Chapter 3: The Call of the Shard
Kael felt it before he saw it. A low, rhythmic hum echoed in his chest as he climbed higher into the Azure Mountains. The air grew colder, thinner, and strangely charged, as though the world itself held its breath.
Mira walked several paces behind him, quiet but watchful. The dynamic between them was uneasy. Kael didn't trust her yet—maybe he never would—but he couldn't ignore her warning. If the Shard was truly dangerous enough to destroy the world, he needed to know what he was walking into.
"Feel that?" Mira asked, breaking the silence.
Kael nodded. "What is it?"
"The Shard," she said. "Its energy radiates for miles, like a heartbeat. The closer we get, the stronger it'll feel."
Kael frowned. "How do you know so much about it?"
Mira hesitated, as though weighing whether or not to answer. Finally, she said, "I was raised by the Wardens of the Rift. The ones who swore to keep the Shard hidden. I spent my entire life being trained to protect it—and to stop people like you from getting near it."
Kael stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "Then why are you helping me?"
"Because the Iron Order already knows where it is," Mira replied. "If they get there first, it's over. The Wardens couldn't stop them. You're the only one strong enough to do it."
Her words hung in the air like a challenge, and Kael didn't reply. He turned back to the path, his footsteps crunching in the snow.
By nightfall, they reached the edge of a vast chasm. A rickety rope bridge stretched across it, swaying in the wind. On the other side, a massive stone temple loomed, carved into the mountainside. Its spires reached toward the sky, and its surface was etched with glowing blue runes that pulsed faintly, in rhythm with the hum Kael had felt earlier.
"That's it," Mira said. "The Vault of Ascension."
Kael stepped onto the bridge, testing its strength. The ropes creaked under his weight, but it held firm.
"Stay close," he said, motioning for Mira to follow.
Halfway across, the hum grew louder, resonating in Kael's bones. His vision blurred for a moment, and a voice—soft, distant, but unmistakable—whispered in his mind.
"Kael Draven…"
He froze, gripping the rope tightly. Mira stopped behind him.
"What is it?" she asked.
"You don't hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Kael didn't answer. The voice came again, clearer this time.
"You are strong, Kael. Strong enough to wield me. Strong enough to save them all."
The words sent a chill down his spine. He shook his head and continued across the bridge, ignoring the growing pressure in his chest.
Inside the temple, the air was thick and cold, the walls illuminated by the same pulsating blue runes. The hum had become a deep thrumming sound, like the beating of a colossal heart.
At the far end of the chamber, the Shard of Ascension hovered above a stone pedestal. It was a jagged, crystalline fragment, its surface shimmering with colors that shifted and swirled like liquid light. The energy radiating from it was almost overwhelming.
Kael approached slowly, his footsteps echoing in the vast chamber. The closer he got, the louder the voice became, filling his mind with promises.
"You are the chosen. Take me, and together we will reshape this broken world. Heal it. Save it."
Mira grabbed his arm, snapping him out of the trance. "Don't touch it!"
Kael turned to her, his expression hard. "I wasn't going to."
"You don't understand," she said, her voice urgent. "The Shard… it gets inside your head. It twists your thoughts, makes you believe you can control it. But it's a lie. Everyone who's ever touched it has been consumed by its power."
Before Kael could respond, the sound of boots echoed through the chamber.
The Iron Order had arrived.