The Shattered Realms series

The Stormchaser descended through thick, swirling mists, the jagged peaks of the floating isle below barely visible in the gloom. Kael peered over the edge of the deck, his heart pounding with anticipation and unease.

"Are you sure this place even exists?" he asked, glancing at Erynn.

Erynn, standing at the helm with a map in hand, gave him a sidelong look. "The hidden city of Atraxis isn't just a myth, Kael. If the accounts I've studied are accurate, it's here. But the mists were designed to deter intruders."

"Great," Lira muttered, gripping the ship's railing. "We're trusting ancient scholars who probably never even set foot here."

Erynn ignored her as the mists parted to reveal a sprawling city built into the side of a massive floating mountain. Atraxis was a marvel of lost architecture, its buildings carved directly into the rock and illuminated by glowing crystals embedded in the walls.

Kael's breath caught. "It's beautiful."

"And dangerous," Erynn said, her voice sharp. "Atraxis was abandoned after the Sundering, but its defenses were left intact. Stay close and don't touch anything unless I tell you to."

The group disembarked and entered the city cautiously. The streets were eerily silent, lined with statues of forgotten gods and murals depicting moments of divine power and mortal rebellion.

Kael paused in front of one mural, his eyes tracing the image of a god wielding a glowing shard to smite an army of mortals. "Is this… what the shards were used for?"

Erynn nodded, her expression grim. "The Godshards were the gods' tools of power. They could create, destroy, and reshape reality itself. But when mortals tried to wield them, it led to the Sundering."

Lira studied the mural with a frown. "So the gods just disappeared after breaking the world? Doesn't seem very godlike."

Erynn hesitated. "The gods didn't simply leave. They were… torn from this reality, their essence scattered. The Sundering wasn't just the breaking of the realms—it was the end of the gods as we knew them."

Kael shivered, the weight of the Godshard in his possession growing heavier. "And now they're waking up again. Why?"

"That's what we're here to find out," Erynn said, motioning for them to follow her deeper into the city.

They arrived at a grand hall, its ceiling stretching high above, supported by massive pillars adorned with runes. At the center of the room stood a pedestal holding a broken artifact—a shattered orb that pulsed faintly with energy.

Erynn approached it reverently. "This is a Fragment of Insight. It contains the collective memories of Atraxis, left behind to guide those who came after."

Kael stepped closer, feeling the hum of power resonating with his shard. "Can it… show us what happened?"

Erynn nodded and placed her hands on the fragment. A wave of light spread through the room, and suddenly, the air was filled with ghostly images.

They saw the gods—towering, radiant beings—standing over a council of mortals. The mortals pleaded for autonomy, but the gods dismissed their concerns with cruel indifference. Then came the rebellion: mortals wielding stolen shards, the realms tearing apart, and the gods vanishing in an explosion of light.

As the vision faded, Kael stumbled back, his head spinning. "The gods… they weren't saviors. They were tyrants."

Erynn's expression was solemn. "Not all of them. But enough to drive mortals to rebellion. The Sundering wasn't just a tragedy—it was a war for freedom."

Lira folded her arms. "And now we're cleaning up their mess."

Kael's fists clenched. "If they were so powerful, why didn't they stop it? Why did they let the realms shatter?"

Erynn placed a hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps the gods weren't as omnipotent as they seemed. Or perhaps they underestimated the will of mortals."

Before Kael could respond, a low rumble echoed through the hall. The runes on the pillars began to glow, and the air grew thick with energy.

"We need to leave," Lira said, drawing her sword. "Now."

Erynn's eyes widened. "The city's defenses have awakened. Run!"

The trio sprinted through the streets of Atraxis as glowing constructs emerged from the walls, their forms shifting and crackling with energy. Kael's heart pounded as he tried to keep up, the Godshard within him pulsing erratically.

"Use the shard!" Lira shouted as one of the constructs closed in.

"I don't know how!" Kael yelled back, panic rising.

"Figure it out, or we're all dead!"

Kael closed his eyes and reached for the shard's power. It surged through him, wild and untamed, and he unleashed it in a wave of light. The construct shattered, but Kael collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.

"That was reckless," Erynn said, helping him up. "But effective. Let's go!"

They barely made it back to the Stormchaser, the city of Atraxis disappearing into the mists as they escaped.

As the ship soared into the open sky, Kael stared at his trembling hands. The Godshard's power was terrifying—but it had saved them.

Erynn placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have potential, Kael. But potential without control will destroy you."

Kael nodded, his resolve hardening. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he was determined to master the power of the shard—and uncover the truth about the gods.