They didn't stop running until the first light of dawn crept over the dunes. Exhausted and battered, the group collapsed in a small rocky outcropping that provided minimal shelter.
"That could've gone better," Elias panted, clutching his side.
Liora leaned against a boulder, her chest heaving. "We need to be more careful. Every step we take, someone's waiting to ambush us."
"They weren't random bandits," Darian said, pacing. "They knew about the shards. Someone tipped them off."
"Raven?" Liora asked.
Darian shook his head. "Too clumsy for him. He doesn't use amateurs."
Elias frowned. "Then who?"
Darian didn't answer, but his silence spoke volumes.
The group spent the day recovering, rationing their remaining water and food. Liora used the downtime to study the shards, their glow now faintly synchronized.
"They're reacting to each other," she murmured. "It's almost like they're communicating."
"What do they want to say?" Elias asked, half-joking.
"That's what scares me," Liora admitted. "We're dealing with forces we barely understand."
As night fell, Darian took first watch, his dagger glinting in the moonlight. Liora sat beside him, unable to sleep.
"You don't trust me," she said suddenly.
Darian raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"
"You're always on edge, always ready for someone to betray us. It's like you're expecting it."
He hesitated before replying. "In my line of work, trust gets you killed. You learn to watch your back, even around friends."
Liora met his gaze. "We're not your enemies, Darian. If we're going to survive this, we need to trust each other."
He didn't respond, but his grip on his dagger relaxed ever so slightly.
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