Location: Silver City – Nightbound HQ, War Room
Zara stood before the digital map, her fingers tracing the coordinates. The Shards had found their way into her, each one pulling her in different directions—fire, frost, shadow, and now lightning. Each one fed her power, but the more she drew from them, the more she felt something inside her breaking, shifting.
"You don't have to do this," Helena's voice broke through her thoughts. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed.
Zara didn't turn, not yet. "The Shards aren't just tools, Helena. They're parts of something… something much older than any of us."
"They're corrupting you," Helena said, stepping closer. "I can see it. The power in your eyes. The way your aura's changed. This isn't just about saving the world anymore."
Zara finally faced her. Her expression was unreadable, but her voice was steady. "I'm trying to save it, Helena. But there's a bigger war coming. I can feel it."
Helena clenched her fists. "I know you're struggling, Zara. We all are. But these Shards… they're too much for anyone to carry. Even you."
Zara's hand went instinctively to her chest, where the Shards rested within her, waiting. A pulse of energy hummed beneath her skin. For a brief moment, she felt the heat of flame, the bite of ice, the crackle of electricity, and the ever-present pull of shadow.
"I won't let it consume me," Zara said, though she wasn't sure if she was convincing Helena—or herself. "I need to find the others before the Eclipsed Order does."
Helena didn't reply, but the concern in her eyes was obvious. She had been Zara's closest ally through this entire journey, but now, even she couldn't hide her fear. Not for the world—but for her friend.
---
Location: Eclipsed Order Stronghold – Obsidian Fortress
Vael stood before a holographic display of the Shard sites, a deep scowl etched across his face. The crimson-robed woman, the High Herald of the Eclipsed Order, watched him silently from the shadows. The air in the war room was thick with anticipation.
"You were right," Vael said, eyes narrowing. "The Nightbound found the Thunderheart. That means they'll be coming for the next one soon."
The High Herald stepped into the light. "Then it's time we prepare."
She opened a hidden compartment in the wall, revealing an ancient artifact—the first Shard, the Shardkiller. A dark, jagged crystal pulsed with an otherworldly energy, its shape shifting like a living thing.
Vael's gaze locked on it. "You want to use it?"
The High Herald's lips curled into a cold smile. "Not use it. Release it."
Vael stepped closer, the enormity of the plan settling over him. The Shardkiller had been locked away for centuries, a weapon of unimaginable power that had once been used to hunt the Shards and destroy their bearers. It was said to be a piece of the original creation—a shard that devoured all others.
But no one knew how it would react after all this time.
"No," Vael said, shaking his head. "You can't. If it awakens, we lose control. It could wipe out everything."
"The Shardkiller will not be controlled," the High Herald replied, her voice cold as ice. "It will destroy Zara Kane. And once it's done, we'll finally have the Shards for ourselves."
---
Location: Neo-Tokyo Ruins – The Shardheart
Zara stood alone at the center of the Shardheart, her eyes closed. The Shards inside her thrummed in unison, each one a voice calling to her, urging her to take more power, to unlock more potential.
But with each pulse, the weight of it grew heavier. A storm was brewing inside her—one she feared could break free at any moment. She had been warned by the Nightbound, by her own instincts, but the power was seductive. It promised victory.
And yet, something darker whispered beneath the surface. Something that felt... ancient. A memory of someone who had been here before.
The thunderstorm around her intensified. Dark clouds spiraled above, lightning flashing more violently than before. The very sky seemed to react to the awakening of the Thunderheart.
Zara reached for the Shard again, her hand trembling. It wanted her to unleash it. It called to her like a storm, urging her to claim it fully, to become the vessel it had always sought.
And then, as the storm swirled with violent energy, a new voice echoed in her mind—deep, gravelly, and filled with power.
"You are the final piece."
Zara gasped, the world tilting. Her heart pounded, and for a moment, she could see a figure—tall, shrouded in shadow—standing before her. His eyes glowed with the same power as the Shards themselves.
"I am the first bearer. I am the Shardkiller."
---
Location: Silver City – Nightbound HQ
The ground trembled. The lights flickered as alarms blared throughout the base. Helena rushed into the operations room, her face pale.
"Myles! What's happening?"
Myles worked furiously at his terminal, his fingers flying across the keys. "There's a seismic event—huge. A spike in the Aether. It's coming from Neo-Tokyo."
Helena's heart skipped a beat. "Zara…"
She grabbed the comms headset. "Zara, do you copy? Zara!"
But there was no response.
The storm on the horizon was growing larger.
---
Location: Neo-Tokyo Ruins – The Shardheart
Zara felt her knees give out as the voice of the first bearer reverberated through her skull. It wasn't a memory. It was real.
The figure in front of her flickered, almost translucent, like a ghost, but his presence was undeniable. He was the first to bear the Shards—the one who had been corrupted by them, hunted by them, and ultimately lost everything. His body, a twisted mockery of the Shard's power, stood before her now as a warning.
"You can't escape it," the voice boomed, reverberating in the storm. "The Shards are your prison. You will become me."
Zara gasped for air as the power inside her surged to its peak, a storm of fire, ice, lightning, and shadow twisting violently within her. She felt her body being pulled, her mind slipping into chaos.
"I will not become you," Zara whispered, her voice barely audible against the storm's roar.
But the figure smirked. "Then you will be the one to destroy them all."
The storm around her roared louder. And Zara felt the final Shard—the Shardkiller—awakening.
---