The Crown's Shadow
The capital of Eldoria, Valenhold, rose like a gilded beacon against the horizon, its white spires gleaming in the sun. Yet as Lee and his companions approached, the Eternal Flame within him flickered uneasily. The air carried a metallic tang, and the bustling city gates were choked with refugees—farmers, merchants, and hollow-eyed children fleeing villages swallowed by unseasonal frosts and creeping shadows.
"The fragment's corruption is here already," Lyria murmured, her fingers brushing a wilted flower in a roadside cart. "It's subtle… but it's spreading."
Kaela adjusted her hood, her gaze darting over the city guards. "Subtle won't last. That Shard piece is a storm waiting to break."
Tharok hefted his Warhammer, its head wrapped in a cloth to avoid suspicion. "Where do we start?"
Lee's eyes narrowed. "The palace. If someone's using the fragment to manipulate the king, that's where they'll be."
---
### **The Gilded Rot**
Valenhold's grandeur masked a sickness. Markets thrived, but coins changed hands with hissed threats. Temple bells rang, yet their harmonies curdled into dissonance. The group split, weaving through the city's veins:
- **Kaela** slipped into the Warrens, a labyrinth of alehouses and black-market dens. An informant, a one-eyed woman named Vessa, whispered of a noble buying "shadow glass" (slang for Void Shard residue) and stockpiling weapons. "Watch your back, girl. The Raven's Eyes are everywhere."
- **Tharok** visited the barracks, posing as a mercenary. Soldiers spoke of erratic orders—patrols diverted, quarantines enforced. A young recruit muttered, "Captain Rennick's been different since Lord Cedric took interest in him. Cold. Twitchy."
- **Lyria** infiltrated the Royal Archives, deciphering scorched scrolls. The fragment was no accident in Valenhold—it had been *brought* here, part of a ritual to "ascend" the kingdom through "purifying flame." Her blood chilled. *They think they can control the Void Shard's power.*
- **Lee** entered the palace, his knightly armour granting passage. King Edric, once robust, sat gaunt on his throne, his eyes glazed. Beside him stood Lord Cedric Valtor—Lee's distant cousin, his smirk sharp as a dagger. "Welcome home, Sir Lee. We've… missed you."
---
### **The Poisoned Court**
That night, the group reconvened in a derelict chapel.
"Cedric's using the fragment to control the king," Lee growled. "He's always hungered for power. But this?"
Lyria unrolled a parchment. "The ritual's set for the solstice—three days from now. They'll channel the Shard's energy through the king, 'burning away weakness.' It'll massacre thousands."
Kaela tossed Raven's Eye pendant onto the table—a token from a thug she'd silenced. "Cedric's got spies. He knows we're here."
Tharok cracked his knuckles. "So we smash his toys first."
---
### **The Fracture**
The solstice eve arrived. The palace courtyard thrummed with nobles, oblivious to the runes etched beneath their feet. Cedric stood atop a dais, the fragment—a pulsating black crystal—floating above his palms. King Edric knelt, ensnared in chains of dark light.
Lee's group struck.
- **Tharok** barreled through Raven's Eyes, their blades snapping against his hammer.
- **Kaela** duelled a shadow-wreathed assassin, her daggers clashing with cursed steel.
- **Lyria** wove barriers, shielding bystanders from stray magic.
Lee charged the dais, *Ignis Fury* blazing. Cedric laughed. "You're too late, cousin! The Weak will burn, and the Strong shall rise!"
The fragment's energy erupted. The courtyard trembled as tendrils of darkness speared toward the king. Lee leapt, intercepting the blow. The Void Shard's power seared his veins, and the Eternal Flame roared in defiance—a war of light and shadow within him.
"You… cannot… win…" Cedric hissed, his skin cracking like porcelain.
Lee's vision blurred. Memories flashed: his parents' deaths, the Citadel's trials, Tharok's laughter, Lyria's quiet resolve. *"Not… alone,"* he gasped.
Kaela's dagger found Cedric's spine. Lyria's spell shattered the ritual circle. Tharok's hammer crushed the dais.
With a scream, Lee plunged *Ignis Fury* into the fragment. Light exploded, purging the courtyard. Cedric disintegrated, his final snarl lost to the wind.
---
### **The Cost**
Dawn broke. Valenhold stirred, the corruption lifting like fog. King Edric, freed but broken, ordered Cedric's collaborators arrested.
Lee stood at the palace gates; his armour scorched, the Eternal Flame now a dull ember in his chest.
Lyria touched his arm. "The flame… it's fading, isn't it?"
He nodded. Each fragment's destruction had cost him. *How much more can I burn?*
Kaela smirked, though her eyes were grim. "Cheer up, Flamekeeper. We've still got Shards to smash."
Tharok grunted. "Aye. And ale to drink. Found a tavern that doesn't water down the goods."
As they walked, Lee noticed a figure in the crowd—a hooded woman with eyes like smouldering coals. She pressed a slip of parchment into his hand: *"The Shard was never the true threat. Seek the Eclipse Citadel."
The flame flickered.