Weeks had passed since the fight over the Eclipsed Order, and Silver City had begun to get accustomed to a grudging peace. The Nightbound patrolled the streets nervously, a sharp eye out for any stragglers who still held sympathies with the Order, but for the first time in weeks, peace reigned in the city.
Zara herself, however, couldn't shake the feeling of dread. The Shard's energy hummed through her, troubled, as though it knew the battle had merely been a glimpse into something so much larger. She dreamed, each night, of the older civilizations she'd seen in their history—landscapes in which the Aether had once been worshiped and then pillaged. And through it, the dark specter with burning eyes watched.
She hadn't said anything to anybody, not even Helena, regarding the dreams. There was something that didn't sit right about them, something that felt like a warning. But she hadn't a clue what the warning was—or how to stop it.
That evening, as Zara stood at the rooftop of an old building looking out at the city, Helena approached her silently.
"You've been reserved," Helena remarked, her voice soft but unyielding. "Something's troubling you."
Zara would not turn her face towards her, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "It's the Shard. Since I arrived to blend into it, I've been having these visions. of times past, before our day. And there's this one person who's always following me around, never in view. I don't know what to do with it, but it's starting to feel like it's more than a dream."
Helena's eyebrow rose, and she shifted a bit closer. "A threat?"
"Or perhaps a warning," said Zara.
Helena fell silent for a moment, then placed a hand on Zara's shoulder. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together. You're not alone here."
Zara nodded, valuing Helena's reassurance. But she knew better than to believe this was something she could handle alone. The Shard had chosen her for a reason, and whatever was approaching, it was related to that power.
"I'll make sure to let you know," Zara finally turned to her friend. "But I sense that this is only the beginning."
Helena's face was serious, yet she nodded sympathetically. "We'll be ready for whatever comes next."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over Silver City, Zara stood in silence, feeling the weight of the future pressing down on her. The battle against the Eclipsed Order was over, but a darker, more ancient enemy was waiting in the wings.
And when they came, Zara would be ready.
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