"We're not alone," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the rising tension in the room.
A low, guttural laugh echoed from the shadows near the far end of the chamber. The sound was cold and grating, sending a chill down Kael's spine. A figure stepped into view, their silhouette distorted and flickering like a corrupted signal.
The figure was tall, cloaked in jagged armor that pulsed with the same dark energy as the Node. Their face was partially obscured, but two glowing red eyes pierced through the gloom, locking onto Kael.
"So, this is the Edgeweaver," the figure said, their voice a mix of mockery and disdain. "The System's last hope... and its greatest mistake."
Torran raised his shield, stepping between the figure and Kael. "Who the hell are you?"
The figure chuckled, the sound distorted and unnatural. "I am a Herald of the Reset," they said, spreading their arms as tendrils of corrupted energy spiraled around them. "A servant of the inevitable. And you, Edgeweaver, are standing in its way."
Kael's shadow twisted violently, reaching toward the Herald as if drawn by their presence. He clenched his fists, forcing it back, but the pull was stronger than anything he'd felt before.
"What do you want?" Kael demanded, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him.
The Herald tilted their head, their glowing eyes narrowing. "Want? The Reset is already in motion. You're here to decide whether you will hasten it... or be consumed by it."
The chamber trembled as the Herald raised a hand, and a surge of corrupted energy exploded outward, tearing through the walls and sending cracks splintering across the floor. The tunnels leading out of the chamber began to collapse, debris raining down as the air filled with the sound of grinding stone.
"Run!" Torran shouted, grabbing Kael's arm and pulling him toward the nearest exit.
The Herald's laughter echoed behind them as the group fled, the collapsing chamber shaking violently. Kael glanced back briefly, catching one last glimpse of the Herald's glowing eyes before the tunnels swallowed them in darkness.