**
Ethan's heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing like a drum. The decision lay before him like an open wound, raw and unyielding. Lyra's words hung in the air like a curse, impossible to ignore. Everything he had ever known, everything he had ever believed, was now in question.
The Shards, he realized, weren't just tools of power. They were a force—a force that could reshape the world, but at a terrible cost. And he was the one who stood at the precipice, holding the key to whether that force would save or destroy them all.
Lyra's eyes, glowing with an otherworldly light, bore into him. She had been his ally, his guide, but now, in the face of the truth, she seemed more like a shadow of a distant past—an agent of something far greater, something far darker. She wasn't the woman he thought he knew.
"You don't have to do this, Ethan," she said softly, almost pleadingly, her voice laced with an unfamiliar tenderness. "You can stop this. You can walk away."
But could he? Could he truly walk away from the truth that had been set before him? Could he turn his back on the power he had fought so hard to control? Ethan didn't know. All he knew was that the Shards' call grew louder, stronger, pulsing through his veins like fire, urging him to take them—take all of it.
"I can't…" he murmured, as though speaking the words aloud might make them true. His hands trembled as he reached for the glowing Shard at the altar. "I don't know what's right anymore."
Kiera and Ivan stood frozen, the tension between them almost tangible. Kiera's face was pale, her eyes filled with uncertainty, while Ivan's gaze flickered nervously between Ethan and Lyra. They had followed him, trusted him, but now they were witnesses to something neither of them could understand.
"Ethan, don't!" Kiera shouted, her voice sharp with fear. "This isn't you! This power—it's not worth it. You're not meant to be a weapon."
Her words struck him like a physical blow, but they were no longer enough to quell the storm inside him. The Shards had already taken root, twisting his thoughts, his desires.
Lyra's voice broke through the chaos in his mind. "You're strong enough, Ethan. You've always been strong enough. But remember—this power will consume you. If you choose to wield it, it will change you. It will make you something else. The person you are now will cease to exist."
Ethan swallowed hard, the weight of her words pressing against his chest. He could feel the Shards inside him, a living entity, reaching for the altar, yearning for release.
He closed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts, but they scattered like shards of glass. His mind was a storm of possibilities, of consequences. What was the right choice? What would happen if he embraced the power of the Shards? And what would happen if he destroyed them?
A vision flashed before his eyes—an image of the world, broken, shattered, with the Shards at its center. The destruction was unlike anything he had ever imagined—cities falling, lives extinguished, the world plunged into chaos. Was that the future he was walking toward? Or was there another path, a path of salvation?
He opened his eyes, meeting Lyra's gaze, and for the first time, he saw the fear in her eyes. It was fleeting, but it was there—hidden behind the mask of confidence she had worn so long.
"Tell me the truth, Lyra," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "What happens if I destroy them? If I end it all?"
Lyra hesitated, her eyes narrowing, and for a moment, it seemed as though she might not answer. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, she stepped forward, closer to him.
"The Shards," she said softly, "are not just a weapon. They are a key to an ancient power—a power that was sealed away long ago. If you destroy them, you will undo everything they were meant to protect. But if you wield them, you will become part of that power. You will become the force that shapes this world. And there will be no turning back."
Ethan's breath hitched. The weight of her words settled like a stone in his stomach. No turning back. He was standing at the edge of something far greater than himself, something he couldn't control. But could he walk away, knowing that the world might face destruction because of his inaction?
"I can't," he said again, his voice shaking with uncertainty. "I can't be the one to choose this."
Kiera stepped forward, her voice urgent. "Ethan, you're not alone. We're with you, no matter what you decide. But don't let the Shards control you. Don't let this power define you."
He looked at her, seeing the fear in her eyes, but also the unwavering support. Kiera, the one person who had always believed in him. Ivan, too—though silent, his presence was a steady reminder that he wasn't alone in this fight.
But despite their words, despite their support, Ethan knew the truth. This was his decision. Only he could decide the fate of the Shards, the fate of the world.
The power within him surged again, stronger now, urging him to act. He reached out once more, his hand hovering above the glowing Shard at the altar.
In that moment, everything seemed to slow. The room, the temple, the world outside—all of it faded away, and there was only Ethan and the Shard. The choice was his. And whatever path he chose, it would come with consequences.
"Ethan…" Lyra's voice was low, almost a plea. "This is the moment. Do you understand? This is the end of the beginning. And it is up to you how it ends."
Ethan closed his eyes, letting the energy of the Shards fill him, take him. He felt the pull, the temptation to embrace the power, to become the very force that could reshape the world. But somewhere deep inside, he found his resolve.
He turned away from the altar, stepping back. The Shards pulsed in anger, the room vibrating with energy, but he didn't flinch. He couldn't do it. Not like this. He couldn't let himself become a tool of destruction, a force beyond control.
"I will not choose destruction," he said firmly, his voice carrying through the temple. "I will destroy the Shards. I will end this, before it consumes us all."
Lyra's face darkened, her expression hardening with disappointment, but she said nothing. The energy around them crackled, as if the very foundation of the temple was reacting to Ethan's decision. The ground trembled beneath their feet.
"You have made your choice," Lyra whispered. "And now, you must face the consequences."
The air in the temple shifted, becoming thick with tension. Ethan took a final, resolute step away from the altar, his mind made up. The Shards would be destroyed, and with them, the power that had threatened to tear apart everything he held dear.
And yet, in his heart, a part of him wondered—had he truly chosen the right path? Would the destruction of the Shards bring salvation, or would it open the door to an even darker fate?
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