The Catacombs spat them out into a barren wasteland. The sky above was gray and featureless, offering no sense of time or direction. A biting wind tore at their cloaks, carrying with it the faint echoes of the whispers that had haunted them in the depths.
Clara clutched the shard to her chest, its faint glow flickering as though struggling against an unseen force. Zara's hand rested on her sword, her sharp gaze scanning the desolate terrain. Ryker emerged moments later, his claws dripping with black ichor, his expression grim.
"They're not going to stop," Ryker growled, his golden eyes flicking toward Clara. "That thing was just the beginning."
"We need to keep moving," Zara said, her voice steady but tense. "The shard's energy will draw them like a beacon."
Clara's stomach churned as she glanced at the shard. "Why does it feel like it's... alive?"
"It is," Zara replied. "Fragments like that are pieces of something ancient, something powerful. They resonate with both light and shadow, and the balance between them is fragile."
Clara frowned. "But why me? Why am I connected to this... to the Shade Lord?"
Ryker wiped his claws on his cloak, his jaw tight. "The Archivist said you carry its mark. That means you're tied to it somehow. But whether that makes you an ally or a threat..."
"That's enough," Zara interjected sharply. "Speculation won't help us right now. Our priority is getting to safety."
The trio trekked across the cracked, lifeless ground. The land stretched endlessly in every direction, broken only by jagged rock formations and the occasional skeletal remains of some long-dead creature. The air was heavy, oppressive, and filled with an eerie stillness.
Clara couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Her eyes darted to the shadows that clung to the rocks, twisting and shifting unnaturally.
"Do you see them?" she whispered to Zara, her voice barely audible.
Zara nodded, her hand tightening around her sword. "They're keeping their distance for now, but they won't stay hidden for long."
"What are they waiting for?" Clara asked.
"An opportunity," Ryker replied, his voice low. "They're like predators. They'll strike when we're at our weakest."
As if to prove his point, a guttural howl echoed across the wasteland. Clara froze, her blood turning to ice. The sound was unlike anything she had ever heard—deep, haunting, and filled with a primal hunger.
"They've found us," Zara said, her voice sharp. "Clara, stay close!"
The shadows began to move, slithering across the ground and converging on their position. From the darkness emerged creatures unlike the Shadeborn they had faced in the Catacombs. These were larger, more solid, with glowing red eyes and mouths filled with jagged teeth.
"Wraithbeasts," Ryker growled, his claws unsheathing. "We can't outrun them."
"Then we fight," Zara said, drawing her sword.
Clara's hand trembled as she gripped her dagger. The shard's glow pulsed in her pocket, as if responding to the encroaching danger.
The Wraithbeasts attacked with terrifying speed, their movements erratic and unpredictable. Zara met the first one head-on, her sword flashing as it cut through the creature's thick hide. Ryker lunged at another, his claws raking across its chest.
Clara stood frozen as one of the beasts charged toward her. Its glowing eyes burned with malice, and its mouth opened in a guttural roar. Her heart pounded, but she couldn't move.
"Clara, focus!" Zara shouted, slicing through another Wraithbeast.
The beast leaped at her, and Clara instinctively raised her dagger. The blade connected with its flesh, and the creature howled as it disintegrated into ash.
Her chest heaved as she stared at the empty space where the Wraithbeast had been. "I... I killed it."
"There's no time to celebrate!" Ryker shouted, slamming a beast into the ground and tearing through its throat.
The battle was chaotic, the air filled with snarls, screams, and the clang of steel. Clara fought clumsily, each swing of her dagger driven by desperation rather than skill. The shard's glow grew brighter with each kill, and she felt its warmth spreading through her body, strengthening her resolve.
But the Wraithbeasts kept coming. For every one they defeated, two more appeared from the shadows. Zara and Ryker were visibly tiring, their movements slowing as exhaustion set in.
"We can't keep this up!" Zara shouted, blocking a swipe from a beast's massive claws.
Clara's eyes darted around, searching for an escape. Her gaze fell on a cluster of jagged rocks in the distance, their surfaces faintly glowing with the same light as the shard.
"There!" she shouted, pointing toward the rocks.
Zara glanced at the formation, her eyes narrowing. "A sanctuary stone. It might hold them off, but we'll have to reach it first!"
The trio fought their way toward the rocks, the Wraithbeasts relentless in their pursuit. Clara's legs burned with effort, and her lungs felt like they were on fire, but she refused to stop.
As they neared the sanctuary stone, the shard in her pocket began to vibrate, its glow intensifying. The Wraithbeasts hesitated, their snarls turning into uneasy growls.
"We're close!" Zara shouted. "Keep moving!"
They reached the base of the rocks, and Clara felt an invisible barrier wash over her as she crossed the threshold. The Wraithbeasts stopped abruptly, pacing and snarling just beyond the boundary.
Ryker collapsed against the stone, his chest heaving. "That was too close."
Zara leaned on her sword, her face pale but determined. "We can rest here for now, but it won't hold them off forever."
Clara sank to the ground, her body trembling. She pulled the shard from her pocket, its light steady and comforting.
"What is this thing?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Zara knelt beside her, her expression thoughtful. "It's more than just a fragment. It's tied to something ancient—something powerful. The Wraithbeasts fear it, but they also hunger for it. That's why they won't stop coming."
Clara stared at the shard, its faint glow reflected in her eyes. "Then what do we do?"
"We keep moving," Zara said, her voice resolute. "The shard is the key to unlocking the truth about the Shade Lord. If we can find the other fragments, we might stand a chance."
Ryker grunted, his claws retracting. "Let's just hope we survive long enough to find them."
Clara clenched the shard tightly, determination hardening her features. "I'm not giving up. Whatever this is, whatever it means... I'll face it."
The trio sat in uneasy silence, the Wraithbeasts circling beyond the sanctuary stone. The glow of the shard illuminated their faces, casting long shadows on the rocks.
The hunt had begun, and Clara knew there was no turning back.