The morning sun crept over the horizon, its light casting long, jagged shadows across the Shattered Plains. The air was colder than it had been the night before, carrying with it a faint hum of tension.

  I sat with my back against the stone wall of the alcove, the shard resting in my palm. Its faint blue glow reflected in my eyes as I turned it over, trying to make sense of the vision I’d just had.

  Aeryn crouched near the dying embers of the fire, her gaze distant. Her shadows curled and stretched, mimicking her restless thoughts.

  “You’re awake,” she said without looking at me.

  “Hard to sleep when the Rift keeps sending me nightmares,” I replied, slipping the shard back into my pocket.

  She stood and brushed the dust from her coat. “What did it show you this time?”

  I hesitated. “It spoke to me again. About the Threads, the shard… Kael.”

  Aeryn’s posture stiffened slightly at the name, but her face remained unreadable. “And?”

  “It said he’ll decide my fate,” I said. “Or I’ll destroy him.”

  She turned, her violet eyes locking onto mine. “You need to be ready for him, Vale. Kael isn’t like the bounty hunters or the Nightmares. He’s stronger, smarter, and far more dangerous.”

  I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “What’s his deal, then? What does he want?”

  “To stop you,” Aeryn said simply. “He thinks your existence is a threat to the Threads. And he might not be wrong.”

  “Great,” I muttered, standing and stretching. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “Simple,” she said, her smirk returning. “We survive.”

  The Shattered Plains seemed even more desolate in the light of day. The jagged rocks jutted from the ground like broken teeth, their edges worn smooth by the relentless wind. The faint golden glow of the rune-like symbols pulsed beneath the surface, a constant reminder of the Rift’s influence.

  Aeryn led the way, her steps sure and deliberate. She’d loosened her coat, revealing the faint gleam of a rune etched into her collarbone. I’d noticed it before but hadn’t dared to ask.

  “Those runes,” I said finally, breaking the silence. “What are they?”

  She glanced back at me, her expression wary. “Marks of the Rift,” she said. “They keep me tied to the Threads. A reminder of the price I’ve paid.”

  “And what happens if you… lose one?”

  Her smirk was humorless. “I lose myself.”

  I didn’t press further.

  We were halfway across the plains when I felt it—a faint, oppressive weight pressing against my chest.

  “Aeryn,” I said, stopping in my tracks. “Do you feel that?”

  She nodded, her shadows already coiling around her. “We’re being followed.”

  I turned, scanning the horizon. At first, I saw nothing but the endless expanse of jagged rock and glowing runes. But then, a figure appeared—a silhouette against the pale sky, tall and broad-shouldered.

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  “Kael,” Aeryn said, her voice low.

  As he approached, his figure became clearer. His armor gleamed in the sunlight, a blend of polished steel and scorched leather. A massive blade rested on his shoulder, its edge glowing faintly with an unnatural heat. His fiery hair and sharp features made him look more like a warlord than a hero.

  “Well,” Kael said, stopping a few paces away. “If it isn’t the thief and his shadow.”

  “Kael,” I said, stepping back instinctively. “Nice of you to catch up.”

  “Save the pleasantries,” he said, his tone light but dangerous. “You’ve been running long enough, Sion Vale. Time to face the consequences.”

  Aeryn stepped in front of me, her shadow blade forming in her hand. “You don’t want to do this, Kael.”

  “Oh, but I do,” Kael said, his grin sharp. “He needs to be tested, Aeryn. I’ve been itching for a fight anyway.”

  “You’re wasting your time,” she said coldly. “He’s not your enemy.”

  Kael tilted his head, his fiery eyes locking onto me. “The Threads say otherwise. Or do you not remember what you’ve done, thief?”

  “I don’t,” I said honestly. “But I’m starting to think everyone else does.”

  His grin widened. “Then let me remind you. You stole a core Thread. You fractured the fate of this world. Every Nightmare, every Rift—it all leads back to you.”

  I clenched my fists, the shard in my pocket pulsing faintly. “I didn’t mean to—”

  “Intent doesn’t matter,” Kael interrupted. “The damage is done.” He raised his blade, its fiery edge flaring. “And now, it’s my job to see how your resolve is holding.”

  Kael moved faster than I thought possible, his blade cutting through the air with a roar of fire. Aeryn met his strike, her shadow blade clashing against the burning weapon. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, forcing me to stumble back.

  “Stay out of this!” Aeryn shouted over her shoulder.

  I didn’t argue. My hands trembled as I gripped the shard, its heat spreading through my veins. The whispers in my head were louder now, urging me to act.

  Fracture the blade. Break it apart.

  “No,” I muttered, shaking my head. “Not yet.”

  Aeryn was holding her own, but barely. Kael’s strikes were relentless, his blade a blur of fire and steel. Her shadows twisted and surged, blocking and countering with impressive precision, but she was being pushed back step by step.

  “You’re slowing down, Aeryn,” Kael taunted, his voice calm. “All those memories weighing you down?”

  “Keep talking,” she snapped, darting forward. Her blade lashed out, striking Kael’s shoulder, but his armor absorbed most of the impact.

  As the fight raged on, I noticed something—the glowing runes on the ground near Kael’s feet were pulsing in time with the shard. It wasn’t just reacting to him; it was connected to him.

  “Aeryn!” I called, moving closer. “Keep him distracted!”

  “What do you think I’m doing?” she shouted, narrowly dodging another fiery strike.

  I knelt, pressing the shard to the ground. Its light flared, and I focused on the runes, imagining their patterns fracturing and disrupting Kael’s connection to them.

  The shard hummed, and the ground beneath Kael cracked. He stumbled, his blade faltering for a moment.

  Aeryn didn’t waste the opening. Her shadows surged forward, wrapping around Kael’s legs and pulling him off balance.

  Kael growled, his fiery blade igniting with renewed intensity. He swung it in a wide arc, severing the shadows and forcing Aeryn back. His gaze locked onto me, his eyes blazing.

  “Clever,” he said, striding toward me. “But not clever enough.”

  Kael stopped just a few feet away, his blade hovering in the air between us. The heat radiating from it was almost unbearable.

  “You’re not ready for this, Vale,” he said. “Give me the shard. Let me end this before it’s too late.”

  I swallowed hard, gripping the shard tightly. “You don’t get to decide what happens to me.”

  “Neither do you,” Kael replied, his voice soft but dangerous.

  The tension hung heavy in the air, and for a moment, none of us moved.

  Then Aeryn stepped between us, her shadow blade raised. “Back off, Kael. You’ve made your point.”

  Kael’s fiery eyes flicked to her, and after a long pause, he lowered his blade. “This isn’t over,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “I’ll be seeing you, thief.”

  With that, he turned and walked away, his figure disappearing into the distance.

  I let out a shaky breath, the shard’s glow finally dimming. Aeryn turned to me, her violet eyes sharp.

  “You’re reckless,” she said.

  “I’m alive,” I replied, leaning against the nearest rock. “That’s what matters, right?”

  She didn’t respond, her gaze drifting to the horizon.

  “We need to keep moving,” she said finally. “Kael won’t stop, and the next time we face him, you’d better be ready.”

  “Can’t wait,” I muttered, pushing myself to my feet.

  As we continued across the plains, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Kael was right.

  I wasn’t ready.

  Not yet.