The first light of dawn crept over the horizon, casting a pale glow across the barren expanse ahead. We broke camp early, the tension from the night before still lingering in the air. Lyra walked ahead this time, her usual smirk tempered by an unspoken wariness. Aeryn stayed close to me, her shadows subdued but ever-present, their faint motion betraying her mood.

  The Spire loomed faintly in the distance, a jagged silhouette against the morning sky. It felt closer now, though the miles between us and it stretched endlessly.

  “Not much further,” Lyra said, glancing back at us. “If we push, we’ll reach it by nightfall.”

  Aeryn frowned. “We’ll reach the outskirts. The Spire itself is surrounded by wards and defenses. It won’t be as simple as walking in.”

  Lyra’s grin returned. “Good thing we’ve got a shard-wielding prodigy with us, then.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Right, because I’ve mastered the whole ‘breaking reality’ thing.”

  “Not yet,” Lyra teased, winking.

  Aeryn’s shadows curled faintly, the temperature around us dropping just enough to make me shiver.

  The landscape grew harsher as we pressed on, the earth beneath us splintered and uneven. Faint, glowing cracks lined the ground, each pulsing faintly with an eerie light that sent a chill down my spine.

  “The Rift’s influence is stronger here,” Aeryn said, her voice low. “Stay close.”

  “No kidding,” Lyra muttered, nudging a loose stone with her boot. It tumbled into one of the glowing cracks and vanished without a sound. “That’s not unsettling at all.”

  As we walked, I felt the shard in my pocket grow warmer, its whispers threading through my thoughts. The closer we got to the Spire, the clearer the voices became, their words just on the edge of comprehension.

  “We’re being watched,” Aeryn said suddenly, her hand moving to the hilt of her blade.

  I tensed, glancing around. The air felt heavier now, like the landscape itself was pressing down on us.

  “Watched by who?” Lyra asked, her daggers already in her hands.

  “Not who,” Aeryn said. “What.”

  The first attack came without warning—a shadowy figure lunged from one of the glowing cracks, its body shifting and unstable, like smoke caught in a storm. Its jagged claws swiped at Lyra, who dodged with a curse.

  “Riftlings,” Aeryn hissed, her blade forming in her hand. “Stay together!”

  More of the creatures emerged, their forms twisting and rippling as they moved. Their hollow eyes glowed faintly, fixed on the shard.

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  One of them rushed toward me, its claws outstretched. I raised my hand instinctively, and the shard flared with light. A burst of energy erupted from my palm, striking the creature and sending it sprawling back.

  “Nice,” Lyra called, her daggers flashing as she took down another Riftling. “Starting to get the hang of that thing, huh?”

  “Don’t encourage him,” Aeryn snapped, slicing through a creature with a fluid motion. “The shard reacts to his instincts. If he loses control here, we’re finished.”

  The battle raged, but for every Riftling we took down, more seemed to crawl from the cracks. The shard pulsed erratically in my hand, its whispers urging me to unleash more power.

  “You can’t keep holding back!” Lyra shouted, ducking beneath a swipe and driving her blade into a Riftling’s chest. “Whatever that thing can do, now’s the time to use it!”

  “She’s wrong,” Aeryn countered, her shadows coiling around her like armor. “You don’t need to use more power. You need to use it smarter.”

  “Not helping!” I shouted, dodging another clawed swipe.

  Aeryn’s gaze locked onto mine, even as she fought off two Riftlings at once. “Focus, Sion! The shard responds to intent. Think about what you want it to do—don’t just react.”

  I gritted my teeth, raising the shard as another Riftling lunged at me. Instead of releasing a chaotic burst of energy, I focused on what I needed: precision.

  The shard flared, and a blade of glowing energy formed in my hand, crackling with blue light. I swung it instinctively, the Riftling’s form dissipating as the blade connected.

  “Not bad,” Aeryn said, her tone approving despite the chaos.

  “Show-off,” Lyra muttered, dispatching another creature.

  The ground trembled as a larger figure emerged from one of the cracks, its form towering over the others. Its limbs were elongated and jagged, and its glowing eyes burned with malevolent intelligence.

  “This one’s different,” Aeryn said, her voice tense.

  “Great,” Lyra said, flipping one of her daggers in her hand. “Because this wasn’t hard enough already.”

  The creature’s gaze fixed on me, and I felt the shard’s whispers grow louder, almost overwhelming. It reached out, and the air around me warped, pulling me toward the crack it had emerged from.

  “Sion!” Aeryn shouted, her shadows lashing out to sever the connection.

  I stumbled back, clutching the shard. “What the hell is it doing?”

  “It’s trying to pull you into the Rift,” Aeryn said. “Don’t let it!”

  “Easier said than done!” I shouted, raising the glowing blade in my hand.

  The creature lunged, faster than I expected. I barely managed to parry its strike, the force of the impact sending a shockwave through my arm.

  “Sion!” Aeryn called, her shadows wrapping around the creature’s legs. “Now!”

  I didn’t hesitate. Focusing the shard’s energy, I drove the glowing blade into the creature’s chest. Light erupted from the impact point, and the Riftling let out a distorted, inhuman screech before dissolving into nothing.

  The remaining creatures faltered, their forms flickering and unstable. One by one, they retreated into the cracks, which sealed behind them as if they had never been there.

  The silence that followed was almost deafening.

  I collapsed to my knees, the shard’s glow dimming as the energy left my body. Aeryn was beside me in an instant, her shadows retreating as she placed a steadying hand on my shoulder.

  “You did it,” she said quietly.

  “Barely,” I muttered, my breath ragged.

  Lyra sauntered over, looking far too composed for someone who’d just fought off a swarm of Riftlings. “Not bad, Vale. I’d say you’ve earned a pat on the back, but it looks like shadow queen here has that covered.”

  Aeryn shot her a glare, her hand lingering on my shoulder a moment longer before pulling away.

  “Let’s move,” Aeryn said, standing. “The Riftlings won’t be gone for long.”

  Lyra smirked, but there was a hint of something softer in her gaze. “You’re getting there, Vale. Don’t let her run you ragged.”

  I managed a weak smile, pushing myself to my feet. The Spire loomed closer now, its jagged silhouette a reminder of the battles still to come.