The early morning mist clung to the broken stone walls of the ruined city as the trio made their way through the desolate streets. The air was thick with unease, as though the world itself was holding its breath. Eren's steps were steady, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the surroundings. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, the weight of the fragment still heavy in his pack, but it seemed to pulse with a quiet hunger. Each step, each movement, reminded him of the path he had chosen.
Kael was walking ahead, his long strides cutting through the silence. The man was always the first to move, the first to act, and it irritated Eren sometimes—but he would never admit it. There was something about Kael's laid-back attitude, his willingness to dive headfirst into danger without a second thought, that made Eren feel... incomplete. Kael had no hesitation, no doubt. Just a gut instinct that always seemed to lead him through.
Liora was quiet today, her usual sharp observations replaced by an eerie silence. She walked beside Eren, her eyes on the path ahead, her bow loosely slung over her shoulder. Every now and then, Eren would catch a glimpse of her face—a subtle twitch in her brow, a slight shift in her posture—but she said nothing. It was as if the entire weight of their mission, their fractured world, was pressing down on her too.
"You're quiet today," Eren said, his voice breaking the silence between them.
Liora glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "I'm thinking," she replied softly.
"About what?" he pressed, knowing the answer already but needing to hear it.
"About you," she said, her tone gentle but firm. "About what you're becoming."
Eren's jaw tightened. He didn't want to hear it, not now, not while they were on the brink of something. "I'm becoming what I need to be," he said, voice low. "I'm becoming the only thing that can stop Malrik."
"You're becoming someone who doesn't know who he is anymore," Liora shot back, her words biting despite the softness in her voice. "And I don't know how to help you if you keep this up."
Eren clenched his fists but said nothing. He could feel the fragments gnawing at him, the way they seemed to call to him, urging him to take them, to take control. To stop pretending that he wasn't the one who could save the world from itself.
Ahead, Kael paused, turning back toward them. "I'd hate to break up the family bonding time, but we've got company."
The tension in the air shifted immediately. Eren's heart rate quickened, the familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. The group of Revenants was closer than he'd thought—figures darting in and out of the ruined structures, eyes glowing faintly in the early light. The familiar distortion of magic rippled through the air, signaling their presence.
"Time to earn our keep," Kael said, grinning, his sword already in hand. "Let's get to work."
Eren's fingers brushed over the fragment at his waist, the power calling to him again, louder this time. It was as though it could sense the approaching danger, and it made his blood hum. He felt an urge to draw it, to let its power course through him, but he fought it. Not yet. He couldn't give in—not now.
"We'll take them out quickly," Eren said, his voice hard. "Stay sharp."
Liora nodded, already nocking an arrow, her bow drawn and steady. "We take them down clean. No mistakes."
Kael snorted but said nothing, focusing on the enemy ahead. The Revenants were approaching fast, their movements predatory and smooth. They knew how to hunt, knew how to strike fast and hard. But Kael, Eren, and Liora had been through enough battles to know how to outlast them.
Eren moved with practiced precision, drawing his sword in a fluid motion. The moment the first Revenant lunged, he was already moving, his blade cutting through the air with lethal speed. The Revenant didn't stand a chance, its corrupted body splitting in half as the sword met its mark.
Kael was next, his greatsword slamming into a second Revenant, the force of the blow sending the creature crashing into a pile of rubble. The creature staggered but quickly rose, its glowing eyes fixed on Kael. It snarled, a guttural sound that echoed through the ruins.
Liora, silent and deadly, released an arrow with perfect aim, piercing the Revenant's chest. The creature fell, its body crumpling to the ground with an unsettling thud.
Eren's focus was absolute. Another Revenant charged, and he met it head-on, their weapons clashing with a violent ring of steel. The creature was quick, its blade sharp, but Eren was faster. He danced around its attacks, slashing with precision, each strike aimed at breaking down its defenses.
As the Revenant collapsed, Eren's eyes drifted toward the heart of the battle—toward the glowing fragments embedded in the chests of each fallen creature. The power was undeniable, and as more Revenants fell, he felt it pull at him, calling him forward.
He reached out, but just before he could grab one of the fragments, Liora's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Eren! Don't!"
She was standing behind him, her face tight with worry. She was too late, though. Eren's fingers brushed over the glowing shard, and in that instant, the world seemed to shudder. A jolt of energy surged through him, far stronger than any he had felt before. His body tingled, every nerve alight with power, his vision flashing with the bright, ethereal glow of the fragment.
"Eren!" Liora shouted again, her voice strained. "Don't—"
But it was too late. The power was overwhelming, surging through him in a way he couldn't control. His grip tightened on the fragment as if it had a mind of its own, and a dark, almost malevolent presence filled the air around him. For a moment, everything seemed to blur, the line between reality and something else fading.
The last thing Eren heard before everything went silent was Liora's frantic cry.
---
Later That Day
When Eren regained control of himself, the world was quieter than it had ever been. The battle was over—the Revenants lay scattered around him, their bodies broken and still. Kael was surveying the area, but Liora stood a few steps away, watching him with a mix of concern and frustration. The look on her face told Eren everything he needed to know: she knew what he had done. She knew what he was becoming.
"Are you done?" she asked, her voice cold but weary. "Or do you need to make another power grab?"
Eren opened his mouth to retort, but the words died in his throat. He couldn't argue with her. Not now. Not after everything that had just happened. His fingers were still tingling, the remnants of the fragment's power lingering under his skin. He had crossed a line, and he knew it.
"I... I'm sorry," he said, the words tasting foreign on his tongue.
Liora didn't respond, her gaze locked on him with a quiet intensity. She didn't need to speak. The silence between them said everything. The trust was fraying, and Eren was afraid he didn't know how to stop it from unraveling.
Kael, ever the pragmatist, clapped him on the shoulder. "You okay there, buddy? Looks like you got a little too cozy with that shard."
Eren nodded but didn't speak. He wasn't okay. Not by a long shot.
The path ahead was uncertain, and the weight of the fragments was beginning to feel more like a curse than a gift. But there was no turning back now.