Kael barely had time to catch his breath before the crowd on the platform erupted in chaos. Zephyris enforcers, clad in sleek black armor, descended from hover drones, their amplified voices barking orders. "Remain where you are! This is a lockdown!"
Blending into the panicked throng, Kael ducked into a narrow alley, his mind racing. The shard pulsed against his chest, each beat like a second heartbeat. He needed answers—and fast. The apparition's warning replayed in his head, a maddening loop of cryptic urgency.
Navigating the maze of alleys, Kael arrived at a dilapidated safehouse, its entrance hidden behind a stack of rusted crates. He keyed in a code on the hidden panel, and the door slid open with a hiss. Inside, dim lights flickered, illuminating a room cluttered with stolen tech and makeshift tools. A figure sat at a workstation, their back to him.
"Ryn," Kael called out, closing the door behind him. "I need your help."
The figure turned, revealing a young woman with neon-blue hair and cybernetic implants along her temples. Her eyes narrowed. "Kael? What the hell did you do this time?"
He pulled the shard from his pocket, its light casting eerie reflections on the walls. Ryn's expression shifted from annoyance to shock. "Is that—"
"Yeah," Kael interrupted. "The Shard of the Infinite Mirror. And it's already causing problems."
Ryn stood, her gaze fixed on the shard. "You're insane for even touching it. Do you know what that thing is capable of?"
"I'm starting to get the picture," Kael said dryly. "Look, I need to know how to control it—or at least how to stop it from... doing whatever it's doing."
Ryn hesitated, then gestured for him to follow. "Come with me. If anyone can help, it's the Archivist."
Kael frowned. "The Archivist? You mean that conspiracy nut who lives off-grid?"
Ryn smirked. "The same. But if anyone knows the truth about the shard, it's him."
Kael sighed, tucking the shard away. "Alright. Let's go find this Archivist."
As they prepared to leave, Kael felt a chill run down his spine. In the corner of his vision, a shadow moved—his own reflection, grinning at him with a malice he didn't feel. He blinked, and it was gone. But the unease lingered, a reminder that the shard's power was far from dormant.