The forest was unnervingly quiet as the group emerged from the Temple of Taryon. The late afternoon sun filtered through the canopy, but the golden light did little to dispel the unease clinging to the trio. They moved quickly, each step carrying them farther from the ancient ruins that now housed only memories and the faint echoes of their battle.
Eren clutched the fragment tightly in his hand, its glow subdued but steady. The weight of it wasn't just physical—it was mental, emotional. With every fragment they recovered, the stakes seemed to grow heavier.
"We should make camp soon," Liora said, breaking the silence. She glanced over her shoulder, her expression one of practiced calm, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of concern. "It's not safe to travel too far after sundown."
Kael grunted in agreement. "I'd rather not be ambushed by Revenants or Malrik's lackeys while stumbling through the dark."
Eren nodded but said nothing. His mind was elsewhere, replaying the trial in the temple. The voice, the visions, the fragment's whispers—they all churned in his head like a storm. You carry the burden of the lost. Will you break under its weight?
---
A Fractured Rest
They found a small clearing surrounded by dense trees, the canopy above providing some protection from prying eyes. Kael set up a perimeter of traps while Liora tended to the fire. Eren sat apart from them, his back against a tree, staring at the fragment in his hand.
"Are you going to tell us what happened in there?" Liora asked softly, sitting beside him. Her tone was careful, probing but not forceful.
Eren hesitated. He hadn't spoken about the trial—not fully. "It... tested me," he said finally. "Made me face things I thought I'd buried."
Liora studied him for a moment. "And?"
"And I'm still here," he replied, his voice quiet but firm.
She nodded, sensing he wouldn't say more. "Just remember, Eren. You don't have to carry this alone."
He glanced at her, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "I know."
Across the clearing, Kael snorted. "Are you two done brooding? Because I'm starving."
Liora rolled her eyes but stood to join Kael by the fire. Eren stayed where he was, his thoughts once again turning inward. The fragment pulsed faintly, as though it could sense his turmoil.
---
The Enemy's Move
Far away, in the heart of a crumbling fortress, Malrik stood before his council of shadowed figures. The room was dimly lit, the air thick with the stench of decay. On the table before him lay a map marked with symbols—each one representing a fragment.
"They've taken the Taryon fragment," one of the figures growled, their voice distorted and inhuman.
Malrik's lip curled into a sneer. "I know."
"They grow stronger with every fragment," another said, their tone laced with unease. "Perhaps it's time to—"
"Enough!" Malrik's voice cut through the room like a blade. He slammed his gauntleted hand onto the table, causing the map to shift. "They are children playing with power they cannot comprehend. The fragments will break them long before they can threaten me."
"But if they succeed—"
"They won't," Malrik said, his tone final. He turned to the largest of the shadowed figures, his red eyes gleaming. "Send the Reaper. I want them crushed."
The figure stepped forward, their form hulking and monstrous. "It will be done."
---
A Night Attack
Back in the forest, the group's uneasy rest was shattered by the sound of snapping branches. Eren was on his feet in an instant, his sword drawn and glowing faintly. Kael stood beside him, greatsword in hand, while Liora nocked an arrow, her eyes scanning the darkness.
"Revenants?" Liora whispered.
"No," Eren said, his grip tightening on his weapon. "Something else."
The trees around them seemed to come alive, shadows twisting unnaturally as a low, guttural growl echoed through the clearing. From the darkness stepped a towering figure, its body wreathed in black flames. Its eyes burned like coals, and in its hand was a massive, jagged blade.
"The Reaper," Kael muttered, his voice low. "Well, this is new."
The creature didn't speak. It simply raised its blade and charged.
---
The Battle with the Reaper
The fight was brutal from the start. The Reaper moved with surprising speed for its size, its blade crashing against Eren's with enough force to send him staggering. Kael lunged at its side, his greatsword cleaving into the creature's arm, but the wound sealed almost instantly, the black flames flaring angrily.
"This thing doesn't die!" Kael shouted, narrowly avoiding a counterstrike.
Liora loosed arrow after arrow, each one finding its mark but doing little to slow the creature. "We need to figure out its weakness!"
Eren dodged another strike, his fragment pulsing wildly in his hand. He could feel the whispers growing louder, urging him to unleash its power. He hesitated, the memory of the temple's trial fresh in his mind.
"Eren!" Liora's voice snapped him back to reality. The Reaper had turned its attention to her, its blade slicing through the air as she dodged desperately.
Gritting his teeth, Eren called upon the fragment's energy. His sword flared with light as he charged, slashing at the Reaper's back. The creature roared in pain, its flames dimming slightly.
"Light!" Liora exclaimed. "It's vulnerable to light!"
Kael grinned despite the chaos. "Well, why didn't you say so?" He raised his blade, which now glowed faintly as Eren's energy began to spread.
Together, the three of them attacked with renewed determination. Eren's strikes burned through the Reaper's defenses, while Kael's powerful blows kept it off balance. Liora's arrows glowed with light, piercing the creature's form with deadly precision.
With a final, desperate strike, Eren plunged his blade into the Reaper's chest. The creature let out an ear-splitting roar as its body dissolved into ash, the black flames extinguished.
---
The Aftermath
The group stood in the clearing, breathing heavily. The faint glow of Eren's fragment was the only light left, casting long shadows over the ground.
"Well, that was fun," Kael said, his voice laced with sarcasm as he inspected his weapon for damage.
Liora lowered her bow, her eyes still scanning the darkness. "That was no ordinary enemy. Malrik sent it."
Eren nodded, his expression grim. "He knows we're close."
"Then we'd better get closer," Kael said. "If that was his best, he's in for a surprise."
Eren didn't respond. He stared at the ashes where the Reaper had fallen, his hand tightening around the fragment. The fight had only confirmed what he already knew: the road ahead would only get harder.
"We keep moving," he said finally. "No matter what."
The others nodded, and together, they disappeared into the forest, the light of the fragment guiding their way.