The Shattered Realms series

The air grew colder the deeper Kael descended into the fissure. The wind that had screamed at the surface now seemed to vanish entirely, leaving an eerie silence broken only by the crunch of loose stones beneath his boots. His lantern cast flickering light over jagged rocks, but it was the golden glow ahead that guided his steps.

The shard pulsed with an almost hypnotic rhythm, like the beat of a giant heart buried within the earth. Kael couldn't tear his eyes away. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen—smooth and crystalline, yet alive with shifting patterns of light.

When he reached the bottom, he hesitated. The shard was half-buried in the dirt, surrounded by fractured stone. It didn't look like something of this world. Cautiously, Kael stepped closer, his fingers tingling as he extended a hand toward it.

The moment his fingertips brushed its surface, the world around him dissolved.

Kael was no longer in the fissure.

He stood on a vast, floating plain, the sky above him churning with storms of gold and violet. Towering figures moved in the distance—humanoid shapes wrapped in blinding light. Their voices were a thunderous roar, yet he could understand every word.

"They dare to defy us."

"The balance must be restored."

"We must act, or all will be lost."

The vision shifted, and Kael saw the gods themselves. Majestic and terrible, they clashed in a battle that shook the heavens. Lightning fractured the skies, and mountains crumbled into the clouds. As the gods struck each other down, Kael felt their power ripping through reality itself.

Then came the Sundering.

The floating plain shattered into countless islands, and the gods vanished in a blinding explosion of light. Only the shards remained, scattered across the skies.

Kael gasped as he was pulled from the vision, collapsing to his knees in the fissure. His chest heaved, his mind reeling from the overwhelming images. The shard pulsed brighter now, its glow seeping into his skin. He felt it—power, raw and untamed, surging through him.

"Kael!"

A voice above startled him. He looked up to see Mira peering over the edge of the fissure, her face pale with fear. "The raiders—they're here! They've already set the village on fire!"

Kael staggered to his feet, the shard still clutched in his hand. He could feel its power now, thrumming like a second heartbeat.

"Stay back, Mira! I'll handle this."

"Handle this?" she cried. "You can't fight them! They'll kill you!"

Kael didn't answer. He didn't know what he was going to do, but something deep inside him told him the shard had chosen him for a reason. As he climbed out of the fissure, the hum of the Godshard filled his ears, guiding his steps.

Skyfall was in chaos. Flames licked at the wooden homes, and smoke filled the air. Raiders swarmed through the streets, their weapons glinting in the firelight. Kael's stomach twisted as he saw Toren, the old mechanic, lying motionless near his workshop.

One of the raiders turned toward him—a brute of a man with a scar running down his cheek. "Look at this one," the raider sneered. "Another scrap rat trying to play hero."

Kael's hands tightened around the shard. He could feel its energy coursing through him, begging to be unleashed. The raider charged, swinging a rusted blade toward Kael's head.

Instinct took over. Kael raised his free hand, and a burst of golden light erupted from his palm. The raider was thrown back, crashing into a pile of crates with a stunned yell.

The other raiders froze, their eyes widening as they stared at Kael.

"What is he?" one of them muttered.

Kael didn't have an answer. He felt the shard's power building inside him, more than he thought he could control. He turned toward the other raiders, his voice steady despite the fear twisting in his gut. "Leave. Now."

For a moment, it seemed like they might run. But then a new figure stepped forward—a man in black armor, his face hidden behind a jagged mask. He carried a massive blade, and the way the raiders shrank back from him told Kael all he needed to know.

"Interesting," the masked man said, his voice low and smooth. "The shard has chosen you."

Kael felt his blood run cold. "Who are you?"

The man tilted his head, studying Kael like a predator sizing up its prey. "You're not ready for this power, boy. Hand it over before it destroys you."

Kael tightened his grip on the shard. "Never."

The man sighed, almost regretfully. "So be it."

He moved faster than Kael thought possible, his blade cutting through the air with deadly precision. Kael raised his hand again, and another burst of golden light erupted, colliding with the blade in a shower of sparks. The force of the impact sent Kael stumbling back, his heart pounding.

"You can't control it," the man said, his voice like steel. "The shard will consume you."

Kael didn't listen. He could feel the power of the Godshard flowing through him, guiding his movements. He dodged another strike, the world around him slowing as the shard sharpened his senses.

But the power came