Location: Eclipsed Order Stronghold – Obsidian Fortress, Northern Himalayas
The chamber was lit by torches—real flame, not artificial light. Fire danced on black stone walls inscribed with sigils so old, even the oldest Order scholars could no longer interpret them. The high council was quiet, a semicircle of them around the central dais. At its center knelt the man who had failed to return the Ice Shard: Commander Vael, still bruised and frostbitten from his defeat at Aqualith.
He hung his head in shame.
"I underestimated her. The Shard took her before we were able to intervene."
A voice called out of the darkness above, dry and heavy as ancient graves. "And the others?"
Vael did not rise. "Zara Kane has joined the Nightbound. They are mobilizing fast—hunting the other Shards. We believe she is forming a coalition."
A second form stepped out of the darkness—a woman in red robes, her face concealed behind a veil, her voice silky and deadly.
"They are awakening faster than we predicted," she said. "The Wound is responding. It senses its guardians awakening."
"The Wound cannot be sealed," added a third voice—this one synthetic, piped in through a gold mask. "It must be opened. The cycle must be completed."
Vael risked a glance upward. "We have one potential lead remaining. A dormant site in Cairo's burned zones. The Ashborn. The Third Shard."
That name closed the room up.
Even the shadows hesitated.
"The Ashborn." breathed the red woman. "That one burned its previous host alive."
Vael stood. "Then we'll find someone who will not burn."
The High Council approved the motion. Vael would lead the Cairo recovery team—but this time, he would not return empty-handed.
---
Location: Silver City – Nightbound HQ
Zara paced the center of the operations room, a holographic world map of hot zones glowing around her. Eira stood off to the side, arms crossed, frost still present on the edges of her collar.
Helena spoke to the group.
"We've caught snippets of communication. The Order is moving into the Cairo dead zone. We think it's where the Ashborn Shard is."
Myles brought up thermal satellite imagery. "Cairo burn zones haven't been inhabitable since the Pulse Wars. Radiation, contaminated Aether storms, rogue tech. But a week ago, we saw this."
He zeroed in on a burning spot at the heart of a devastated palace.
A pulse of flame.
Eira's breath clouded the air. "It's waking up."
Zara turned to Helena. "We need to get there before Vael does."
Helena nodded. "Already charted a course. Path of least resistance. In and out. But once we're inside the storm zone—comms drop, Aether goes wild, and we'll be flying blind."
Zara's hand instinctively went to the Shard at her chest. "Then we trust the Shards to guide us through."
---
Location: Cairo Scorch Zone – 16 Hours Later
The sun bled red through a haze of heat and dust. The wreckage of the city stretched out in all directions—sand-scoured spires, broken statues, entire streets eaten by time. It all stank of ash.
Zara led them through the ancient bones of a long-forgotten capital, her shadows jittering nervously around her. The deeper in they went, the more unstable the air became. Wild Aether spasms arced like slow-motion lightning.
Eira's breath misted, despite the warmth. "It's close."
Then the ground trembled.
Out of a pile of collapsed stone, fire blasted upward—unnaturally bright and unnatural. Out of the fire rose a figure covered in burning chains.
It was a man. Once.
Now it was something different.
Its skin moved like magma beneath shattered obsidian. Its eyes burned with endless rage.
"The Ashborn," Zara whispered.
Yet the man did not strike. He looked at her—then at Eira—and hissed, voice like flames grating against steel.
"You… are not worthy…"
Fire erupted around him, a blast of flame that sent the team stumbling back. They fell for cover as Aetherfire roared.
Eira raised her arms, summoning frost to counter the flames. "He's unstable! The Shard's controlling his mind!"
Zara dived forward, shadows shielding her, and reached to the center of the flame—where the Third Shard hovered, spinning frantically.
"I am worthy," she shouted. "I don't have to control it—I have to protect it!"
The Ashborn shrieked, unleashing a blast of fire that sent her tumbling down.
But then… the Shard paused.
Wavered.
Responded.
The Ashborn froze. His chains began to break, the flames receding somewhat.
For an instant, Zara glimpsed him—really glimpsed him. A man, broken, tortured by centuries of being bound to something too vast to contain.
"I can help you," she breathed.
The Ashborn faced her.
Then Vael's voice echoed through the darkness at her rear.
"Step away from the Shard, Kane."
A new group of Order soldiers emerged from the haze, guns trained on her. Vael strode between them, armor charred but intact.
Zara rose, eyes gleaming silver.
"I don't think so."
The battle began.
---