The First Node Beckons

The sanctuary's glow faded behind them as the group stepped back into the dense forest. The air was crisp, but the weight of their newfound knowledge lingered heavily on their shoulders. Kai's grip on the fragment tightened, its pulse steady yet insistent, as though it had been awakened by the truth revealed within the sanctuary.

The leyline's balance was broken, its pulse unsteady. And it was up to them to fix it.

Febe let out a sharp breath, flipping one of her knives between her fingers as they walked. "So, let's summarize. We've got a grand quest now—track down these nodes, face terrifying leyline guardians, and somehow stitch this whole mess back together before the world collapses. That about right?"

Kai exhaled slowly. "It's not just about finding the nodes. The fragment is supposed to guide us. If we trust it, we'll get there before the Ashen Order does."

Ignis scoffed. "I'd rather not leave that to chance." He rolled his shoulders, his golden eyes flickering in the dim light. "The Order won't wait for us to figure things out. They're already moving."

Selene nodded, her void energy crackling faintly. "Which means we move as soon as the fragment gives us direction. The longer we wait, the more control the Order gains."

"Then let's not waste time," Ignis muttered, his fists clenching as small flames flickered between his fingers.

Kai took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on the fragment's energy. The leyline's hum was steady now, calmer than it had been in Hollow's Reach, but still fractured. He could feel the pull of the nodes—distant but present—like echoes across a vast ocean. Then, suddenly, the fragment pulsed violently against his palm, sending a sharp jolt through his body.

His eyes snapped open. "I see it. There's a node… far east, past the Serpent Clan's territory."

Selene's brow furrowed. "That's dangerous ground. The Ashen Order has been making moves there for months."

"So?" Febe stretched, a lazy smirk crossing her lips. "We get there first, and if they show up, we kick them out."

Kai ignored the rising tension in his chest. They had a goal now. He just had to keep moving forward.

--

The journey east took them through rugged terrain. The thick forests eventually gave way to rolling hills covered in golden grass that swayed with the wind. The air grew warmer, carrying the scent of distant rain, and the rhythmic pulse of the leyline became heavier, almost like a heartbeat echoing through the ground.

Kai felt the fragment vibrating steadily, its energy synchronizing with something ahead. The closer they got, the more he could sense a vast presence lurking beneath the surface. It was different from the chaotic pulse of the nexus—this was something ancient and still, as though it had been waiting for them.

"Feels different here," Ignis muttered, his eyes scanning the landscape. "Like the air is pressing down on me."

Selene frowned, glancing at the fragment. "It's the leyline's influence. We must be close."

Kai swallowed hard. He wasn't just feeling the leyline—he was hearing it. Whispers, faint and distant, drifting through his mind. It was trying to tell him something, though he couldn't quite grasp the meaning.

As they crested a ridge, the valley opened before them, and Kai's breath caught in his throat.

A massive obelisk, ancient and covered in glowing runes, stood at the valley's center, partially buried beneath gnarled roots and crumbling stone. The air around it shimmered, the leyline's energy radiating from its core in slow, pulsating waves.

The first node.

But they weren't alone.

Figures clad in dark armor surrounded the obelisk, their glowing eyes fixed on the ancient structure. Kai's stomach clenched. Ashen Order agents. And at the center of them stood a robed figure, their presence radiating an overwhelming sense of void energy.

Selene cursed under her breath. "They're already here."

Ignis's flames roared to life around his hands. "Then we take them out."

Kai's grip on the fragment tightened as the whispers grew louder in his mind, the leyline's pulse merging with his own. The fragment flared brighter, as if answering a call.

Whatever was about to happen, the leyline had already decided.

---