The storm raged over the crumbling city, a torrent of rain slicing through the smoke-filled air. Kael Ardyn pulled his cloak tighter, the soaked fabric clinging to his battered armor. The marketplace ruins sprawled before him, once vibrant and teeming with life, now silent and lifeless, save for the occasional flicker of shadows through the shattered buildings.
He tightened his grip on Eidolon, the relic blade hanging at his side. Its faint, pulsing light cast distorted shadows on the wet cobblestones, each rune etched along its surface thrumming in rhythm with his heartbeat. This city was like so many others: swallowed by chaos, its people scattered or lost.
"Another raid," Kael muttered under his breath, scanning the debris. The Shattered had been here. Their chaotic fury left unmistakable marks—scorching burns, jagged claw marks, and bodies too mangled to identify.
The silence unnerved him. The Shattered never left without leaving a few stragglers behind, desperate and mad with fractured memories. Kael moved cautiously, the crunch of broken stone beneath his boots the only sound as he pressed deeper into the ruins.
A flicker of movement caught his eye. He froze, hand on Eidolon's hilt.
"Come out," he called, his voice cutting through the rain like a blade. "I know you're there."
At first, there was nothing. Then, from the shadows of a crumbling archway, a figure emerged. Small and frail, a girl staggered into view. Her tattered dress clung to her thin frame, rain dripping from white hair that seemed almost luminescent against the gloom. Her eyes—an unsettling mix of violet and silver—locked onto his, filled with equal parts fear and desperation.
"Help…" she rasped, her voice barely audible over the storm. "Please…"
Kael didn't move. The Shattered often mimicked weakness, luring the unsuspecting into their clutches. Yet, this girl's eyes didn't hold the maddened gleam of those consumed by fragmented memories. There was something… human.
"Are you Shattered?" His voice was sharp, cutting through her plea.
She shook her head violently, her small hands clutching her arms. "I… I don't know," she stammered. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the wet stone.
Kael cursed under his breath. Against his better judgment, he sheathed Eidolon and moved toward her. Her skin was cold as he touched her shoulder, her body trembling under his hand.
"What's your name?" he asked, his tone softer now.
"I… don't remember," she whispered, her voice breaking.
Before Kael could respond, a guttural growl echoed through the ruins. His head snapped up, and his instincts flared. He drew Eidolon, its light blazing to life as ancient runes flared along the blade.
Three figures emerged from the darkness, their forms twisted and grotesque. Their glowing eyes burned with the wild hunger of the Shattered. They moved unnaturally, their jagged limbs twitching as if pulled by invisible strings.
Kael stood, placing himself between the girl and the creatures. "Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice calm but firm.
The first Shattered lunged, claws outstretched. Kael sidestepped, swinging Eidolon in a clean arc. The blade cut through the creature's torso with ease, its light devouring the fragmented essence that spilled from the wound. A rush of memories—disjointed and chaotic—flooded Kael's mind: a child's laughter, a home engulfed in flames, a scream that ended too soon.
Kael winced but held his ground. The second and third Shattered attacked together, their movements more coordinated than expected. He blocked one's strike with Eidolon, spinning to sever the other's arm. As it recoiled, he drove the blade through its chest, the runes glowing brighter as they consumed another fractured memory.
The final creature hesitated, its glowing eyes flickering. For a moment, Kael thought it might retreat. Then it snarled and charged. With a swift motion, Kael cleaved it in two, the sound of rain swallowing the wet thud of its collapse.
Silence returned, broken only by the patter of rain. Kael turned to the girl. She sat where he had left her, her wide eyes fixed on him.
"You're… a Keeper," she said, her voice trembling.
Kael sheathed Eidolon. "And you're coming with me." He extended a hand to her. "Whatever you are, someone will want answers."
She hesitated but eventually took his hand, her grip weak. As he pulled her to her feet, she glanced toward the shadows, her expression tightening.
"They'll come for me," she murmured, almost too quietly to hear.
Kael frowned but didn't press her. Instead, he scanned the ruins once more, his instincts telling him they were far from safe.
"They always do," she added, her voice barely audible over the storm.
Kael led her toward the edge of the ruins, the weight of her words settling heavily in his chest.