Chapter 113 Fragment Hunt
KAEL
The Shadowlands felt wrong. More wrong than usual.
We'd been tracking Morvenna's fragments for three days. Theron, Isolde, Rowan, and me. Following traces of void energy. Following rifts that opened and closed. Following death.
"This is the fourth village." Rowan kicked at ashes. "Fourth settlement completely drained. Everyone dead. Everyone consumed."
"The fragments are feeding. Growing stronger. Preparing for something." Isolde knelt beside a corpse. "This woman died yesterday. Maybe hours ago. We're close."
"Too close." Theron had his weapon drawn. "I feel like we're being herded. Like something wants us here."
He was right. Every village led to another. Every clue pointed deeper into the Shadowlands. Every step felt planned.
"It's a trap." I said what everyone was thinking. "Morvenna's fragments are leading us somewhere. Somewhere they have advantage."
"Then we spring it carefully. Together. Ready for anything." Isolde stood. "Because turning back means letting them keep killing. Letting them grow stronger. Letting them—"
Reality tore. Right in front of us. A rift opening. Wider than any we'd seen.
Three figures stepped through. Made of void. Made of absence. Made of Morvenna's consciousness split into pieces.
"Finally." The first one spoke. Female. Sounding like Morvenna but distorted. "We were beginning to think you'd never follow the trail. Beginning to think we'd have to come get you."
"You wanted us here." I let void energy gather. "Why?"
"Because you have what we need. What we require to reunite with our whole." The second fragment circled us. "Your daughter. The time-walker. The one who can open prisons. Who can reach through barriers. Who can free what was sealed."
"Nyx isn't here. Isn't with us. You wasted your time." Theron moved into defensive position.
"We know she's not here. That's not the plan." The third fragment smiled. "The plan is holding you here. Keeping you distracted. While our sisters attack the capital. While they take the time-walker. While they bring her to the prison and make her free our whole."
Horror flooded through me. "This entire hunt was distraction. You led us away from the kingdom. Away from Nyx. Away from defense."
"Obviously. You're predictable. You see threat, you hunt it. You see danger, you face it. You never considered we'd use that against you." The first fragment moved closer. "And now you're three days from the capital. Three days from your daughter. Three days too late to stop what's happening."
I pulled out the communication crystal. Tried to contact Cassian. Tried to warn—
The fragments struck. All three at once. Void energy slamming into us. Driving us back. Separating us.
"You don't get to warn them. Don't get to interfere. You just get to stand here and fight us while your kingdom falls." The second fragment attacked Theron. "While your daughter learns what happens to those who imprison gods."
I fought. We all fought. But the fragments were strong. Coordinated. Using Morvenna's three thousand years of experience.
Theron went down first. Not dead. Drained. Unconscious. Unable to fight.
Rowan lasted longer. Fought brilliantly. But he was human. Limited. Mortal. Eventually he fell too.
Isolde and I stood back to back. Two Shadowborn against three fragments. Against pieces of the First Darkness.
"We can't win this." She gasped. "They're too strong. Too experienced. Too—"
"I know. But we buy time anyway. We fight anyway. We give Nyx every possible second to realize what's happening. To prepare. To defend." I pushed harder. "We don't have to win. We just have to not lose fast."
The fragments laughed. "Noble. Pointless. But noble."
They pressed harder. Faster. Overwhelming us through sheer power.
I felt myself failing. Felt void consuming me. Felt consciousness slipping.
Then I felt her. Through the bond. Through the connection. Sera.
Kael. I can help. Can lend you strength. Can burn what's left of my energy to give you power.
No. You're barely here. Burning more will destroy what's left of you.
So? I'm already dead. Already existing on borrowed time. Might as well use it for something. Her presence intensified. Let me help. Let me fight through you. Let me be useful one more time.
Sera—
Please. Let me protect our daughter. Even if it costs me. Even if it destroys me. Let me be mother one more time.
I couldn't refuse. Couldn't deny her that. "Do it. Give me everything."
Power flooded through the bond. Sera's essence. Her energy. Everything she had left. Burning into me. Making me stronger. Faster. More.
I struck back. Hard. The fragments stumbled. Surprised.
"That's—that's blood bond energy! You're burning your dead wife's consciousness to fight us!" The first fragment sounded horrified. "That's insane! That's suicide! She'll be gone completely!"
"She knows. She chose." I attacked again. "Now face what love can do when protecting family."
I fought like I'd never fought. Sera's power flowing through me. Her will strengthening mine. Her love making me unstoppable.
The fragments fell back. Retreating. Losing.
"This isn't over! We're not—" The second fragment started.
