Fractured Revelations

Chapter 22: Fractured Revelations

The fragments embedded in the walls throbbed with an unnatural, rhythmic pulse, their glow casting the chamber in an eerie, cold light. Each fragment seemed alive, vibrating with an energy that made the air heavy and oppressive. The hum in the room wasn't just in the walls—I could feel it inside me, echoing through the fragment buried deep in my chest, syncing with the ones surrounding us.

But the real source of my unease wasn't the fragments. It was the figure standing in front of them.

I blinked, my mind scrambling to make sense of the boy who stood before us. He wasn't familiar—neither to me nor Kai. His presence was unsettling, as though he had emerged from the darkest corners of the facility, a place we were never meant to see.

His skin was pale, almost translucent in the pale glow of the fragments, and his silver-streaked hair shimmered as if woven from the light itself. His cold, calculating eyes glinted in the eerie glow, sending a chill down my spine. He wasn't part of my class, nor Kai's. Who was he, and why was he here?

"You're late," the boy said, his voice low but disturbingly calm. It echoed through the chamber, cutting through the thick tension. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it."

Kai and I exchanged glances, both confused and on edge. My pulse quickened as I took a step forward. "Who are you?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady. "And what's going on?"

The boy's lips curled into a faint smile, though it was devoid of any warmth. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is what you're about to face."

Kai tensed beside me, his eyes flicking between the boy and the fragments. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice filled with suspicion.

The boy's smile widened, but his eyes remained cold. "This isn't about what I want. This is about what the fragments want." He paused, letting his words hang in the air. "They've been watching you—both of you—for a long time."

A knot formed in my stomach, his words hitting me like a lead weight. The fragments had been watching us? The idea sent a shiver through me. I'd only just begun to understand the fragment's power, and now this stranger was telling me that there was more—something deeper, something I wasn't prepared for.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, struggling to maintain control. "What do these fragments want from us?"

The boy's smile faded, his expression growing more serious. "The fragments don't just test you," he said slowly. "They change you. They push you to your limits, and only those strong enough to survive their influence come out the other side." His eyes flicked to the fragments glowing in the walls. "Those who can't handle it… become part of the maze. Lost."

Kai stepped forward, his posture stiff with tension. "So, all this time, the staff have been using us? Manipulating us with these fragments?"

The boy nodded, his face eerily calm. "Yes. The fragments test you, mold you, and when they're done, they take what's left. The staff watch to see who can survive, who can evolve." His gaze hardened. "That's why you're here."

My mind raced, struggling to piece together what he was saying. The fragments were testing us? And they had been watching us from the beginning? The thought made my skin crawl.

"But why us?" I asked, my voice laced with frustration. "Why now?"

The boy took another step forward, his eyes boring into mine. "Because you were chosen. The fragments see something in you, something most others don't have." He paused, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "They want to see if you can handle it. But if you can't… they'll consume you."

I recoiled at his words, instinctively taking a step back. The fragment inside me pulsed harder, reacting to the tension in the room. I could feel its energy pushing against my control, as though it was feeding off the boy's presence.

"No," I muttered, shaking my head. "I won't let that happen."

The boy's expression remained blank, but his eyes glinted with dark amusement. "You don't have a choice, Zane. The fragment is part of you now. You can fight it all you want, but in the end, it will win."

Suddenly, the ground beneath us trembled, and the walls of the chamber groaned as if they were alive. The fragments embedded in the walls pulsed faster, their glow becoming erratic, casting jagged shadows across the room. The air grew heavier, more oppressive, as the entire maze seemed to quiver with the force of the energy inside it.

"Kai!" I shouted over the deafening noise, my heart pounding in my chest. "We have to get out of here!"

Kai turned to me, his face pale with realization, but before either of us could move, the boy raised his hand. The fragments behind him flared with a blinding light, so intense it was as if the room itself was being torn apart.

The energy surged toward us, crashing into me with a force that knocked the breath from my lungs. I staggered, barely able to stay on my feet as the power flooded my body, overwhelming every sense, every thought.

The fragment inside me reacted violently, its energy spiraling out of control. My vision blurred, the chamber spinning around me as I fought to hold on, to keep the fragment's power from tearing me apart.

But it was too strong.

The ground shook again, and the walls began to collapse, fragments of stone and metal raining down from above. The light from the fragments grew brighter, hotter, until it consumed everything in its path.

I could feel myself slipping, the energy inside me pushing harder, tearing at the edges of my mind.

And then, everything exploded in a burst of white light.