Smoke still curled from the wreckage of Serenthia as Kairo stepped into the ruins of the Hunter's Guild. His sword was slung over his back, and ash clung to his coat like a second skin. The city had survived, barely—but the true battle was only just beginning.
Kairo paced through the shattered halls, stepping over broken glass, bodies, and pieces of charred stone. His mind replayed Ashen Vale's words.
> "The First Fragment chose you too…"
What did that even mean? Was there a system, a pattern, or was this all chaos disguised as destiny?
He was about to leave the city when he felt it—a pulse in the air, subtle and slow, like a heartbeat.
He turned.
A woman stood at the edge of the ruined courtyard.
She wore a long crimson cloak with a hood drawn low, a veil of shimmering red silk hiding the lower half of her face. But her eyes—golden and sharp as daggers—locked with his.
Kairo's hand moved to his sword instinctively.
> "You're late," she said, her voice melodic but tinged with steel.
> "Late?"
> "You were supposed to reach the Labyrinth two weeks ago. The Fragment was waiting. But now… things are accelerating."
Kairo narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
She took a slow step forward. Her presence was calm, but it rippled with power. Not overwhelming, but ancient—controlled.
> "My name is Lira. And I've held a Fragment longer than you've been alive."
That stopped him cold.
> "You're a bearer?"
She nodded.
With a flick of her wrist, a glowing tattoo along her forearm shimmered. It was different from his—thicker lines, more intricate. More stable.
> "You've bonded with the First Fragment of Frost," she said. "That makes you a target. Ashen Vale is one of the Nine. They want all the Fragments—once gathered, they'll awaken the Gate of the Forgotten God."
> "What's behind that gate?" Kairo asked.
> "Power. Madness. Immortality."
> "Then we stop them," he said flatly.
Lira smiled beneath her veil. "You're brave. But stupid."
She turned, motioning for him to follow. "Come. I'll train you—for one week. After that, you're on your own. The next Fragment lies in the Tomb of Shadows… and it's guarded by something not even the Nine have dared awaken."
---
They traveled to the outskirts of the city, deep into the Silverpine Forest, where ruins of an old Elven temple lay half-buried in vines. Here, Lira began his training.
She was relentless.
From dawn until midnight, she drilled him in channeling his Fragment without burning out, drawing power through breath and motion instead of emotion and rage.
> "You're relying too much on instinct," she scolded. "You survived because your Fragment protected you, not because you controlled it."
Kairo collapsed in the dirt, sweating, shivering. "It's not that easy."
Lira knelt, her voice softer.
> "None of this is easy. That's why most bearers go mad. You've lasted this long… that means you're different."
> "Or lucky."
She studied him in silence. Then said, "Luck doesn't bleed for the innocent."
---
On the fifth day, Lira showed him something no one else had ever revealed.
> "The Fragments were once a god," she whispered. "Broken into nine pieces and scattered across realms. Each piece carries a trait—frost, fire, shadow, time, void…"
> "And the others?" he asked.
> "You'll see them eventually."
> "Do you know where the other bearers are?"
She nodded slowly. "Some are hidden. Others are monsters now. One lives beneath the sea. One rules a desert kingdom. One is already dead… and her Fragment is unstable."
Kairo felt a cold chill.
> "Then I'll have to face them all."
> "You will," Lira said, her eyes darkening. "But you may not survive."
---
On the seventh day, as a storm brewed in the distance, Kairo stood tall with his blade drawn. His aura burned brighter, more controlled. Ice no longer flared randomly from his limbs—it danced with purpose.
Lira approached him, her veil fluttering.
> "You've grown."
> "Not enough," he said.
She stepped close, lifting a hand toward his chest. A faint red glow passed from her palm to his Fragment.
> "That was a seal," she explained. "A key to the Tomb of Shadows. It will recognize you now."
Kairo hesitated. "Why help me?"
Her eyes met his.
> "Because I once loved someone who bore the same Fragment as you. He died… fighting Ashen Vale."
> "Now it's your turn."
---
As he turned to leave, Lira called out:
> "Kairo… when you find the next Fragment… don't just claim it. Listen to it."
> "Sometimes power doesn't want to be tamed. Sometimes it wants to be free."