Elysia couldn't shake the image of the silver-eyed boy from her mind. Every step through the rain-soaked alleys felt heavier, as if the fragment pulsing in her hand had grown alive. She tried to ignore the shiver crawling up her spine, telling herself it was just fear—but deep down, she knew it was something else.
The streets of Lumnis were quieter tonight, the black-market stalls closing one by one. Only the fragment's faint glow guided her steps, casting an eerie cyan light on the puddles beneath her boots. She tightened her grip around it, feeling its energy thrumming in sync with her heartbeat.
A whisper of movement caught her attention. She froze, scanning the shadows. From the corner of her eye, a figure emerged: Kael. He stepped forward effortlessly, his silver eyes locking on hers. His presence was both unsettling and magnetic, like the pull of the fragment itself.
"You shouldn't have come back here," he said, voice calm but carrying a weight she couldn't ignore.
"I… I didn't know where else to go," Elysia admitted, clutching the fragment tighter. "Who are you? Why do you know things about me?"
Kael's gaze softened slightly, though his expression remained unreadable. "Because part of you lives in this fragment. And because someone wants it… badly."
Elysia's stomach twisted. "Wants it? Who?"
Before he could answer, a sudden crack echoed through the alley. Shadows moved unnaturally, shapes twisting in the dim light. The fragment pulsed violently, as if reacting to the danger. Elysia instinctively raised her hand, letting the fragment glow brighter, bathing them both in its cold, blue light.
Kael's eyes narrowed. "They've found us."
From the darkness, figures emerged, cloaked and faceless, moving silently but with purpose. Elysia realized she had stepped into something far bigger than herself—a world of memory hunters, forbidden fragments, and secrets that could cost her more than she ever imagined.
Her heartbeat raced, but something inside her ignited—a determination she hadn't felt before. She would not let the fragment fall into the wrong hands. Not tonight.
Kael extended his hand. "We need to run."
Without hesitation, Elysia placed her hand in his. The fragment's light surged, casting long shadows across the alley as they bolted into the night. Every step brought them closer to danger—and closer to truths she wasn't sure she was ready to face.
But the fragment pulsed steadily, almost like it was guiding her. And for the first time, Elysia felt that she wasn't entirely alone.