The heavy wooden door creaked shut behind Lira, muffling the noises of the distant city. The hallway ahead was dimly lit by a few lanterns hanging along the stone walls, their flames flickering with every draft of wind that slipped through the cracks.
Kaden moved without hesitation, leading her deeper into the narrow corridor. Lira stayed close, her senses sharp. Every sound, every shadow, seemed to carry a hidden meaning she could not yet understand.
"Where are we?" she whispered, her voice barely echoing off the walls.
Kaden didn't look back. "A refuge," he said. "One of the few left untouched by those who hunt the shards."
Lira's fingers brushed against the shard in her pocket as she walked. Its subtle hum reassured her, though she wasn't sure why. She didn't trust Kaden—not yet—but she trusted the shard's quiet pull, as strange as that felt.
They descended a narrow staircase, the air growing cooler with each step. Finally, they reached a large underground chamber. The walls were lined with shelves filled with old books, strange artifacts, and maps marked with faded ink. In the center of the room, a massive table was spread with papers and scrolls, some pinned down by small stones.
Kaden gestured toward a worn chair. "Sit. We have much to discuss."
Lira hesitated, then obeyed. She watched as Kaden carefully pulled an old tome from the shelf and laid it open on the table before her. The pages were filled with diagrams of the shard—her shard—and others like it.
"These are records from a time before memory," Kaden said, his voice softer now, almost reverent. "Before the skies broke. Before the Keepers fell."
Lira leaned closer, her curiosity battling her lingering fear. "What happened to them? The Keepers?"
Kaden's expression darkened. "Betrayal. War. They tried to protect Aera, but in the end, they were overwhelmed. The shards were scattered, hidden to prevent them from being used to tear the world apart again."
"And now?" Lira asked.
"Now," Kaden said, sitting opposite her, "the balance has shifted once more. Forces that have slept for centuries are stirring. Some seek the shards to wield their power. Others seek them to destroy what little remains."
Lira swallowed, feeling the full weight of the shard pressing against her side.
"And me?" she said quietly. "Why me?"
Kaden's gaze met hers, steady and unflinching. "Because the shard chose you."
Silence settled between them. Lira's mind raced, a hundred questions forming and dissolving before she could speak them aloud. She was no warrior, no scholar, no hero. She was just a girl from the crowded streets of Thal'Dara.
And yet… something inside her stirred at Kaden's words, a flicker of something ancient and deep.
"You have a choice, Lira," Kaden said, his voice low. "You can walk away. Forget all of this, live whatever life you can. Or… you can stay. You can learn. You can become what Aera needs."
Lira's hands trembled slightly as she clenched them into fists on her lap. The path ahead was unclear, but turning back felt impossible.
The shard pulsed once more, like a heartbeat matching her own.
"I'll stay," she said, surprising herself with the steadiness of her voice.
Kaden's mouth twitched into a rare, approving smile. "Good. Then your true journey begins tonight."
Lira nodded, though the uncertainty still gnawed at her. She didn't know what lay ahead—only that she was stepping into a world far larger and darker than she had ever imagined.
The skyless world awaited.