Kaelen's grip tightened around the shard as he stumbled through the ravine, his boots crunching against loose stones. The glow of the shard pulsed faintly, like the beating of a quiet heart. It felt alive, its warmth seeping into his palm and coursing through his veins.
Each pulse brought clarity—a sharpened awareness of his surroundings. The ravine wasn't just a jagged maze of stone anymore; Kaelen could sense its layout in his mind, almost as if he had walked it a hundred times before. The shard was already working, already changing him.
He hated how much he liked it.
A faint growl echoed from the distance, pulling Kaelen from his thoughts. He froze, his steely eyes scanning the ravine's shadows. The Shatterbeast hadn't gone far.
The shard pulsed again, stronger this time, and Kaelen felt it—an insistent pressure in his mind, a faint whisper that tugged at the edges of his consciousness.
Command it.
The thought wasn't his own. It came from somewhere deeper, a voice that resonated with the shard's hum. Kaelen scowled, shaking his head. "Not yet," he muttered under his breath.
Another growl, closer this time.
Kaelen turned toward the sound, his fingers curling around the shard. He could feel the Shatterbeast's presence now, a looming weight in the back of his mind. The shard wasn't just granting him power—it was connecting him to the world in ways he didn't fully understand.
The beast emerged from the shadows, its hulking form scraping against the ravine walls. Its eyes glowed with a sickly green light, its jagged teeth bared as it let out a low, guttural snarl.
Kaelen's breath hitched. He'd seen what these things could do—how their claws could tear through stone, how their roars could send entire scavenger groups fleeing.
The shard pulsed again, its warmth spreading through Kaelen's chest.
Bend it to your will, the voice urged.
Kaelen hesitated. He didn't know how to use the shard's power, not fully. But as the beast charged, its massive claws tearing into the ground, hesitation wasn't an option.
Kaelen raised the shard, its light flaring in his hand.
"Stop!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the ravine.
The shard pulsed violently, and Kaelen felt the pressure in his mind explode outward, like a wave crashing against a barrier. The Shatterbeast froze mid-charge, its glowing eyes flickering. It let out a low, guttural growl, its massive claws scraping against the ground as it struggled against the invisible force.
Kaelen's knees buckled, the strain of the shard's power hitting him like a physical blow. His vision blurred, his head pounding as the beast's presence pushed back against him.
Control it, the voice urged.
Kaelen grit his teeth, forcing his thoughts to focus. He reached out with his mind, grasping at the connection the shard had forged between him and the beast. It was like holding onto a live wire, the energy surging through him threatening to tear him apart.
The Shatterbeast roared, its glowing eyes locking onto Kaelen's. But it didn't move.
Kaelen took a shaky step forward, his voice low and firm. "You're mine now," he said.
The shard pulsed one last time, its glow fading as the pressure in Kaelen's mind eased. The Shatterbeast lowered its head, its massive body relaxing as it let out a low, rumbling growl.
Kaelen stared at the creature, his chest heaving. He didn't know what he'd done or how, but the beast wasn't attacking anymore. It stood there, watching him with an almost expectant gaze.
The shard's hum returned, quieter now, and Kaelen felt the faintest trace of satisfaction in its presence.
He exhaled slowly, his legs trembling as he lowered the shard. The weight of the moment hit him like a crashing wave. He'd done it. He'd survived.
But as the beast turned and began to follow him, its massive footsteps shaking the ground, Kaelen couldn't shake the feeling that he had crossed a line he couldn't return from.
---
Later That Night
Kaelen sat by a small fire, the shard resting in his palm. The Shatterbeast lay a short distance away, its massive form blending into the shadows of the ravine. It watched him with glowing eyes, its breath slow and steady.
Kaelen hadn't intended to stop, but his body had given him no choice. Every muscle ached, his mind fogged from the strain of wielding the shard. He hadn't even thought to gather firewood—he'd simply reached out with his thoughts, and the embers had sparked to life.
The shard was changing him, and faster than he'd expected.
Kaelen ran a hand through his hair, wincing as his fingers brushed against the dried blood on his temple. The day's events replayed in his mind, each moment sharper than the last. The Dominion Spire, the trial, the voices—every piece felt like part of a puzzle he didn't yet understand.
"What are you?" he muttered, staring at the shard.
It pulsed faintly in response, its light shifting between blue and violet. Kaelen frowned. The shard didn't feel… malicious, exactly. But it wasn't neutral, either. It had a will of its own, a presence that lingered at the edges of his mind, whispering faintly.
"You didn't tell me the price," he said, his voice low.
The shard didn't answer, but its hum deepened, the vibrations resonating in Kaelen's chest. He sighed, leaning back against the rock wall behind him.
He couldn't deny the truth: the shard had saved him. Without it, he'd be dead—or worse. But the cost was still unknown, and that uncertainty gnawed at him.
The Shatterbeast let out a low growl, its glowing eyes narrowing as it shifted slightly. Kaelen tensed, his hand tightening around the shard, but the beast didn't move.
Instead, it lowered its head, letting out a rumbling huff.
Kaelen stared at it for a long moment, his thoughts churning. The beast was his now, bound to him by the shard's power. But what did that mean? Was it a tool? A weapon? Or something more?
He didn't have answers. Not yet.
Kaelen closed his eyes, the weight of exhaustion pulling him into a restless sleep. The shard's hum followed him into his dreams, a faint whisper that promised power—and danger—in equal measure.