I grabbed it. Pulled it into my void. Consumed it completely. One fragment destroyed.
The others fled. Tearing rifts. Escaping. Running.
I let them go. Had to. Sera's power was fading. Burning out. Dying.
Sera. Stay with me. Don't burn completely. Don't—
Too late. Already done. Already gone. Her voice was fading. Disappearing. But worth it. Worth everything. Tell Nyx I love her. Tell her I'm proud. Tell her...
She was gone. Completely. The bond went dark. Not dormant. Dark. Empty. Dead.
Sera was truly gone now. No consciousness. No presence. No echo. Just void where she used to be.
I collapsed. Grief overwhelming. Loss destroying.
"Your Majesty!" Isolde grabbed me. "We need to move! Need to get back to the capital! Need to warn Nyx!"
"Sera's gone. She burned herself out. She's really gone now." My voice was hollow. "She saved us but it cost her everything."
"Then we honor that by saving Nyx. By using the time Sera bought us. By not wasting her sacrifice." Isolde pulled me up. "Grieve later. Fight now. Move!"
She was right. Sera had bought us time. Had destroyed one fragment. Had given us a chance.
I couldn't waste it crying.
We woke Theron and Rowan. Explained quickly. Started running toward the capital.
Three days away. Three days too far. Three days that might mean losing everything.
But we ran anyway. Pushed anyway. Refused to quit anyway.
Because Sera had given everything for this chance. And I'd be damned if I let it mean nothing.
We just had to hope Nyx could hold out. Could defend herself. Could survive until we arrived.
Had to hope her oath didn't get her killed while she asked permission to save herself.
Had to hope we'd taught her enough. Loved her enough. Prepared her enough.
Had to hope Sera's last sacrifice wasn't in vain.
NYX
I felt Mother die through the bond.
One moment she was there. Distant. Dormant. But present.
The next, just absence. Just void. Just emptiness where she used to be.
"No." The word came out broken. "No, Mother, no. Come back. Please come back."
Nothing. Just silence. Just death. Just loss.
She was really gone now. Not mostly dead. Not dormant. Completely erased. Burned out. Destroyed.
And I didn't even get to say goodbye.
"Your Highness?" A servant knocked. "There are visitors. At the gate. They say they have urgent message from your father."
I wiped tears. Tried to compose myself. "Send them in."
Three women entered. Beautiful. Pale. Radiating power that felt familiar. Felt like Morvenna. Felt wrong.
"Hello, great-granddaughter." They spoke in unison. "We've come to collect you. To bring you to the prison. To make you free our whole."
Understanding crashed down. Fragments. Morvenna's fragments. Here. In the capital. In the palace.
"Guards!" I shouted. "Sound the alarm! We're under—"
They moved. Faster than I could track. Faster than I could react. One grabbed me. Another silenced the guards. The third sealed the room.
"No alarm. No warning. No rescue." The first fragment smiled. "Just you. Just us. Just the inevitable conclusion to this pathetic resistance."
I tried to use time magic. Tried to stop them. Tried to freeze moment.
Nothing happened. They'd warded against it. Blocked it. Made it impossible.
"We learned from your previous uses. Learned to counter. Learned to prevent." The second fragment pulled me toward a rift. "Now come quietly. Or we hurt everyone you love finding you. Your choice."
I went. Had to. Couldn't risk them killing servants. Guards. Innocents. Had to protect even if it meant capture.
They pulled me through the rift. Through void. Through darkness.
Into the prison chamber. Into Morvenna's crystalline cage. Into the trap I'd walked right into.
"Perfect." Morvenna's voice echoed from the prison. "My great-granddaughter. My heir. My key to freedom." She pressed against the crystal. "Now be a good child and break this prison. Use your time magic to undo the binding. Free your great-grandmother and we can rule together. Can remake this kingdom. Can become what we were always meant to be."
"No." My voice was steady despite the fear. "I won't free you. I won't become you. I won't—"
"You will." Her smile was terrible. "Because if you don't, I'll kill everyone you love. Slowly. Painfully. Starting with your father who's running home desperately trying to save you. Then your friends. Your kingdom. Everyone." Her eyes glowed. "Free me or watch them all die. Choose."
The fragments waited. Watching. Prepared to force me if I refused.
And I realized this was it. This was the choice Theron warned about. The moment where being good meant letting people die. Where following my oath meant losing everything.
Free Morvenna and break every principle. Every rule. Every promise I'd made.
Or refuse and watch Father die. Watch the kingdom burn. Watch everyone pay for my principles.
There was no good choice. No right answer. Just terrible options and worse consequences.
I looked at the fragments. At Morvenna. At the prison containing ultimate evil.
And I chose.