Master of divine shards

The journey through the Ashen Dunes began under a pale and unforgiving sun. The sky was a canvas of muted gray, and the endless expanse of shifting sands seemed to stretch into eternity. Each step sunk into the fine, powdery terrain, forcing the group to expend more energy than they could afford.

Eren led the way, his pace relentless despite the grueling conditions. The fragments in his possession pulsed faintly, as though guiding him toward their next destination. Behind him, Liora and Kael trudged along, their silence marked by tension and unspoken worries.

"This place is worse than the rift," Kael muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

"It's dead," Liora agreed, her voice barely above a whisper. "No life. No wind. Just... nothing."

Eren didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the horizon, his mind locked on the fragment's pull.

---

An Unseen Threat

By midday, the group came across a strange formation in the dunes—a series of jagged, blackened rocks jutting out like the ribs of a colossal beast. The air around them seemed heavier, and the fragments' glow intensified.

"We should rest here," Liora suggested, her voice tinged with caution. "The rocks will give us some cover."

Eren hesitated but nodded. "Not for long."

As they settled, Kael scouted the area, his instincts on high alert. The silence of the dunes was unnatural, oppressive. He returned to the others, his expression grim.

"We're not alone," he said.

Liora stiffened, her hand going to her bow. "What did you see?"

"Tracks," Kael replied. "Humanoid, but... wrong. Too deep, too precise. Like they're not walking, but being dragged."

Eren's grip on his sword tightened. "It's Malrik's minions. He knows we're coming."

---

The Sand Revenants

The attack came as the sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the dunes. The ground trembled, and from the sands emerged a horde of twisted figures. Their bodies were skeletal, their flesh replaced by hardened ash, and their eyes glowed with a malevolent, fiery light.

"Revenants," Liora breathed, her voice filled with dread.

Eren drew his sword, the fragments' energy flaring to life. "Stay together!"

The revenants swarmed, their movements unnaturally fast despite their withered forms. Kael met the first wave with his greatsword, cleaving through their brittle bodies, but they reformed almost instantly, their ashen fragments knitting back together.

"They're not staying down!" Kael shouted, dodging a clawed hand that swiped at his face.

Liora loosed a volley of arrows, each one glowing faintly with energy. Her shots struck true, shattering the revenants' cores and causing them to collapse into heaps of ash.

"Go for the cores!" she yelled.

Eren plunged his sword into one revenant's chest, the fragment's light burning through its core. The creature let out a shriek before disintegrating.

---

A Deadly Revelation

Despite their efforts, the revenants seemed endless, rising from the sands as quickly as they were defeated. Eren's frustration grew, the whispers of the fragments urging him to use more of their power.

"Eren, don't!" Liora's voice broke through the chaos, but it was too late.

Eren raised his sword, channeling the fragments' energy into a devastating strike. The ground shook, and a wave of light erupted from his blade, vaporizing the revenants in its path.

The battlefield fell silent, but the cost was immediate. Eren staggered, his breathing labored, and the glow of the fragments dimmed ominously.

Kael rushed to his side, grabbing his arm. "You can't keep doing this!"

Eren pulled away, his expression defiant. "If I hadn't, we'd all be dead."

"And what happens when it kills you?" Kael shot back.

Liora stepped between them, her voice firm. "Enough. We need to move before more show up."

---

The Shifting Sands

The group pressed on, their pace quickened by the looming threat of another attack. The fragments' glow guided them through the ever-changing dunes, their pull growing stronger with each step.

As night fell, the temperature plummeted, and the sands glowed faintly under the light of the twin moons. The atmosphere was eerie, the silence broken only by the crunch of their footsteps.

"We're close," Eren said, his voice low.

"How do you know?" Liora asked, her tone cautious.

"I can feel it," he replied, his hand brushing against the fragments. "It's... calling to me."

Kael exchanged a wary glance with Liora but said nothing.

---

The Black Spire Revealed

As dawn broke, the group crested a final dune and froze. Before them rose the Black Spire, a towering monolith of obsidian and shadow. Its surface shimmered with an unnatural light, and the air around it buzzed with dark energy.

"It's there," Eren said, his voice filled with certainty.

Kael's grip on his sword tightened. "And so are Malrik's forces."

The base of the spire was swarming with figures—Malrik's soldiers, clad in black armor and armed with cruel weapons. Among them were creatures even more twisted than the revenants, their forms hulking and grotesque.

"This won't be easy," Liora murmured, her hand brushing against her quiver.

"It doesn't matter," Eren said, his gaze fixed on the spire. "We're going through them."

Kael stepped in front of him, his expression hard. "Not without a plan. Rushing in will get us killed."

Eren's eyes burned with determination. "Then come up with one fast, because I'm not stopping."