3: Fract

d temple. The once-grand edifice now lay in shattered fragments, covered in ash and rock. But deep in the thick woods on the

sword, chipped and grotesquely smeared with dark blood, weighed heavily at his side. Astra moved

word powerful enough to disguise

tared into the water's reflection. His face was nearly unrecognizable brui

eady," Astra

s fist, spraying dirt into

unds of the forest stirring beyond. Birds chirpe

ra spoke again, looking f

s eyes narrowed. "Do

tronger, if I ha

ing to his feet. "We both failed. "But standing here be

was right, even though the guilt gnawed at him

rang to his sword, and Astra's fingers hummed with weak energy. But instead of an en

ed Astra's f

out," she rasped. "The temple... it's gone. And with

r sit up. "Wha

ereign is going to gain power rapidly. His insidiousness will b

t even beat his puppet, Soren.

hand, bound with flickering crimson seal, from within her cloak. "Because you

nd? That was not goo

t is power inside you that is ancient, older than the prophecy i

ntuitive sense of one another's movements on the battlefield, a metr

th won't be easy. You'll be tested physically, emotionally. It will

, magic barely reverberating through

ho broke the prophecy before the prop

pened scroll resting on his lap, he peered into the flame

e the silence. "Have you ever wo

es glinting with the fi

ght we were ready. B

ler now. "We'll get stronger.

een them. Through the fear, the guilt, and the insurmo

ll had e

hat was all it t