The Shattered Plains stretched endlessly in every direction, their jagged scars cutting across the earth like open wounds. The air was thin and cold, biting through my coat with every gust of wind. The eerie golden glow of rune-like symbols etched into the ground pulsed faintly beneath our feet, the only sign of life in an otherwise desolate wasteland.

  We walked in silence, the tension between us thick enough to taste. Aeryn moved with her usual confidence, her silver braid swaying as her shadows coiled lazily around her ankles. She hadn’t said much since we’d left the safety of Zephyris, and I wasn’t sure if it was because she was focused or just in a bad mood.

  “You’re quiet,” I said finally, trying to break the silence.

  “Thinking,” she replied without looking back.

  “That’s ominous.”

  She stopped abruptly, turning just enough to give me one of her trademark smirks. “Don’t worry, Vale. If I wanted to kill you, I’d have done it by now.”

  “Not as comforting as you think it is,” I muttered, clutching the shard in my pocket.

  By midday, we reached a jagged fissure carved deep into the rocky plains. Its edges were lined with glowing symbols, intricate patterns that twisted and looped like vines. The air here felt heavier, charged with a faint static that made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

  Aeryn crouched at the edge of the fissure, tracing a finger along one of the symbols. “This is new.”

  “New how?” I asked, taking a cautious step closer.

  “These symbols,” she said, gesturing to the glowing runes. “They’re active.”

  “Active?”

  She straightened, brushing dust off her coat. “Most of the fractures out here are dormant. They hold the Rift in place, keep it from spreading. But this…” She pointed to the symbols. “Something’s waking it up.”

  As if on cue, the shard in my pocket began to pulse harder, its warmth spreading through my hand. The whispers I’d been trying to ignore grew louder, threading through my thoughts like an unwelcome song.

  “What’s it doing?” Aeryn asked sharply, her violet eyes narrowing.

  “It’s… reacting,” I said, pulling the shard out. Its light flared, casting jagged shadows across the ground.

  Before either of us could move, the fissure erupted with light. The glowing symbols twisted, their patterns warping into something jagged and chaotic. A deep, guttural growl echoed from the fissure’s depths, and the air grew colder.

  “Aeryn,” I said, taking a step back.

  “Stay behind me,” she snapped, her shadow blade forming in her hand.

  The first creature to emerge was vaguely human-shaped, though its proportions were all wrong—limbs too long, head tilted at an unnatural angle. Its hollow eyes glowed faintly yellow, and its body shimmered like oil on water.

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  It let out a shriek that made my teeth vibrate, and more shapes began crawling out of the fissure, their twisted forms moving with jerky, unnatural speed.

  “Nightmares,” Aeryn muttered, her blade at the ready. “Perfect.”

  The first Nightmare lunged, its claws slicing through the air. Aeryn met it head-on, her blade cutting cleanly through its torso. The creature let out a keening wail as it dissolved into smoke, but more were already swarming forward.

  I stumbled back, clutching the shard as its whispers grew louder. The heat coursing through my veins was almost unbearable, but I couldn’t let it take over.

  “Focus, Vale!” Aeryn shouted, parrying another attack.

  “Working on it!” I shot back, raising the shard.

  The power surged through me, and I directed it at the ground beneath the Nightmares. The earth cracked, splitting into jagged fragments that sent the creatures tumbling.

  Aeryn wasted no time, her shadows surging forward to crush the remaining Nightmares. “You’re learning,” she said, her tone begrudgingly impressed.

  “Not fast enough!” I replied, stumbling as the shard’s energy flared again.

  As the battle continued, I noticed something strange: the runes along the fissure’s edge pulsed in time with the shard’s glow. It was like they were connected—two parts of the same chaotic whole.

  “Aeryn!” I called, dodging a Nightmare’s claws. “Can you hold them off for a minute?”

  “What do you think I’m doing?” she snapped, cutting down another creature.

  Taking a deep breath, I focused on the shard. Its light flared brighter as I reached out with its power, imagining the runes fracturing, their intricate patterns breaking apart.

  The symbols flickered, their glow dimming. The Nightmares faltered, their movements slowing as if they were losing energy.

  Aeryn noticed immediately, dispatching the remaining creatures with ruthless efficiency. “What did you do?” she asked, her shadows retreating as she approached me.

  “Just a little improvisation,” I said, grinning despite the pounding in my head.

  The last Nightmare dissolved into smoke, and the fissure’s glow faded, leaving only the faint hum of the shard.

  Aeryn gave me a long, appraising look. “You’re reckless, Vale.”

  “But effective,” I said, leaning against a nearby rock.

  Her smirk returned, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

  By nightfall, we’d found a small alcove in the cliffs. Aeryn set up a faint magical barrier—just enough to deter anything wandering too close. The air was cold and biting, and the stars above seemed sharper, clearer, than they ever had in Zephyris.

  I slumped against the wall, my limbs heavy and my head pounding. The shard had finally dimmed, but its whispers were still there, faint but insistent.

  “You’re getting better,” Aeryn said, sitting across from me.

  “High praise,” I said, closing my eyes. “Coming from you.”

  She shrugged, pulling a small flask from her coat and taking a sip before tossing it to me. “Don’t let it go to your head. You almost got us killed.”

  “Almost,” I muttered, taking a tentative sip. The liquid burned as it went down, but the warmth spread through me, easing some of the ache in my limbs.

  Aeryn leaned back, her shadows curling lazily around her. “You’re not afraid of it, are you?”

  “The shard?” I asked, holding it up. Its faint glow reflected in her eyes.

  “It’s alive, Vale,” she said quietly. “Not like you or me, but it has a will. The more you use it, the more it’ll pull at you. Twist you.”

  “And yet you’re still helping me,” I said, meeting her gaze.

  She didn’t look away. “Because if you lose control, the consequences will be worse than anything you can imagine.”

  That night, the shard flared again, and the Rift claimed me.

  The chaos surrounded me—colors and shadows swirling together into a vortex of sound and light. The voices rose to a deafening roar, but one cut through the rest, sharp and deliberate.

  “Sion Vale.”

  The shadowy figure from my earlier visions stepped out of the chaos, its form shifting and rippling like smoke caught in a storm.

  “You cannot escape,” it said, its voice both a whisper and a roar. “The blade must cut.”

  “What do you want from me?” I demanded, my voice trembling.

  “Your memories,” it said simply. “Your choices. Your will. You stole the shard, Sion Vale. You broke the Threads. Now you must pay the price.”

  Images flashed before me—Zephyris, the Spire, and a figure shrouded in fire. Kael.

  “Who is he?” I asked, my voice shaking.

  The shadow tilted its head. “The one who will decide your fate. Or the one you will destroy.”

  The vision shattered, and I woke with a gasp.