The world behind us was falling apart, unraveling like a loose thread pulled too far.
I could hear the crackling sound of the ground breaking apart, the hum of something unnatural tearing at the fabric of reality itself.
Ahead of me, the figure, though I didn't know her name yet moved with an effortless, almost inhuman grace.
Her steps were light, precise, as though she was gliding over the precarious platforms that made up this crumbling landscape.
"Keep up!" she barked over her shoulder, her voice cutting through the chaos like a whip.
I tried.
My lungs burned, my legs screamed in protest, but I couldn't stop.
Not with the ground beneath me disintegrating, each step crumbling into the void.
The platform I was on wobbled precariously, and I nearly lost my balance as it dipped under my weight.
Ahead, Lira leapt onto a larger, more stable island.
She turned, extending a hand toward me.
"Jump! Now!"
I hesitated for half a second.
The gap between us was wide too wide but the platform beneath me gave a sudden, violent lurch, breaking apart.
I didn't have time to think.
I pushed off with everything I had, my body sailing through the air.
For a brief moment, I was certain I wouldn't make it.
Her hand shot out, gripping mine just as my foot slipped off the edge.
With a strength that belied her slender frame, she hauled me up onto solid ground.
I collapsed in a heap, gasping for air, my chest heaving as my heart thundered in my ears.
"Not bad," she said, brushing off her hands as though the last few minutes hadn't been pure chaos. "For a rookie."
"My name is Kay, not rookie,"
I glared up at her.
"And who are you? What is this place?"
She didn't answer right away. After a brief moment she said.
"My name is Lira,"
She turned to the edge of the island, her sharp gaze scanning the horizon.
She muttered something under her breath, and the crumbling edges of the island began to glow faintly, stabilizing as if by some unseen force.
"Better," she murmured, then faced me again. "You're lucky I found you."
"Found me? I don't even know where I am!"
I pushed myself to my feet, anger bubbling up alongside the confusion and fear.
"And that thing back there-"
"The fragment," she interrupted, nodding toward the glowing shard still hovering near me. "You used it."
I followed her gaze, my eyes narrowing.
The shard pulsed faintly, as though it were alive.
"I don't even know what it is," I said. "I don't know how I did it."
She studied me for a moment, her expression unreadable.
"You shouldn't have been able to. Not without training."
"Great," I said, throwing up my hands. "More cryptic nonsense. Why don't you just tell me what's going on? Where am I? Why is everything falling apart?"
Her jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought she might actually answer.
But then she shook her head. "You're in Elysia," she said. "That's all you need to know right now."
"That's not good enough!" I snapped, stepping closer. "I don't remember anything, who I am, how I got here, nothing! And you're just standing there acting like this is normal?"
Her expression darkened. "Knowledge is dangerous here," she said quietly. "Especially for someone like you."
"Someone like me?"
She didn't respond, her gaze shifting back to the horizon.
Her silence only made my frustration boil over.
"Fine," I said. "If you're not going to help me, I'll figure it out on my own."
"You won't last five minutes," she said flatly.
Before I could reply, a low, guttural growl rumbled through the air.
Lira stiffened, her body tensing like a coiled spring.
She raised a hand, motioning for me to stay quiet.
From the edge of the island, something emerged.
It was massive, its form twisted and shifting, as though it couldn't decide what shape it wanted to take.
Its eyes glowed with a sickly, pulsating light, and its body radiated an aura of pure malevolence.
Lira swore under her breath. "Stay back."
The creature's gaze locked onto me.
Its snarl deepened, and then it lunged.
"Kay, move!" Lira shouted.
I dove to the side just in time, the creature's claws slicing through the air where I'd been standing.
My heart was pounding, my hands trembling as I scrambled to my feet.
"Focus!" Lira called out. "Use the fragment!"
The glowing shard hovered near me, its light flickering like a heartbeat.
My hand reached for it instinctively, and the moment my fingers touched its surface, I felt a surge of energy rush through me.
Heat spread from my chest, radiating outward.
The air around me shimmered, bending as though reality itself was responding to my command.
I raised my hand, and a burst of light erupted from the fragment, slamming into the creature.
The beast stumbled back, roaring in pain.
Lira didn't waste the opportunity.
She darted forward, her blade a weapon forged from light itself slicing through the creature's exposed form.
It let out a final, strangled cry before dissolving into a swirling mist, leaving behind an eerie silence.
I stood there, breathing hard, staring at the empty space where the creature had been.
Lira lowered her weapon, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me.
"You're dangerous," she said, her voice cold.
"Dangerous?" I repeated, my frustration bubbling over. "I just saved us!"
"You barely know what you're doing," she shot back. "If you lose control, you could destroy more than just the creature."
Her words stung, but before I could argue, the tension in her face softened slightly.
"Fine," she said after a moment. "I'll guide you to the Nexus. But if you want answers, you'll have to listen to me. No more reckless moves. Understand?"
I hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. But you're going to tell me everything eventually."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't argue.
Before we could take another step, the mist around the island thickened unnaturally, and a chill ran down my spine.
"They're here…" Lira whispered, her voice barely audible.
Shapes began to emerge from the fog, their distorted forms flickering and shifting like broken memories.