The Shattered Realms series

The air was heavy with tension as Kael and Erynn stepped into the heart of the ruins. The chamber was vast, its ceiling so high it disappeared into shadows. Ancient symbols etched into the walls glowed faintly, pulsating like a heartbeat. In the center of the room, atop a pedestal of jagged stone, lay the relic: a crystalline orb that radiated an otherworldly light.

"This is it," Erynn whispered, her voice reverent. "One of the Godshard's relics."

Kael felt the shard in his pocket react, its energy surging as if calling out to the orb. His steps faltered.

"What's wrong?" Erynn asked, noticing his hesitation.

"It's...pulling me," Kael said, his voice unsteady. "I can feel it."

Erynn placed a hand on his arm. "The relics are tied to the shards. They amplify their power—and their burden. Be careful."

Kael nodded, steeling himself as he approached the pedestal. The orb's glow intensified with each step, bathing him in its light. When he reached out to touch it, a wave of energy coursed through him, nearly knocking him off his feet.

The room shifted.

Suddenly, Kael wasn't in the chamber anymore. He stood in a vast, endless void filled with swirling lights and shadows. In the distance, towering figures loomed—beings of immense power and majesty. He recognized them from the murals and stories: the gods.

"Kael," a voice boomed, echoing all around him.

He turned, searching for the source. "Who's there?"

"You hold the shard. You awaken the relic," the voice continued. "But do you understand the price of what you seek?"

Kael's hand tightened around the shard, its heat searing into his palm. "I don't care about the price. I just want to stop the Empire, save my friends, and—"

"And what?" the voice interrupted, growing colder. "Save the world? The world is broken, mortal. It has been since the Sundering."

Images flashed before Kael's eyes: the gods in their prime, shaping the realms; their downfall, a cataclysmic battle that tore the skies apart; and the shards scattering like fragments of a shattered mirror.

"These relics," the voice said, "are not tools of salvation. They are remnants of a war that should never have been fought. Do you truly believe you can wield this power without being consumed by it?"

Kael swallowed hard, his resolve wavering.

"Answer!" the voice demanded.

"I don't know!" Kael shouted. "But I have to try."

The void trembled, and the figures of the gods began to fade.

"Then your trial begins," the voice said. "Prove yourself, or be destroyed."

Kael snapped back to reality as the chamber trembled. The orb floated above the pedestal, its light growing brighter, harsher. Erynn shouted something, but her voice was drowned out by the deafening hum of energy.

Kael raised the shard, and the two artifacts resonated, their energies colliding. Pain shot through his body, but he held his ground, focusing on the connection between the shard and the relic. Slowly, the orb's chaotic light began to calm, its glow synchronizing with the shard.

With a final surge, the orb's energy flowed into the shard, and the room fell silent. Kael collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.

"You did it," Erynn said, rushing to his side.

Kael looked at the shard in his hand. It was no longer faintly glowing—it now burned with a radiant, golden light. He could feel its power coursing through him, stronger than before.

"What...just happened?" he asked.

"The relic and the shard have bonded," Erynn explained, awe in her voice. "It's unlocked more of the shard's power—and yours."

Kael stood, unsteady but determined. He reached out with his mind, testing the shard's newfound abilities. He could feel the air around him responding, shifting at his will. A small gust swirled around him, lifting dust and debris before fading.

"This is incredible," he said, a hint of a smile breaking through his exhaustion.

"It's also dangerous," Erynn warned. "The more power you tap into, the harder it will be to control. You've already seen what happens when you lose control."

Kael's smile faded as he remembered the ambush, the soldiers he'd hurt, and Lira's capture. He clenched his fist around the shard.

"I'll control it," he said firmly. "I have to."

Their moment of triumph was cut short by a distant rumble.

"That doesn't sound good," Kael muttered.

Erynn scanned the room, her expression darkening. "The relic's activation must have triggered something. We need to leave—now."

As if in response, the chamber began to collapse. Stones fell from the ceiling, and cracks spread across the floor.

"Run!" Erynn shouted, grabbing Kael's arm.

They sprinted toward the exit, dodging falling debris and leaping over widening chasms. The entire ruin was collapsing around them, and Kael could feel the shard's power pulling at him, urging him to act.

"Hold on!" he yelled, focusing on the shard.

A burst of energy erupted from his hand, forming a shield that deflected the falling stones. It drained him, but it gave them the time they needed to reach the surface.

They emerged into the open air just as the ruins crumbled behind them, a massive cloud of dust rising into the sky.

"That was too close," Erynn said, panting.

Kael nodded, clutching the shard as its glow dimmed slightly. He looked at Erynn, his resolve stronger than ever.

"We have to keep moving," he said. "If this is what one relic can do, I can't imagine what the Empire will do with the others."

Erynn gave him a small, approving smile. "Then let's make sure they don't get the chance."

Together, they set off, the weight of Kael's destiny heavier than ever.