The air was dense with silence.
After the clash with the guardian beast of the second fragment, Liam and the others found temporary refuge in a hidden grove protected by ancient warding runes. Kael sat cross-legged beneath a crystalline tree, sharpening his wind-blades with rhythmic precision. Nyra lay on her back, exhausted, her fingers twitching from overexertion. Beside her, a faint shimmer of her last summon flickered and disappeared.
Liam sat near the campfire, staring at the second glowing shard they had risked everything to acquire. It pulsed faintly in his palm, resonating with something inside him—something he didn't understand. His vision blurred for a second, and again, that whisper returned.
"Return what was broken..."
He blinked. "Did anyone else hear that?" he asked, trying to mask the panic in his voice.
Aeris glanced up from her map. "What did it say this time?"
"Same voice. Same phrase. But... louder. Like it's closer."
Kael stopped sharpening his blades. "This is the third time this week, Liam. You sure it's not just exhaustion?"
Liam didn't answer. The fire crackled between them, its warmth doing little to comfort him.
Nyra sat up slowly. "There's something... wrong with the air here. I can feel it in the mana. Like the realm is... sighing."
Aeris folded the map and stood. Her usual cold demeanor softened. "We need to move. The more fragments we collect, the more unstable the realm becomes."
Kael frowned. "You said there are seven. We only have two. If this is what happens at two, what's gonna happen when we get to five? Or all of them?"
No one answered.
Meanwhile, in the Human World
A faint breeze rustled the old wind chimes outside a cottage nestled deep in the forest.
Elira stirred in her sleep, her brow furrowed. The dream returned.
Shattered mirrors.
A young man with glowing eyes.
A woman screaming in the dark.
She woke with a start, clutching her chest. "That boy again... who is he?"
Footsteps echoed from the hallway. A woman entered, her long silver hair braided down her back, a pendant glowing softly at her chest.
"Another dream, child?"
Elira nodded slowly. "I think I knew him. Or maybe I will. I don't know."
The woman smiled faintly. "The veil between our world and theirs is thinning. Soon, you'll remember. Until then, trust your instincts. And stay hidden."
Elira frowned. "Why am I hiding? Why am I here at all?"
The woman hesitated. "Because you're not from this world. And neither is the boy."
Back in the Realm
Aeris climbed to a nearby ridge. She stared at the horizon where a faint shimmer marked the boundary of their current zone. Beyond it was unknown territory. More dangers. Possibly more fragments.
From her coat, she retrieved a small crystal orb. It pulsed with blue light. She activated it.
A voice spoke: _"Report."
"They have the second fragment. Liam is beginning to hear the realm."
_"And the spellbook?"
"Still fragmented. But... something's off. The resonance is split."
_"The other half is in the human world. You know what must be done."
Aeris hesitated. "Yes. But they can't know yet. Especially Liam."
The voice faded.
Aeris crushed the orb between her fingers.
As night fell, Liam couldn't sleep. He stepped away from the camp, holding the fragment. It glowed faintly.
In the reflection of a pool of water, he saw not his own face—but a woman's. Her eyes were filled with sorrow. Her lips moved, but he couldn't hear.
"Who are you?" he whispered.
The image faded.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him shook. A howl echoed through the grove. Something was coming.
He ran back. "We've got company!"
From the trees, shadows slithered forward—not creatures of the realm, but something... darker. Foreign.
Nyra tried to summon, but only sparks flickered.
Kael unsheathed his blades. "We don't have time to run. We fight."
Liam clenched the fragment in his hand. This time, he wouldn't lose control. He had to protect them.
As the shadows lunged, his body glowed again—and this time, a symbol etched itself into his arm.
Aeris's eyes widened. "That mark... it's beginning."
The battle began in a blaze of fire, wind, and chaos.
Far away, in the human world, Elira stared at her hands.
For the first time in years, they glowed.
"He's close..."