Chapter 88 – The Sixth Shard

The crystal’s light guided them through the sleeping ruins.
No one complained about being woken up.
Not even Mira.
Which alone showed how unusual the situation felt.

The city seemed different at night.
Or perhaps it had always been like this and they simply hadn’t noticed.

The ruined streets appeared older beneath the moonlight.
The broken towers looked taller.
The shadows seemed deeper.

As Team Snail moved through the ancient city, even their footsteps felt too loud.

Nobody spoke much.

The crystal sphere continued glowing softly in Kael’s hand.
Its light never wavered.
Never hesitated.

As though it knew exactly where it wanted to go.

The path eventually led them to the center of the city.

There stood a structure unlike any other building they had seen.

A circular hall built from silver-white stone.
Despite the countless years that must have passed, it remained untouched.

No cracks.
No damage.
No signs of decay.

The enormous doors stood open.
Waiting.

Mira immediately frowned.

“I hate when things look like they’re waiting for us.”

“Me too.”
Aerin admitted.

The mysterious man glanced toward Kael.

“What do you think?”

Kael looked at the hall.
Then at the crystal sphere.

“It wants us inside.”

That wasn’t really an answer.
But nobody had a better one.

Together they entered.

The hall was enormous.
Far larger than it should have been.

Rows of pillars surrounded a circular chamber.
Ancient symbols covered the floor.
The ceiling disappeared into darkness.

And at the very center—
Something floated above a stone pedestal.

Everyone stopped.

The sixth shard.

For several seconds nobody moved.

Because after everything they had experienced…
After months of searching…
After dozens of floors…

There it was.

Simply waiting.

The shard floated quietly above the pedestal.
Unlike the others, it wasn’t dull.
It wasn’t hidden.
It wasn’t buried.

It shone.

As though it had been expecting them.

Or perhaps expecting Kael.

The crystal sphere in her hand reacted immediately.

Light burst from its surface.
The six incomplete pieces inside began rotating.

The floating shard responded.

Slowly descending.

Then suddenly—
The hall shook.

The ground trembled violently.

A deep sound echoed through the chamber.

Not a roar.
Not an explosion.

A heartbeat.

One powerful heartbeat.

Then another.

The ancient symbols across the floor ignited.

Aerin immediately stepped forward.
Sword drawn.

“Something’s coming.”

For once nobody doubted him.

The air itself felt heavier.

Then the darkness above the chamber moved.

A massive shape slowly descended from the ceiling.

Mira instinctively stepped backward.

Even Kael felt her body tense.

The creature wasn’t like anything they had fought before.

It possessed no clear form.

At times it looked human.
At times it looked monstrous.
At times it appeared to be nothing but shadows.

Its size shifted constantly.

One moment it seemed larger than a building.
The next it appeared only slightly taller than Aerin.

Nobody could properly focus on it.

Their eyes struggled to understand what they were seeing.

The creature landed silently between them and the shard.

Then opened its eyes.

Silver eyes.

Ancient eyes.

For a moment nobody moved.

Then the creature spoke.

Its voice echoed throughout the chamber.

“Bearer.”

Everyone immediately looked toward Kael.

Kael herself looked surprised.

The creature wasn’t looking at anyone else.

Only her.

The same uncomfortable feeling returned.
The feeling she had experienced throughout the Tower.

As though the Tower recognized her.

As though she mattered somehow.

The creature slowly lowered its head.

Not in submission.
Not exactly.

Recognition.

“You have returned.”

Kael frowned.

“I’ve never been here.”

The creature stared at her.

For a moment confusion appeared in its silver eyes.

Then it tilted its head slightly.

“Not yet.”

Nobody understood what that meant.

Not even the mysterious man.
And for the first time since joining Team Snail, Kael saw genuine surprise on his face.

The creature turned toward the floating shard.

“The path nears completion.”

Then it looked back at Kael.

“The final truth waits above.”

Silence filled the hall.

Questions filled everyone’s minds.

Unfortunately the creature offered no answers.

Instead it stepped aside.

Allowing the shard to pass.

No battle.
No test.
No challenge.

Just permission.

Which somehow felt stranger than a fight.

The shard immediately flew toward Kael’s crystal sphere.

The two pieces collided.

Light exploded throughout the chamber.

The sphere grew larger.
Brighter.
More complete.

Six pieces had become one.

Only one piece remained.

One final shard.

One final secret.

The moment the fusion completed, new lines of light appeared inside the crystal.

Unlike before, they didn’t point toward a floor.

They pointed upward.
Directly upward.

Toward the highest floors of the Tower.

Toward the place where all paths seemed to lead.

Toward Riven.

The creature watched silently.

Then slowly began dissolving into silver light.

Before disappearing completely, it spoke one final sentence.

A sentence that remained with Kael long after the chamber became silent.

“The Master still waits.”

And then it vanished.

Nobody spoke for a long time.

Eventually Mira broke the silence.

“…Please tell me somebody understood what any of that meant.”

“No.”
Aerin answered immediately.

“Not even a little.”

The mysterious man shook his head.

“For once, neither did I.”

Everyone eventually looked toward Kael.

She stared at the nearly complete crystal sphere.
The light reflected in her eyes.

More questions.
More mysteries.
More secrets.

And yet…
For the first time, the end felt close.

Not because they were powerful.
Not because they had climbed far.

Because the Tower itself seemed to be preparing for something.

Preparing for them.

The next morning Team Snail left the ancient city.
Left the forty-second floor.
And began climbing once more.

Only eight floors remained between them and the top.

Only one shard remained incomplete.

And somewhere above, beyond all the unanswered questions, beyond every mystery and secret—
Someone was waiting.

Whether Riven knew it or not.
Team Snail was coming.