The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with deep oranges and purples as it dipped behind the horizon. The wind blew gently through the ruins, rustling the dried leaves and sending small stones tumbling across the cracked ground. Ash had been walking for hours, his boots crunching over the gravel and broken stone, but he didn't mind the solitude. He was used to it.
The world was no longer the place it once was. Cities had fallen, people had disappeared, and the land was scarred by the never-ending wars over the Star Shards. These shards—fragments of ancient cosmic beasts that had once roamed the stars—held incredible power. And those who sought that power would stop at nothing to get it.
Ash wasn't one of those people. He wasn't interested in the shards or the chaos they caused. He was just a survivor, wandering the remains of the world. His life had always been about staying alive, not about finding power or glory. He moved from one place to another, never staying too long, keeping to himself and avoiding the larger battles.
But today... something felt different.
As Ash made his way deeper into the ruins, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him. The air around him felt thick, almost heavy, as if the ruins themselves were alive. He had been here before, but this place was different now. There was an odd stillness, a silence that felt unnatural.
The further he walked, the more he felt drawn toward something, an almost magnetic pull in the pit of his stomach. It was as if the ruins themselves were calling him. His footsteps quickened, his pulse racing with an inexplicable urgency.
And then, he saw it.
Through the tangled vines and crumbled walls, a faint glow caught his eye. Ash stopped dead in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat. The soft light flickered like a distant star, shining from deep within the ruins. He squinted, his heart pounding. What could it be? A trap? A trick?
His curiosity won out, and he cautiously approached the light. He pushed aside the thick vines and debris, moving closer. The glow grew brighter, revealing a large stone slab partially buried in the dirt. It seemed almost... out of place, as if it didn't belong here.
Ash knelt down, brushing aside the dirt and rubble, his hands trembling slightly. Beneath the stone, he saw it—a shard of crystal, glowing softly but steadily. It wasn't just any crystal. The way it shimmered, pulsing with light, felt... alive. A power, ancient and deep, radiated from it. Ash felt his chest tighten, a mixture of awe and fear rushing through him.
He had heard the stories of the Star Shards, of their power to give people unimaginable strength. Some said they could turn ordinary men into legends, while others warned of the madness they could bring. But Ash had never believed in such things—not really. He had always thought those stories were just old tales.
But this... this felt real. The shard before him wasn't just a piece of rock. It was something much more.
He reached out cautiously, his fingers brushing the surface of the crystal. The moment his skin made contact, a surge of warmth shot up his arm, and a sharp pain flared in his palm. He gasped, pulling his hand back instinctively, but it was too late.
The shard pulled him closer, as if it had a mind of its own. Ash could feel the magic swirling around him, powerful and wild. The ground beneath him seemed to tremble, and his vision blurred, spinning as though the world itself was collapsing. He fell back onto the ground, disoriented, barely able to stay conscious.
Then, a voice—a faint whisper—echoed in his mind, like a distant memory.
"You… are not ready… yet..."
Ash blinked, trying to make sense of the voice, but everything around him was spinning too fast. He could feel something inside him—something dark and powerful—pushing against his thoughts. The magic of the shard was alive in him now. It was as if the crystal had merged with his very being.
With a sudden surge of will, Ash yanked his hand away from the shard. The spinning stopped, and the world snapped back into focus, though the strange, unsettling presence lingered in the back of his mind. He stared at his palm, where the shard had fused with his skin, the crystal now embedded into his flesh, glowing faintly.
"What... What is this?" he whispered to himself, his voice trembling. He could feel the power, the heat, still coursing through his body. It wasn't just in his hand—it was in his very soul.
"Embrace it... Power is your birthright..." The voice echoed again, stronger this time. It sounded almost… hungry.
Ash's heart raced. He wanted to rip the shard from his hand, to throw it away, but the urge to hold on, to harness this newfound power, was strong. The temptation was overwhelming. He could feel the power tugging at his very being, urging him to take control of it. It would be so easy.
But Ash fought against it. He wasn't going to let some ancient force control his life. Not now, not ever. He gritted his teeth, focusing on the pain in his palm as if it were a lifeline, pulling him back to reality.
"No," he whispered fiercely. "I won't let you control me."
The voice faded, but the power remained, still pulsing softly in his palm. Ash took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts. The shard wasn't just an object—it was now a part of him. He had no idea what this meant, or what would happen next, but one thing was certain: his life had changed forever.
He couldn't stay here. He had to leave. He needed to figure out what to do with this power, how to control it—or if that was even possible. But for now, he had no choice but to keep moving forward. Whatever came next, Ash knew he couldn't run from it.
The shard was a part of him now.