The air crackled with tension as the figure from the Shadow Realm stepped into the flickering light. Cloaked in darkness, their face was hidden, but the cold malice in their gaze was unmistakable.
Kaelen kept his sword raised, muscles coiled. "State your purpose," he demanded, voice steady.
The figure's lips curled into a thin smile. "You meddle with forces beyond your understanding. The shards do not belong to you—or to any realm."
Liora moved to Kaelen's side, water magic swirling at her fingertips. "We seek only to restore balance. If you wish to stop us, you'll have to try harder."
Without warning, the shadow figure lashed out, tendrils of darkness snaking toward them. Kaelen slashed through the first, his blade glowing with the fire shard's energy. Liora summoned a shield of water, deflecting another attack.
But the shadow's power was overwhelming. The ground beneath them trembled, and Kaelen felt a chill seep into his bones—a fear that threatened to paralyze him.
Suddenly, a memory flashed in his mind: his childhood in the Fire Realm, his mother's warning about the darkness that lurked beyond the flames. "Never let fear control you," she had said.
Drawing strength from the memory, Kaelen surged forward, breaking through the shadow's assault. Liora followed, her magic crashing like waves against the darkness.
The figure faltered, shadows flickering. With a final burst of light and water, Kaelen and Liora forced the intruder back. The shadow melted into the mist, leaving only a whisper: "This is only the beginning."
Breathing hard, Kaelen turned to Liora. "We need allies. The shards are waking, and the shadows are growing bolder."
Liora nodded, determination in her eyes. "Then we must travel to the Air Realm. If anyone can help us, it's the Skyward Sages."
As dawn broke over the fractured land, the two set out—united by purpose, shadowed by threat, and driven by hope for a world restored