The following morning was filled with an eerie quiet. The usual winds that swept across the Expanse had died down, leaving the land in a still, unnatural calm. It was as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable clash that was about to take place.
Kael felt it in his bones—the weight of the coming storm. Every step he took seemed to echo louder than the last, reverberating through the earth as if the very land was alive, listening, waiting for something to break the silence. His connection to the Heart thrummed beneath his skin, constant and insistent. He could feel the pull of its power, beckoning him toward the final trial.
He had thought that claiming the Shard would be the hardest part of this journey, but now he understood. The real challenge lay ahead. The Heart's influence had begun to spread beyond his own body, infecting the very land. He could feel it in the air, in the ground beneath his feet—something dark was stirring. And it was drawn to the Heart's energy.
"We move carefully," Varyn said as he stepped up beside Kael, his eyes scanning the horizon warily. "The creatures of the Expanse are more aggressive than ever. It's as if they've been called to action."
Kael nodded, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. His thoughts were sharp, focused, but his heart was uneasy. The Heart's whispers had become more frequent, more insistent. It was difficult to tell where his thoughts ended and where the Heart's began.
Seris had been quiet, walking ahead with her eyes constantly darting from shadow to shadow. Her usual confidence was tempered by something Kael couldn't quite place. A fear? An uncertainty that matched his own.
"We're nearing the core," Kael murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. His voice had a hollow quality to it, as if the very act of speaking was pulling something from him.
They moved forward in silence, the landscape growing more twisted as they ventured deeper into the heart of the Expanse. The jagged rocks seemed to close in on them, towering over the small group like silent sentinels. The air grew heavy with an oppressive energy that seemed to weigh down on them with each step.
As they approached the epicenter of the Expanse, the land seemed to ripple with an unnatural force. The ground beneath their feet cracked open, fissures appearing as though the earth itself was breaking apart. Kael could feel the energy surging, pulsing like a heartbeat. The Shard's power was growing, and so was the Heart's influence.
Out of nowhere, the ground erupted as monstrous creatures tore their way through the earth. They were larger, more ferocious than anything Kael had ever seen—beasts with glowing eyes and jagged, stone-like hides. Their very presence seemed to twist the air around them, making it hard to breathe.
Kael's grip tightened on his sword, but he could feel the Heart stirring inside him, urging him to unleash his power. A flash of anger shot through him, and before he could stop himself, he was already moving, charging toward the nearest beast. His blade swung in a deadly arc, cutting through the creature's thick hide as if it were nothing more than paper.
But as the creature fell, another rose to take its place. The battle was relentless. More and more beasts emerged from the earth, their numbers growing exponentially. Kael's heart pounded in his chest, but the Heart was with him, urging him forward, feeding off his rage.
"Kael!" Seris's voice rang out, filled with concern. She was fighting beside him, her blade flashing in the dim light. "Focus! You're losing yourself!"
But Kael couldn't focus. His vision was clouded, his thoughts slipping away as the power of the Heart surged through him. He was no longer in control—he could feel it slipping through his fingers, his body becoming a mere vessel for the Heart's will. Every strike he made was fueled by the Heart's rage, and it was only growing stronger.
In the midst of the chaos, Kael caught a glimpse of something that shook him to his core—a figure standing at the center of the battlefield, watching him. It was a figure draped in dark robes, their face hidden beneath a hood. But even from a distance, Kael could feel the power radiating off them like a storm.
"Who are you?" Kael shouted, his voice hoarse with exertion. The figure didn't respond. They simply raised their hand, and the ground beneath Kael's feet split open.