Kael's grip tightened around Lyra's hand as the world steadied, though his pulse refused to calm. Every nerve hummed as if wired to something ancient and infinite, a current too vast for his body yet unwilling to release him. He craved answers, but the look in Lyra's eyes told him none would come easily.
"They'll be here within minutes," she said, voice calm but urgent. "We need to move."
Nova stepped forward, planting herself firmly between them. "Wait. He's not going anywhere with you. You show up out of nowhere, start talking about shards and destiny, and expect me to trust you?"
Lyra's gaze cut to her, sharp as a blade. Shadows coiled faintly around her wrist, responding to her irritation. "Do you really think your colony can protect him? You saw what he touched. That power calls across the stars. And the ones who answer… they never come in peace."
Kael swallowed hard. He wanted to reassure Nova, to tell her he'd be fine, but the words stuck in his throat. Because deep down, he knew Lyra was right. Already, he could feel it—an oppressive presence pressing against his mind, like unseen eyes peering through the dark. Watching. Hunting.
"Nova," he said softly. "I… I can't explain it. But something's changed. If I stay, I'll bring danger here."
Her eyes glimmered, torn between fear and defiance. "Then I'm coming too."
Lyra's jaw tightened, but she didn't argue. Instead, she turned and motioned toward the crater. "We can fight about it later. Right now, we run."
They moved swiftly through the fractured mining ring, Lyra gliding ahead with fluid precision while Kael stumbled to match her pace. His body felt alien. Every stride carried more strength than it should have, his muscles obeying with startling ease. He realised with a start that he was matching Lyra's impossible speed.
"How… how am I keeping up?" he gasped.
Lyra glanced back, her expression unreadable. "Because the shard didn't just awaken you. It synchronised you. You're no longer fighting against yourself—you're aligned."
"Aligned with what?"
"You'll learn."
The corridors opened onto a docking bay. Sirens wailed, crimson lights flashing across steel walls as enforcer drones descended, sleek metal frames bristling with weapons. Their red optics locked onto Kael, plasma rifles charging with a rising hum.
"Target anomaly detected," one intoned. "Subject must be surrendered."
Nova cursed. "They already know."
Kael froze, instincts clawing against his fear. The drones raised their rifles. Before they could fire, Lyra's shadows exploded outward like liquid night. Tendrils lashed across the bay, twisting rifles into knots of warped metal. A burst of darkness imploded, leaving drones sparking and lifeless on the ground.
Kael stared in disbelief. "What… are you?"
Her eyes met his briefly, and for the span of a heartbeat, Kael glimpsed something fragile behind her steel façade pain, loneliness but it vanished as quickly as it came. "Later."
More drones stormed in. Too many. Lyra was powerful, but not invincible. Kael's chest burned, the shard's energy pulsing as if demanding release. Heat flooded his hands. A memory no, a vision flashed again: beams of pure light tearing through war machines.
His arm lifted before he thought. Energy surged, bursting into a stream of raw light that pierced a drone mid-charge. The machine shrieked, convulsed, then exploded in a rain of sparks. Kael staggered, chest heaving.
Nova's eyes widened. "Kael… you"
Her awe was cut short as the bay doors slammed open. Figures in obsidian armour marched through, their presence suffocating. Each bore the insignia of the Helion Order, a faction whispered about even in the deepest colonies. Their leader stepped forward, helm retracting to reveal a scarred face and silver eyes cold as ice.
"Step away from the boy," he commanded, voice like iron striking stone. "The shard-bearer belongs to us."
Lyra stiffened, shadows curling in response. "Helions," she muttered. "Of course." Her power flared around her like a living shield.
Kael's heart pounded. The Helion commander's gaze pinned him like a predator eyeing prey. That look told him everything. they weren't here to capture. They were here to claim, to twist whatever power he had awakened into their weapon.
"Kael," Lyra hissed. "You need to run."
"No," he said, the word leaving his mouth before he realised it. His fists clenched, energy sparking down his arms. "I'm done running."
The Helion leader smirked. "Then you'll die here."
He struck with blinding speed. A blade of crimson plasma arced toward Kael, but time seemed to slow. Kael's senses exploded outward, instincts driving his body. He twisted aside, the heat grazing his cheek. Adrenaline roared in his veins. Power surged wildly, spilling out in chaotic bursts that lit the bay in jagged arcs of light.
The Helions pressed in, blades and rifles flashing. Lyra met them head-on, her shadows colliding with their plasma in storms of sparks. Nova scrambled for cover, shouting his name, but her voice was drowned in the clash.
The shard inside Kael pulsed, the voice returning distant but clear. Rise. Or fall.
He screamed as the energy tore through him, erupting in a shockwave that shattered the bay's windows. Air and debris vented into the void, Helions hurled back in showers of sparks. Lyra anchored herself with shadows. Nova clung desperately to a railing, her eyes wide with terror.
When the light faded, Kael collapsed, trembling, breath ragged. His body shook, drained yet burning with a terrifying vitality.
The Helion commander staggered upright, his silver eyes blazing. "So it's true," he growled. "The shard chose him. Then he must be claimed no matter the cost."
Kael's stomach churned at the word claimed. As if he were nothing more than a weapon. His fists curled tighter, though his strength was nearly gone.
Lyra stepped in front of him, shadows rippling around her. Her voice cut like steel. "You'll have to go through me first."
The Helion raised his blade, plasma screaming to life. Shadows and crimson fire collided in a violent storm, and Kael realised with a shiver of clarity: this was only the beginning.