The Stormchaser glided silently through a narrow pass between floating isles, its engines a low hum as Kaelen, Lira, and Erynn prepared for the next stage of their journey. The air was tense—Kaelen gripped the Godshard tightly, its faint glow reflecting his inner turmoil and Erynn's warnings echoing in his mind: Power without control will destroy you.
Lira tried to break the heavy silence, settling beside Kaelen. "We've all got our demons, kid. Yours just happen to glow." But before Kaelen could reply, Erynn's urgent shout rang out from the helm: "We've got company!"
From the swirling clouds, an Imperial cruiser emerged, flanked by smaller airships, their hulls emblazoned with the Empire's crest. Soldiers in gleaming armor prepared for battle. "They must have tracked us from Atraxis," Lira growled, unsheathing her blades.
Cannons roared. The Stormchaser shook as Imperial soldiers boarded, chaos erupting on deck. Lira moved like a whirlwind, blades flashing, while Kaelen stood frozen, overwhelmed. A soldier lunged at him—Kaelen raised his hand instinctively, the Godshard flaring and blasting the attacker back, but the surge dropped Kaelen to his knees.
"Focus, Kaelen!" Erynn called, fending off attackers with her staff. Kaelen forced himself to channel the shard's power again, sending a burst of energy at soldiers threatening Lira. But the effort left him dizzy and weak.
Suddenly, a net fired from the Imperial ship ensnared Lira, runes glowing as they nullified her strength. She was dragged toward the enemy cruiser. "Don't—stay back!" she yelled as Kaelen tried to reach her, but Erynn held him back. "We'll save her, but not if we get caught too."
The Stormchaser barely escaped into a dense cluster of floating rocks, the Imperial cruiser unable to follow. Kaelen slumped in the cabin, guilt gnawing at him. "This is my fault," he muttered.
Erynn's voice softened. "No. This is the Empire's doing. But if you want to help Lira, you need to learn to control that power."
As the battered ship drifted through the clouds, Kaelen realized the journey had grown even more perilous—and that to save his friend, he would have to master the Godshard before the Empire or the Shadow could tear the realms apart.