Volume 2: Shards of Unity
Chapter 9: Echoes of the Forgotten
Eryth's steps were heavy as they followed Kael through the labyrinthine ruins. Every few moments, they would glance down at the shard in their hand, its glow an unrelenting reminder of its hunger. The voice they'd heard earlier lingered in their mind like a venomous whisper.
"Feed me. I will protect you."
Nyx padded beside them, its sharp eyes darting around the crumbling city. Occasionally, it would growl softly, as if sensing danger that no one else could see.
Kael remained silent, his expression unreadable. When he finally spoke, his voice was tense. "We need to move quickly. The shard's energy will attract others, just like it drew that masked creature. And not all of them will be so… restrained."
"Restrained?" Eryth snapped. "It nearly killed us! What do you mean, 'restrained'?"
Kael glanced at them, his jaw tightening. "It was testing you. If it wanted you dead, you wouldn't be standing here. That thing was looking for something."
"What?" Eryth pressed.
Kael hesitated, then shook his head. "I don't know. But if it shows up again, we won't be so lucky."
The City Beneath the Sand
The group emerged into a massive plaza surrounded by broken statues and toppled columns. At the center stood an obelisk, its surface covered in glowing blue runes that pulsed faintly in the darkness.
Kael approached it cautiously, his staff held at the ready. "This is it. The heart of the city."
Eryth raised an eyebrow. "Looks more like a graveyard to me."
Kael shot them a glare. "It's a graveyard because of the Sovereign. This city was a sanctuary for Shardbearers and their allies before it was destroyed. If we're lucky, we might find something here that can help us."
He placed a hand on the obelisk, muttering under his breath. The runes flared brighter, and the ground beneath them began to shift.
Eryth took a step back as a section of the plaza opened, revealing a staircase spiraling down into the earth. A cold breeze wafted up from below, carrying the faint scent of ash.
"This… doesn't feel safe," Eryth said, gripping the shard tightly.
Kael smirked. "It's not. But it's the only place the Sovereign's forces didn't reach. Whatever's down there has been hidden for centuries."
Nyx let out a low growl, standing at the edge of the staircase. Its fur bristled, and its eyes glowed faintly in the dim light.
Kael glanced at the creature, his smirk fading. "If it doesn't like this, we should be prepared for the worst."
The Forgotten Library
The staircase led to a vast chamber lined with towering shelves carved from black stone. Each shelf was filled with ancient tomes, scrolls, and strange artifacts that glowed faintly in the darkness.
Kael's eyes lit up with excitement. "The Forgotten Library. I didn't think it would still be intact."
"What is this place?" Eryth asked, their voice echoing in the cavernous space.
"A repository of knowledge," Kael said, running his fingers over the spines of the books. "This is where Shardbearers recorded their discoveries, their battles, their sacrifices. If there's anything that can help us understand your shard, it's here."
Eryth glanced around uneasily. The air felt heavy, almost alive. The shard in their hand pulsed faintly, as if reacting to the energy in the room.
Nyx sniffed the air, its growl deepening.
Kael didn't seem to notice. He had already pulled a massive tome from one of the shelves and was flipping through its pages. "There's so much here… I don't even know where to start."
Eryth's attention was drawn to a pedestal at the center of the chamber. On it rested a strange device—a circular frame made of gold and silver, with a glowing crystal at its center.
"What's that?" Eryth asked, pointing to the device.
Kael glanced up and frowned. "Don't touch it. That's a Focus. It was used by Shardbearers to amplify their abilities, but it's incredibly unstable."
Eryth took a step closer, their curiosity outweighing their caution. The shard in their hand pulsed again, brighter this time.
As they approached the Focus, the crystal within it flared to life, projecting an image into the air.
A Vision of the Past
The image showed a battlefield—a massive army clashing against monstrous creatures wreathed in shadow. At the center of the chaos stood a figure cloaked in golden light, wielding a shard that glowed like a star.
"That's… a Shardbearer," Kael said, his voice hushed. "One of the last who fought against the Sovereign."
The vision shifted, showing the Shardbearer falling to their knees, their light dimming as the shadows closed in around them.
Eryth's chest tightened. "They lost."
Kael nodded grimly. "Most of them did. That's why the Sovereign was able to take control. The shards that weren't destroyed were scattered, hidden to keep them out of the Sovereign's hands."
The vision faded, and the Focus went dark. Eryth stared at it, their mind racing.
"That shard," Kael said, pointing to the one in Eryth's hand, "could be one of theirs. It might have been wielded by a Shardbearer in that war."
"Then why does it feel so… wrong?" Eryth asked, their voice barely above a whisper.
Kael hesitated, then shook his head. "Shards are a reflection of their bearers. If its last wielder fell to darkness…" He trailed off, his meaning clear.
A Sudden Attack
Before Eryth could respond, Nyx let out a furious roar, its claws digging into the stone floor.
The chamber's shadows began to shift and writhe, coalescing into a familiar figure.
The masked stranger stepped forward, their robes billowing like smoke. "You've come far," they said, their voice echoing in the chamber. "But you're playing with forces beyond your comprehension."
Kael stepped in front of Eryth, his staff glowing. "What do you want?"
The stranger's mask tilted slightly. "I want what everyone wants. Power. And your shard holds more of it than you realize."
The shadows around the stranger surged forward, taking the shape of monstrous beasts.
Kael raised his staff, his voice steady. "Get ready. This isn't going to be easy."
Eryth tightened their grip on the shard, its glow intensifying as the battle began.