Fragments of Truth

Zami's body ached with a ferocity that defied description. His right arm throbbed, the flesh charred and raw from the repeated use of *Blood Explosion*. His hands were swollen, split, and bleeding from executing *The Night Sun*. Every breath sent sharp pain through his side where the jagged bone had pierced him.

He leaned against the cold stone wall of the fortress, his katana resting by his side. The room was silent now, the once-ominous presence of the Bone Monarch reduced to a scattered pile of bones. Yet, Zami felt far from victorious.

"How… am I still alive?" he muttered under his breath.

The creature within him stirred, its voice carrying a tone of amusement.

"Because I didn't let you die. Though I must say, you've come closer to the edge than ever before. Impressive... and foolish."

Zami clenched his jaw, wincing as his burnt hand twitched involuntarily. "You told me to destroy the shard," he said, his tone sharp. "But before, you warned me about breaking shards. Why? Why the change?"

The voice grew quieter, almost hesitant.

"I had to give you a way to win. The Monarch's strength was bound to that shard. Destroying it weakened him enough for you to strike the final blow. Without that, you'd be dead—permanently this time."

Zami closed his eyes, letting the creature's words sink in. The shards were more than just objects; they were tied to power, something ancient and beyond his understanding.

"And yet, I killed it without fully destroying the shard. How?" Zami pressed.

The voice hesitated again before replying.

*"That shard was... incomplete. Fragments of its true essence were missing. I suspect you've encountered them before."*

The image of the shard worshipped by the intelligent creatures outside the fortress flashed in Zami's mind. The way they had guarded it, their fervent devotion—it all felt connected.

"The shard they worshipped…" Zami murmured. "It's tied to this one, isn't it?"

"Yes," the creature admitted.

"These shards are remnants of something much larger, something fractured long ago. Each one holds a piece of immense power, and those creatures you killed—they understood that."

Zami's fingers curled into a fist, the motion causing a fresh wave of pain to ripple through his hand. He gritted his teeth, pushing through the discomfort. "What happens if I gather them all?"

The voice chuckled darkly.

"Even I don't know. But you wouldn't be asking that question if you'd seen what they can do when whole. Be careful with your curiosity, Zami. It might lead you to something you can't control."

For hours, Zami remained in the chamber, tending to his wounds with the few supplies he had left. He used the remaining healing liquid sparingly, pouring a drop onto his burnt arm. The pain was searing, but the liquid did its job, sealing the worst of the open wounds.

He forced himself to eat, carving a piece of dried meat from a creature he had hunted days before. Each bite was mechanical, his mind elsewhere.

The fortress felt heavier now, as if the air itself had grown denser after the Monarch's death. Yet, the shattered shard on the throne still emitted a faint hum of energy, its fragmented pieces pulsing weakly.

Zami stared at it, his thoughts spiraling. The shards had drawn him deeper into the colony's mysteries, and with each encounter, he felt further from understanding their true nature.

That night, he slept fitfully, his body too battered to find comfort on the cold stone floor. His dreams were fragmented—images of the Bone Monarch, the worshipping creatures, and his clan's ruined village flickering in and out.

When he awoke, his breathing was shallow, his muscles stiff. The voice inside him stirred once more.

"You're still alive, I see."

"Barely," Zami muttered, sitting up. The bandages he had wrapped around his arm were stained with blood, the wounds beneath still raw.

"You're lucky the healing liquid worked as well as it did," the creature said.

"But you can't keep relying on these crutches. Your body isn't indestructible, no matter how far you've pushed it."

Zami frowned, his gaze fixed on the faint glow of the shard fragments. "What's next?" he asked, almost to himself.

The creature's voice was quiet for a moment before responding.

"You'll find another shard eventually. They call to each other, you know. Like pieces of a puzzle begging to be whole again."

Zami stood slowly, his movements careful. "And what happens when they're all together?"

The creature didn't answer immediately. When it spoke, its tone was grim.

"That's a question only you can answer, Zami. But if you're not prepared for the consequences, it might be the last question you ever ask."