The Shattered Realms series

Kael sat on the edge of the airship's deck, the shard glowing faintly in his palm. The soft hum of its power vibrated through his hand, a constant reminder of what it was—and what he was becoming. Below, the endless expanse of floating realms drifted, their jagged edges veiled in mist. The view should have been awe-inspiring, but Kael felt only unease.

The relic had unlocked something in him, something he didn't fully understand. Since bonding with it, he could feel the energy of the shard coursing through him like a second heartbeat. It whispered to him in moments of quiet, a voice just beneath his thoughts. And it was growing louder.

"Brooding again, are we?"

Kael turned to see Lira leaning against the railing, her arms crossed. Her sharp eyes softened as she stepped closer. "You've been sitting there for hours. What's going on?"

He hesitated, unsure how to put his fears into words. "I... I don't know how to control it," he admitted. "The power—it's like it has a mind of its own. I can feel it pulling at me, trying to take over."

Lira frowned, sitting beside him. "Power doesn't take over, Kael. People let it. You just have to be stronger than it."

Kael laughed bitterly. "That's easy for you to say. You don't have this thing whispering in your head, telling you to do things—things I don't want to do."

"Like what?" Lira asked, her tone cautious.

Kael stared at the shard. "When we were escaping the ruins, I used it to stop the collapse. But for a moment, it wasn't me controlling it—it was the shard. It wanted to go further, to destroy everything. I almost let it."

Lira was silent for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I'm not going to pretend I understand what you're dealing with. But I do know this: you're not alone. You've got me and Erynn. We'll help you figure this out."

Kael shook his head. "What if I can't? What if this thing corrupts me, like it did the others who've used it?"

"Then we'll stop you," Lira said bluntly.

Kael looked at her, startled.

"I'm serious," she continued. "If you lose yourself to this power, I'll be the first to take you down. But until then, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen. Got it?"

Kael couldn't help but smile, despite the weight of her words. "Thanks, I guess."

"Don't mention it," Lira said, standing. "Now, come on. Erynn's been going on about some ancient texts she found, and if we don't show up soon, she'll probably start lecturing the wall."

Kael followed her, the shard still warm in his hand.

---

The airship's small library was cluttered with scrolls and books, most of them spilling over the edges of the lone table. Erynn sat amidst the chaos, her nose buried in a faded tome. She looked up as Kael and Lira entered.

"Finally," she said, pushing her glasses up her nose. "I've been piecing together more about the relics and the Godshards. You're going to want to hear this."

Kael sat down, and Lira leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "What did you find?" he asked.

Erynn tapped the open book in front of her. "The relics are more than just amplifiers for the shards. They're... tests. Each one is designed to challenge the bearer, to see if they're worthy of the power they hold."

"Worthy?" Kael repeated.

Erynn nodded. "The gods created the shards to protect their power after the Sundering, but they didn't want just anyone wielding it. The relics were their way of ensuring only the strong—or the pure-hearted—could access that power."

Kael felt a chill run down his spine. "What happens if someone fails the test?"

Erynn's expression darkened. "The relic consumes them. Their essence, their very being, becomes part of its power."

Lira let out a low whistle. "No pressure, huh?"

Kael leaned back in his chair, the weight of the shard in his pocket suddenly feeling heavier. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I didn't know before," Erynn said. "The texts are fragmented, and most of what we know about the relics comes from myths and half-truths. But now that you've bonded with one, it's clear the legends were right. You've passed the first test, Kael, but there will be more."

Kael rubbed his temples, the beginnings of a headache forming. "Great. More tests. Just what I needed."

Lira smirked. "Hey, at least you're still alive. That's something."

Kael shot her a look, but he couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips.

---

Later that night, Kael stood alone on the deck, the shard glowing faintly in his hand. He focused on its energy, trying to understand it, to control it.

"Alright," he muttered. "Let's try this again."

He closed his eyes and concentrated, reaching out with his mind. The shard's power responded, a warm current flowing through him. He pictured the air around him shifting, forming a protective barrier. Slowly, a faint shimmer appeared, surrounding him in a translucent shield.

But then the shard's energy surged, pushing beyond his control. The shield expanded, crackling with raw power. Kael gritted his teeth, trying to rein it in, but the energy grew wild, lashing out in all directions.

"Stop!" he shouted, pouring all his focus into the shard.

The energy snapped back, and the shield vanished. Kael collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.

"You're trying too hard," a voice said behind him.

He looked up to see Lira standing there, her arms crossed. "Power isn't just about strength, Kael. It's about balance. You have to let it flow, not force it."

Kael frowned. "How do you know that?"

Lira shrugged. "I don't. But I've seen enough fights to know that brute force only gets you so far. The rest is control."

Kael sighed, standing. "It's not that simple."

"Nothing ever is," Lira said. "But you're not going to figure it out by beating yourself up. Come on, get some rest. You're no good to anyone if you're dead on your feet."

Kael hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. But tomorrow, I'm trying again."

Lira smiled. "That's the spirit."

As Kael followed her back inside, he felt a glimmer of hope. The shard's power was a heavy burden, but with Lira and Erynn by his side, maybe—just maybe—he could carry it.