The doors groaned as they creaked open, the sound echoing through the ruins like the awakening of some ancient beast. Kael could feel the vibration of the island beneath his feet, a deep hum that resonated with the shards within him. For a moment, he almost thought he could hear voices—whispers, faint and unintelligible, carried on the wind. But when he turned to Tess, her face was a mask of calm, her eyes fixed on the dark passageway that lay beyond the open doors.
"Stay focused," Tess said, her voice low. "This is where things get dangerous."
Kael nodded, his pulse quickening as he stepped forward, the darkness swallowing the edges of the world around him. The light from the glowing symbols faded behind him, leaving only the dim outline of the path ahead. His senses heightened, his instincts screaming at him to be careful. Whatever lay ahead, it was more than just a relic of the past. It was alive, just like the island itself.
The passage they entered was narrow, its walls lined with ancient carvings that flickered in the light from the storm outside. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of damp stone and something metallic—like old blood. Kael's steps seemed muffled, as though the ground was absorbing the sound, swallowing it whole.
Tess moved silently ahead of him, her steps almost cat-like, every movement calculated and deliberate. Despite the palpable tension in the air, she didn't seem scared—just determined, as though she had walked this path before.
"How long have you known about this place?" Kael asked, his voice cutting through the silence. He wasn't sure if Tess would answer, but he needed to understand her motives. They had made it this far, and he still didn't fully trust her.
Tess's lips twitched slightly, a hint of something fleeting crossing her face. "A long time," she said, her voice distant. "Before I was part of the Shard Council. I knew that if I ever had a chance to break free, this would be the place I'd come. It's the only place in the world that might hold the answers. The only place where the True Shards can be unlocked."
Kael felt his heart rate spike. "And why didn't you take the Shards when you had the chance?"
Tess's gaze softened for a brief moment, but she said nothing. Instead, she led them deeper into the passage, and Kael knew that the question—like so many others—would go unanswered for now.
They reached the end of the narrow hallway, where the passage opened up into a vast chamber. The room was enormous, its ceiling stretching up into darkness, the walls carved with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and writhe in the dim light. At the center of the room stood a pedestal—simple, yet imposing—its surface etched with more of the same symbols Kael had seen before.
"That's it," Tess said, her voice almost reverent. "That's the key to unlocking the True Shards."
Kael stepped forward, his breath catching in his throat as he approached the pedestal. The air around it felt charged with energy, crackling with an intensity that made his skin prickle. It wasn't just magic—it was the kind of power that made everything else seem insignificant, as though the universe itself was holding its breath.
He reached out, his fingers brushing the surface of the pedestal. The moment he made contact, the ground beneath him shook violently. The walls of the chamber seemed to pulse, the patterns on the walls glowing with a sickly, greenish hue. A low rumble echoed through the room, and for a moment, Kael thought the whole structure was about to collapse.
But then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the shaking stopped. The pedestal before him slid open with a soft, grinding sound, revealing a dark, hollowed-out space within. And inside it… there was nothing.
Kael froze, his heart hammering in his chest. "Where are they?" he demanded, his voice tight. "Where are the True Shards?"
Tess's eyes narrowed as she moved closer to him. "You're looking at them."
Kael blinked, confused. "What do you mean? There's nothing here."
Tess didn't answer immediately. Instead, she reached into the hollow space and pulled out a small, black shard—so dark it seemed to absorb the light around it. She handed it to Kael, her fingers brushing his.
His breath caught as the shard pulsed with a strange energy, a low hum vibrating through his body. It felt… alive.
"This is the core," Tess said, her voice barely a whisper. "The True Shards aren't physical objects you can just hold in your hand. They're more than that. They are part of the world itself. You can feel it, can't you?"
Kael nodded slowly, his fingers tightening around the shard. It was warm—too warm—and the longer he held it, the more intense the sensation became. He could feel the threads of magic in the air, vibrating in time with his heartbeat, with the pulse of the shard.
"It's not just an object," Tess continued. "The True Shards are the essence of the world's creation. They were formed when the first Shardmasters used their magic to reshape the land. And they are tied to everything—the elements, the sky, the earth. Time itself."
Kael's mind reeled. He had always thought of shards as tools—objects of power, things you could use to level up, to grow stronger. But this… this was something different. Something much more powerful. He could sense it now—the way the shard seemed to stretch outward, binding him to the very fabric of the world. It was like his mind was opening up to a vast, interconnected network of magic, stretching across the lands, reaching into the stars.
"But why is it so small?" Kael asked, staring at the shard in his hand, trying to reconcile its size with the weight of power it contained.
Tess's eyes gleamed with a mixture of awe and warning. "Because it's the core. The True Shards are meant to be unlocked and merged, Kael. They're not something you can just use—they're something you become. The moment you connect with them, you start reshaping the world around you. The True Shards are the keys to everything."
Kael looked at her, his heart pounding in his chest. "And if I use it? If I connect with it—"
"The world will change," Tess interrupted, her voice tight. "But it won't be the way you think. Power like this isn't something that can be controlled. Not by anyone. Not even by the Shard Council."
Kael glanced down at the shard again, its surface shifting in the light. The more he looked at it, the more he felt the pull—the desire to understand it, to use it, to unlock its potential.
But at what cost?
He wasn't sure if he was ready to find out.
The sound of footsteps behind him broke his thoughts. Kael turned to see Tess stepping back, her gaze flickering toward the shadows at the edge of the room.
"They're here," she said, her voice low, filled with urgency. "We're not alone."