The jungle mist clung to the treetops as dawn rose, pale light bleeding across the fractured canopy. For the first time in weeks, Ryan felt a measure of calm. The shard still pulsed against his chest, but the rhythm no longer clawed at him. Instead, it beat in quiet harmony, like a drum echoing his own heart.
Kaelin walked ahead of him on the winding trail, silver hair catching the glow of morning like strands of moonlight. She moved with the same sharp grace she always had, but Ryan noticed something new — she glanced back more often, eyes lingering on him just long enough for him to notice before she snapped them away.
Theron trailed behind, his massive axe slung casually over his shoulder. His stride was unhurried, but his eyes scanned the trees with restless energy. Lyra walked at the center, her staff glowing faintly with runes that pulsed with the land's aura. She was quiet, yet her presence steadied them all.
"Where exactly are we headed?" Ryan asked, breaking the silence.
Lyra's eyes flicked to him. "North. Out of the Hollow Wilds, toward the trade roads. A caravan awaits us there, one that can carry us across the sectors."
"Caravan?" Ryan asked, eyebrows rising. "Like… wagons and horses?"
Theron chuckled, a low rumble. "Not horses. You'll see."
---
By midday, the dense jungle began to thin. Trees gave way to jagged cliffs and open plains dotted with ruins — stone arches broken in half, statues weathered down to faceless silhouettes. Wind carried the scent of ash, dry and bitter.
At the base of a ravine, Ryan spotted movement. Massive beasts — six-legged creatures with armored hides and glowing horns — were harnessed to great wagons of blackwood and steel. Traders bustled between them, their cloaks and armor marked with glowing sigils. Some bore scars of battle, others the gaunt look of survivors hardened by travel.
And there, at the caravan's heart, banners hung. Not just trade insignia — but the crest of a Sector.
Kaelin's eyes narrowed. "Sector Seven. The Ashborn."
Ryan frowned. "Ashborn?"
"A military sector," Lyra explained. "Strict, disciplined. If they're here, it means this caravan carries more than goods."
They descended the path. Traders eyed them warily, hands never straying far from blades. A man in darkened plate approached, helm under his arm. His features were sharp, his eyes like steel.
"You're late," he said flatly. His gaze shifted over Ryan with a flicker of disdain. "And you've brought a stray."
Ryan stiffened, but Kaelin stepped forward, her voice firm. "He is with us. That's all you need to know."
The soldier's eyes lingered a moment longer before he grunted. "Then keep him leashed. The Ashborn tolerate no weakness."
Ryan's jaw tightened, but before he could snap back, Kaelin brushed past him. Her shoulder brushed his as she moved, a small, almost imperceptible gesture. Her voice was low, only for him.
"Don't. He's not worth it."
Ryan exhaled slowly, grounding himself. Still, the warmth of her closeness lingered longer than it should have.
---
The caravan rolled out by dusk. Ryan found himself seated at the edge of one of the wagons, the wilderness stretching wide under the setting sun. The armored beasts moved in steady rhythm, their glowing horns illuminating the road ahead.
Kaelin joined him, sitting close but not touching. Her eyes scanned the horizon, sharp as ever. For a long time, neither spoke.
Finally, Ryan broke the silence. "Back there… thanks. For stopping me."
Her lips curved in the faintest smirk. "Don't thank me. You'd have been flattened in seconds. I just saved us all from an unnecessary fight."
Ryan chuckled. "So it's still about survival?"
Her smirk softened into something more genuine. "Always."
They fell silent again, but this time the quiet felt different. Comfortable. Ryan stole a glance at her — the way the light played across her features, the way her silver hair framed her face. For a moment, he forgot the shard, the whispers, the looming threats.
Kaelin must have noticed his glance, because her eyes flicked to his. For half a heartbeat, neither looked away. Then she stood abruptly.
"Get some rest. Tomorrow will test us harder than today."
Ryan watched her go, his chest oddly tight.
---
Night fell. The caravan encircled itself on the plains, fires glowing against the ash-dark horizon. Ryan couldn't sleep. He sat alone, the shard warm against his chest, the stars above fractured and strange.
"Still awake?" Lyra's voice broke the silence. She approached, robes trailing softly over the dirt, her staff glowing faintly.
Ryan shrugged. "Hard to sleep when your heart feels like it's wired to a drum."
Lyra smiled faintly, lowering herself beside him. "The shard weighs heavy, doesn't it?"
Ryan nodded. "Sometimes I wonder if it's me at all. Or if it's just… using me."
Her hand brushed his shoulder — a rare gesture, warm and steady. "It is you, Ryan. The shard may whisper, but you choose which voice to listen to. That choice… that will always be yours."
He met her gaze, and for a moment the firelight caught her eyes, turning them into twin stars. The world around them faded, leaving only her calm presence and his restless heart.
Something in him wanted to stay there, to hold onto the comfort she offered. But before the thought could root, Lyra rose.
"Rest, Ryan. Tomorrow, we reach the Ashborn gates."
As she walked away, Ryan exhaled sharply, caught between two threads of connection he didn't yet understand.
---
The next morning brought smoke.
From the plains ahead, black plumes rose into the sky. The caravan slowed, traders shouting, weapons drawn. Ryan climbed to his feet, heart racing.
Over the next rise, the plains burned. A village lay in ruins, its homes collapsed into embers. Bodies littered the dirt, and circling above — massive shapes.
Kaelin's eyes narrowed. "Sky Reavers."
Ryan followed her gaze. Winged beasts of obsidian scales circled overhead, their shrieks piercing the air.
The Ashborn soldiers shouted orders, shields locking into formation. Traders scrambled to hide the wagons. The beasts began to dive.
Ryan's shard pulsed violently against his chest, heat rising. His body trembled with it, but this time it wasn't only fear. It was something sharper — a call to fight.
Theron hefted his axe with a grin. "Finally, some fun."
Kaelin drew her blade, silver aura shimmering. She cast Ryan a sidelong glance. "Stay close. If you burn, burn with purpose."
Ryan nodded, grip tightening on his weapon as the first Sky Reaver struck.
The air erupted in flame and fury.
And the caravan's trial began.