Chapter 11: The First Shard
The swamp's choking mist clung to their clothes as Noah and Lyra trudged away from the clearing, the echoes of the battle still ringing in Noah's ears. Every step felt heavier, burdened not only by the weight of the Veil Coin burning in his palm but also by the knowledge that the Netherveil's reach was closer than ever.
"Where exactly are we going now?" Noah asked, trying to catch his breath while dodging a root that nearly tripped him.
Lyra glanced at the cracked sky overhead, where the fractured shards of light seemed to pulse with a life of their own. "The First Shard," she said. "If we can find it, we might have a chance at sealing the breaches before they swallow everything."
Noah frowned. "First Shard? Sounds like something out of a bad fantasy novel."
Lyra smirked briefly. "Welcome to our world."
The forest around them shifted suddenly, the eerie silence replaced by distant whispers, like the forest itself was alive, watching. Their path led them to a small clearing where the air shimmered with magic—a telltale sign of something powerful hidden just beneath the surface.
"There," Lyra pointed.
A jagged crystal protruded from the earth, its surface gleaming like a star caught in ice. The First Shard.
Noah's fingers tingled as he stepped closer, the Veil Coin reacting to the shard's energy. "So, this is the big deal?"
"More than a big deal," Lyra corrected. "This shard is a piece of the Veil itself—its power can close a breach, but only if wielded by someone who can command it."
Before Noah could reach for it, a voice interrupted from the shadows.
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
A figure stepped into the clearing—a woman with fiery red hair, eyes sharp as daggers, and a grin that suggested she knew secrets best left alone. She wore leather armor studded with tiny, glowing runes, and a long, curved dagger hung at her hip.
"Name's Riven," she said, eyeing the shard and then Noah. "And it looks like you're in way over your head."
Lyra's hand went to her sword. "Who are you?"
Riven laughed softly. "A friend. Or maybe a necessary evil. Depends on how you ask."
Noah exchanged a glance with Lyra. "Great. Just what I needed—a wild card."
Riven stepped closer to the shard, her fingers brushing its surface lightly. "That thing's unstable. You touch it wrong, and you won't just open a breach—you'll rip the whole damn place apart."
Noah swallowed hard. "And you know this how?"
"Let's just say I've danced on the edge of the Netherveil longer than most," Riven replied. "And I'm here to make sure you don't screw it up."
Lyra's eyes narrowed. "Why should we trust you?"
Riven's grin widened. "Because if the Netherveil spreads, it won't just be your world that falls—it'll be mine too."
Noah felt the coin pulse again, almost as if it recognized Riven's words. The stakes had never felt higher.
"Alright," Noah said, "looks like we're stuck with you."
Lyra sheathed her sword reluctantly. "For now."
Riven glanced at the shard one last time. "Let's get to work. Because the next breach won't wait."
Together, the three of them prepared to face the darkness ahead—united by necessity, bound by the fragile hope that they could stop the Netherveil before it consumed everything.
Author Note : sorry for uploading chapter 12 as chapter 11 before it was a mistake