The fragment pulsed faintly in Jason's hand, its energy sending a shiver up his arm. It felt alive, as though it carried the weight of countless stories, secrets woven into its very essence. He glanced at Finn, who watched with an expression that bordered on caution and curiosity.
"What is this?" Jason asked, his voice low.
Finn shrugged, though his eyes never left the fragment. "A key, perhaps. Or a weapon. Depends on how you use it."
Jason frowned. "You don't know, do you?"
Finn's smirk returned, though it lacked its usual charm. "Mate, in this place, knowing is a luxury. Understanding is the real challenge."
The air around them felt heavier, the structure seeming to press in closer with each passing moment. Jason tucked the fragment into his jacket, its weight oddly comforting despite the unease it brought.
The compass needle spun briefly before settling on a direction, its glow steady. Jason's grip on it tightened as he turned to Finn. "We keep moving, right?"
Finn gave him a mock salute. "You're catching on."
They stepped out of the structure and into the desolate expanse beyond the ridge. The landscape had changed again—gone was the endless sand, replaced by a barren wasteland of cracked earth and twisted, skeletal trees. The sky above was a sickly yellow, the sun obscured by swirling clouds that seemed too low, too alive.
Jason felt the weight of the place immediately. Each step seemed to drag, the air thick and suffocating. The whispers had stopped, replaced by an oppressive silence that pressed against his ears.
"This place…" Jason began, but his words trailed off as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.
A figure emerged from behind one of the trees, its form hunched and shrouded in tattered robes. Its face was obscured, but Jason could feel its gaze on him, cold and piercing.
"Friend of yours?" Jason asked, his tone edged with unease.
Finn shook his head, his hand instinctively reaching for his lantern. "Doubt it."
The figure raised a skeletal hand, pointing directly at Jason. Its voice, when it spoke, was a rasping hiss that seemed to echo from everywhere at once.
"You carry what is not yours."
Jason's hand instinctively moved to the fragment tucked into his jacket. "I don't even know what it is," he said, taking a cautious step back.
The figure tilted its head, a motion that felt more like a threat than curiosity. "Ignorance is no excuse. The path you tread is not yours to walk."
Finn stepped forward, the lantern's light flaring slightly. "Look, mate, we don't have time for cryptic warnings. Either you've got something useful to say, or you can clear the way."
The figure turned its head toward Finn, its voice colder now. "The light you wield will not save him."
Jason's patience snapped. "Enough with the riddles! What do you want?"
The figure's hand lowered, and for a moment, it seemed to shrink into itself. Then it spoke again, softer this time. "To warn you. The truth is not kind. It does not seek to heal, only to reveal. Will you bear its weight, even if it destroys you?"
Jason hesitated, the figure's words cutting deeper than he expected. He thought of the fragment, the compass, the endless trials he had faced so far. Each step had brought him closer to something, but at what cost?
"I'll bear it," he said finally, his voice steady.
The figure straightened, its form seeming to dissolve into the air. "Then tread carefully, seeker. The path ahead is dark, and even the strongest light can falter."
As the figure vanished, the oppressive silence lifted slightly, though the air remained heavy. Finn exhaled loudly, his grip on the lantern relaxing.
"Well, that was cheery," he said with forced levity.
Jason didn't respond. His mind was already racing, turning over the figure's words. The truth wasn't kind. He had always known that, hadn't he? But hearing it spoken aloud, with such certainty, was something else entirely.
The compass glowed faintly in his hand, its needle pointing unwaveringly forward. Jason tightened his grip and started walking.
Behind him, Finn followed, his usual banter replaced by a rare silence.
The path ahead stretched into the horizon, darker than ever.