Chapter 26: The Echoes of the Moon
The world smelled of dust and ruin.
When Kairo opened his eyes, the sky above him was the color of old bruises — violet and gray, streaked with the dying light of dawn.
His body ached as if the mountains themselves had fallen upon him. For a moment, he didn’t know where he was — only that the ground beneath him was cracked stone, and that the air trembled with something ancient, restless, alive.
Then memory struck like lightning.
The battle. The Keep. Varik. The shards scream in unison.
He sat up sharply, gasping. His hand flew to his chest — the shard still glowed faintly, dim but steady, its pulse echoing like a heartbeat under his ribs.
“Kairo.”
The voice was hoarse but familiar. He turned. Kaelen stood a few feet away, leaning on his sword fo
