The air in Bastion Draeth carried a weight Kaelen couldn't ignore. The streets felt tighter now, the ash-choked sky pressing down like a second ceiling. Every glance, every whispered conversation, made his skin prickle. He had barely left the tavern when he noticed shadows lingering at the edges of the narrow alleys, eyes glinting in the firelight.
The Shatterbeast growled softly behind him, its massive claws scraping against the ground. Kaelen resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder, keeping his stride steady and purposeful. Showing fear in a place like this was as good as painting a target on your back.
They were being followed. He could feel it.
"Keep moving," Kaelen muttered under his breath, directing the words more at himself than the beast.
The shard pulsed faintly in his pocket, its presence reassuring despite the unease clawing at the edges of his thoughts. He had power now, and power meant leverage. But leverage was meaningless without a plan.
His destination wasn't far—a rundown shack he had spotted on the way into the Bastion, half-hidden by the remnants of a collapsed building. It was tucked far enough from the main streets to avoid attention, but not so secluded as to invite immediate suspicion.
The perfect hiding place, for now.
---
The shack was as dilapidated as Kaelen had expected. The roof sagged, the wooden walls warped and blackened by ash. The inside wasn't much better—a single room filled with broken furniture and debris, the air thick with the stench of mildew.
Kaelen didn't care. It was a place to rest.
He secured the door as best he could, wedging a broken chair against it before slumping onto the floor. The Shatterbeast sat by the door, its glowing eyes fixed on him with an almost unsettling intensity.
Kaelen pulled the shard from his pocket, holding it up to the faint light that filtered through the cracks in the walls. Its glow was steady, almost hypnotic, and the whispers that accompanied it were softer now, like a distant hum.
What are you hiding? Kaelen wondered, turning the shard over in his hand.
It had saved his life—twice now. It had given him power, a connection to the beast, and the ability to overwhelm the shard-hunters without so much as raising a weapon. But he couldn't shake the feeling that it was holding something back, something deeper and more dangerous.
The shard pulsed, its light dimming slightly as the whispers grew louder. Kaelen closed his eyes, focusing on the sound. It wasn't a language he recognized, but it wasn't entirely foreign, either.
"Speak clearly," he muttered, his voice low. "If you've got something to say, just say it."
The whispers faltered, then shifted, coalescing into a single voice—faint but unmistakable.
You are not ready.
Kaelen's eyes snapped open, his grip tightening around the shard. "What do you mean?" he demanded.
The shard didn't respond. Its glow faded further, leaving only the faint hum in his mind.
Kaelen exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Not ready," he muttered. "That's helpful."
The Shatterbeast growled softly, drawing Kaelen's attention to the door. He froze, his pulse quickening as he heard faint footsteps outside.
They followed me.
Kaelen slipped the shard back into his pocket and rose to his feet, his hand instinctively reaching for the broken dagger at his side. He cursed silently. The blade was barely better than a stick at this point, and the Shatterbeast wouldn't be able to fight off a coordinated attack in such close quarters.
The footsteps stopped, and for a moment, there was only silence. Then came a low, familiar voice.
"We know you're in there."
Kaelen's blood turned cold.
The shard-hunters.
---
The door rattled as someone shoved against it, the broken chair holding firm—for now. Kaelen stepped back, his mind racing. He could try to run, but the hunters would have the advantage in the open. Fighting wasn't much better; the last time he'd used the shard's power, it had nearly knocked him unconscious.
"Let's make this easy," the voice called. "You come out now, and we'll make it quick."
Kaelen's jaw tightened. The Shatterbeast growled again, louder this time, its claws scraping against the floor.
The chair splintered as the door burst open, the two shard-hunters stepping inside. The man from before drew his blade, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Kaelen. The woman followed, her rifle raised, her expression cold and unflinching.
"You've made this difficult," the man said, his voice low and menacing.
Kaelen didn't respond. His hand slipped into his pocket, his fingers curling around the shard.
The man took a step forward, his blade glinting in the dim light. "Last chance," he said. "Hand over the shard, and maybe we'll let you live."
Kaelen's grip tightened. The shard pulsed in response, its light flaring briefly as the whispers surged in his mind.
The woman shifted her aim, her finger tightening on the trigger. "Don't make us do this," she warned.
Kaelen's breath quickened as the pressure in his mind built, the shard's power pressing against his thoughts like a storm. He could feel it, raw and untamed, waiting to be unleashed.
The man lunged.
Kaelen moved without thinking, the shard's light blazing in his hand. The air crackled with energy as the shard's power surged outward, slamming into the man like a physical force. He was thrown backward, crashing into the wall with a sickening crunch.
The woman fired, but the shot went wide as the Shatterbeast roared, its massive form lunging forward. She barely had time to react before the beast's claws struck, sending her sprawling to the ground.
Kaelen staggered, his vision blurring as the shard's power receded. The room fell silent, save for the ragged sound of his breathing and the faint hum of the shard.
The man groaned, clutching his side as he struggled to his feet. His blade lay shattered on the ground, the remnants of the strike still sparking faintly with Dominion energy.
Kaelen stepped forward, the shard glowing faintly in his hand. "Leave," he said, his voice cold. "Before I change my mind."
The man glared at him, his eyes burning with hatred, but he didn't argue. He grabbed the woman by the arm, dragging her toward the door.
"This isn't over," he growled, his voice laced with venom.
Kaelen didn't respond. He waited until the hunters were gone before collapsing against the wall, the shard slipping from his fingers.
The Shatterbeast sat beside him, its glowing eyes watching him intently. Kaelen let out a shaky breath, his body trembling from the strain.
The shard pulsed weakly, its hum faint but steady. Kaelen stared at it, his thoughts a chaotic tangle of exhaustion and unease.
He had won.
But for how long?