The Vault was behind them, but its echo lingered.
Each footstep away from the basin felt heavier than the last. Though the storm had eased, the world beyond had changed—subtly, unnervingly. Snow no longer fell the same way. The wind had a rhythm. The Rift had left its mark.
Arix walked in silence.
The shard embedded in his chest pulsed steadily, not in pain but in awareness. It was fully awake now. Not separate from him, but not entirely his either. It whispered with every breath, interpreting the air around him, reading vibrations in the snow. Awareness bled into intuition.
Calyx walked beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost brushed. She hadn't said much since the fight in the Vault. But her presence was constant. Solid.
"You've crossed something," she said finally, without looking at him.
He nodded. "I felt it."
"I've seen fragment wielders before. No one's adapted this fast."
"I'm not sure it's me adapting."
Kael's voice came through the comms. "We've got company. Skies are too quiet—no scout drones, no stormbirds. I don't like it."
"Eyes sharp," Calyx responded. "Selis, status on Thorne?"
"Stable. He's walking, but that hit cracked at least two ribs. I've got him dosed and reinforced. He's still swinging like a boulder."
"Good," Calyx replied. "Keep tight formation. We don't know how far Obsidian's watching."
They crested a ridge. Below lay an old convoy route—abandoned haulers buried in drifts, their hulls scarred by age and fire. A good place for an ambush. Calyx signaled for a staggered advance.
The descent was slow, deliberate. Kael took point, sweeping the path for tripwires and sensors. Arix moved beside Calyx, eyes scanning the exposed sections of rock and metal. The deeper they went, the more the echo grew in his chest—an undercurrent of tension that had nothing to do with fear.
As they moved between the wrecks, Arix felt the echo shift.
> [Warning: Ambience Disruption Detected – High Resonance Echoes Nearby]
"Stop," he whispered. "Something's here."
Calyx raised her hand.
And then the snow exploded.
Figures erupted from the ground—Obsidian elite. Their armor was darker now, etched with Rift-veins. Their weapons shimmered with augmented charge. Faster. Stronger.
The ambush had begun.
Kael fired first, dropping one, but more came. Thorne grunted and swung wide, scattering two before clutching his side. Selis moved to cover him, pulling her shield up just in time to block a pulse blast.
Arix moved instinctively.
> [Ability: Echo Shift Activated]
[New Trait: Echo Trace – Delayed Movement Shadows Created]
He split in two—an afterimage dancing forward while he struck from the side. His blade pierced the first enemy's chest. Another Obsidian rushed him. Arix twisted, backstepped through a haze of violet shimmer, and let the Echo Trace take the hit before countering.
Calyx fought near him, precise and silent, watching his back without needing to speak. Their movements had become synchronized in a way that was more than training.
Arix saw her stagger. A shot caught her in the leg.
He caught her before she fell.
They hit the snow hard, but he shielded her. Her breath hissed between her teeth.
"I'm fine," she said, voice tight.
"Stay down," he replied, rising again.
He surged forward, fury controlled by focus. Another enemy dropped. Then another. The shard guided him, but it wasn't just the power—it was the need to keep her safe. To keep them safe.
The fight didn't last long. But it cost them. Blood stained the ice. Armor hissed with steam and cracked plating. The last Obsidian fell with a gurgle, and silence returned like a slap.
Kael limped into view, bleeding from his shoulder. "They're adapting. That wasn't a scout unit."
"No," Calyx said from where she sat, leg wrapped in Selis's temporary brace. "That was a hit squad."
Selis nodded grimly. "They knew where we'd be."
Arix stood in the center, breathing hard, surrounded by silence and the dead.
He looked at his hands—one still holding Calyx's. He hadn't even noticed.
> [System Log: Echo Surge Stabilized – Divergence Path Strengthened]
[Emotional Anchor: Confirmed]
He didn't let go.
And Calyx didn't pull away.
They stayed like that a moment longer, then finally stood.
Behind them, the snow began to fall again—but the flakes glowed faintly, as if tainted by the battle.
"Let's move," Calyx said. "We're burning daylight—and they'll be back."
They turned westward, toward whatever came next.