The cold night air wrapped around Liora and Elias like a suffocating shroud as they sat in the open field, staring into the darkness of the marsh. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional chirp of a cricket or the rustle of the wind through the grass.
Darian was gone.
Elias paced nervously, glancing back toward the fog-shrouded swamp. "We can't just leave him! He could still be fighting—or worse…"
Liora tightened her grip on the satchel of shards, her face pale but resolute. "He told us to run, Elias. If we go back now, we could jeopardize everything."
Elias spun around, his voice rising. "And if he's dead because we ran, how do you think that's going to help anything?"
The weight of his words hit Liora like a blow. She closed her eyes, her mind flashing back to the moments before they fled—the mysterious woman, her blade moving like liquid steel, and Darian's unwavering determination to hold the line.
"We can't do this without him," Elias said, his voice softer now.
Liora hesitated, torn between her instincts to keep moving and the gnawing guilt that twisted her stomach. "We give him until dawn," she said finally. "If he doesn't show up by then, we'll decide what to do."
They set up a small camp on the edge of the marsh, though neither of them slept. Liora sat by the fire, staring into the flames as she turned the shards over in her hands. Each one pulsed faintly, their glow seeming dimmer without Darian's steady presence.
---
When dawn broke, it came with a heavy mist that clung to the ground. Liora and Elias stood at the edge of the marsh, their eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement.
Then, a figure emerged from the fog.
"Darian!" Elias shouted, relief flooding his voice.
But as the figure came closer, their relief turned to dread. It wasn't Darian. It was the woman from the marsh.
Her cloak was torn and bloodstained, but her movements were unbothered, almost graceful. She stopped a few paces away, her piercing eyes locking onto Liora.
"You've come far," she said, her voice low and smooth. "But you've only delayed the inevitable."
"Where's Darian?" Liora demanded, stepping forward despite Elias's warning hand on her arm.
The woman tilted her head, a faint smirk on her lips. "Alive… for now. He's strong, I'll give him that. But strength only lasts so long without purpose."
"What do you want from us?" Elias asked, his voice shaking.
"The shards," she replied simply. "They don't belong to you."
Liora met her gaze, determination hardening her expression. "We're not giving them to you. Or to Raven. Or anyone else who thinks they can use them to play god."
The woman's smirk widened. "Brave words. Let's see if you can back them up."
She raised her hand, and the ground beneath them trembled. Dark energy erupted around her, twisting the air with unnatural force.
Liora and Elias barely had time to react before she attacked.
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