The city was quiet, too quiet, as if holding its breath in anticipation. Li Tian stood on the edge of the rooftop, the scar in the sky faint but pulsing with ominous rhythm. Sparks still danced across his fingers, smaller now, but persistent, a reminder of the fragment's lingering influence. He could feel it — the shard calling to him, probing for connection, testing his will.
"I have to do this," he whispered, teeth gritted. The memory of the previous night's confrontation with the Keepers was still fresh: the dizzying waves of energy, the fragments of his mind vanishing, the scarlet pulse of the Old Gods' shard. Every loss had cost him a fragment of himself, yet he understood that hesitation could be deadlier than the toll of power.
Lin Yao emerged from the shadows, her umbrella folded and held loosely at her side. "If you act now, control is everything. Misstep, and the system will punish you — the Keepers will not hesitate."
"I know," Li Tian said, voice taut. Sparks flared brighter, reacting to his tension. "I won't let them… or the fragments… take me without a fight."
Lin Yao's gaze hardened. "Then focus. Your mind anchors the power, not your hands. Remember that."
Below them, the abandoned plaza awaited, the black shard embedded in cracked pavement pulsing faintly, as though sensing the approach of its conduit. Li Tian took a deep breath, grounding himself. He could feel reality bending subtly, air warping in invisible waves. Sparks flared from his palms as he reached out to the shard, willing it to respond.
For the first time, he did not resist. He allowed the shard to draw him in, to connect, letting the fragment resonate with his own energy. A rush of images flooded his mind: cities folding upon themselves, colossal forms of shadow and light, faceless eyes observing timelines that did not exist. His head throbbed violently, and for a moment, he feared he might lose his sense of self entirely.
Lin Yao placed a hand on his shoulder. "Steady yourself," she warned. "Every interaction costs more than you think. Memories, sanity, fragments of existence — all are expendable."
Li Tian nodded, clenching his fists. Sparks danced, then arced outward, forming intricate shapes that reflected his intent. The shard responded, pulsing in synchrony, releasing waves of energy that warped the surrounding plaza. The cracked tiles lifted slightly, suspended in midair, and shadows bent unnaturally, stretching into angles that defied logic.
The cost… is real… the whisper inside his mind warned. Deviation rising… containment required… probability of collapse increasing…
He pushed forward. This time, he acted proactively, directing the shard's energy outward. A thin, black tendril shot toward a nearby lamppost, wrapping around it. Sparks flared from his hands as he guided the tendril, manipulating the physical world indirectly through the fragment. The lamppost twisted, bent, then straightened again, responding precisely to his will.
Li Tian's chest heaved. Every movement, every manipulation, cost him. Memories flickered and vanished — the order of streets, the names of nearby shops, even fleeting images of his own apartment — pieces of himself ripped away by the shard's resonance. Pain lanced through his head, yet he pressed on.
Suddenly, the air shivered. From the shadowed alley emerged the Keepers, moving with deliberate precision. They had been observing, waiting for him to act.
"You are escalating the deviation," the tallest Keeper said, voice calm and absolute. "Containment is required."
Li Tian raised his hands, sparks flaring uncontrollably. "I'm not backing down!" he shouted, though exhaustion and fear laced his words.
The Keepers moved in unison. The youngest extended a hand, and a pulse of energy rippled outward, distorting the plaza. Li Tian staggered, sparks arcing wildly, as the fragment pulsed violently in response to the system's interference. Shadows stretched and twisted, tiles lifted and spun, and the scar in the sky above brightened, a dark warning.
"Focus!" Lin Yao shouted, stepping forward. "Anchor yourself! The sparks are not your mind! Your consciousness is the tether!"
Li Tian gritted his teeth. Slowly, painstakingly, he brought his thoughts into alignment with the shard's energy. Sparks arced in controlled, deliberate patterns, guiding the black tendrils toward the Keepers. A thin, pulsating wave of energy struck the nearest Keeper, who raised a shield of energy that shimmered faintly. The impact sent a ripple across the plaza, and for a fleeting moment, Li Tian felt triumph.
But the cost was immediate. His vision blurred, fragments of memory vanished: the layout of the plaza, the feel of the pavement, even the taste of air itself. His body trembled violently, and he felt the painful tug of his own existence fraying at the edges.
"You are pushing too far!" Lin Yao shouted. "You risk losing yourself entirely!"
Li Tian ignored her, directing the shard's energy again. The Keepers countered, and the plaza became a chaotic storm of energy and shadow. Sparks, tendrils, and pulses collided, sending ripples across the surrounding buildings. The air cracked and shimmered, bending reality in small, impossible ways.
The scar in the sky pulsed in response, brighter now, signaling that the fragments of the Old Gods were reacting to his actions. Tendrils of shadow stretched upward from the shard, reaching toward him, probing, testing. Li Tian gritted his teeth, controlling the energy, focusing his mind despite the intense cost.
He felt something inside him break — a fragment of memory, perhaps, or a piece of identity. The pain was sharp, but he pressed forward, guiding the shard's tendrils to create a defensive barrier against the Keepers' assault. Sparks danced violently, arcs of red and black energy striking, bending, and refracting.
Lin Yao's voice was urgent now. "You cannot hold it indefinitely! The cost will consume you!"
"I… I'll endure it!" Li Tian shouted, though each word felt heavy, fragmented. Memories of small things — a friend's face, a song he had heard, a line of homework — vanished like mist. His mind reeled, but he kept the shard under tenuous control, directing its energy to shield both himself and Lin Yao.
The Keepers paused briefly, assessing him. "Adaptive," the tallest said quietly. "But fragile. Containment is still required."
Li Tian stumbled, exhausted, but he remained standing. Sparks flared faintly, the shard pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. Shadows of the Old Gods flickered in the corners of his vision, faint but undeniable. He understood now: the fragments were not just objects; they were entities, aware and responsive, capable of both destruction and subtle influence.
Lin Yao's hand rested lightly on his shoulder. "This is only the beginning. The shards are awake, and the Keepers will not relent. But you survived this engagement. That matters."
Li Tian nodded, trembling. "The cost… it's more than I imagined. But I'll continue. I have to."
Above them, the scar in the sky pulsed once more, ominous and insistent. Sparks still danced from his palms, controlled but exhausted, as the plaza settled into uneasy quiet. Reality itself seemed to sigh in relief, holding its shape… for now.
The Old Gods' fragments stirred, the Keepers watched, and the system recalculated, patient, inevitable.
Li Tian clenched his fists, aware of the fragments lost to his own reckless use of power, aware of the toll on his mind, aware that each action would only escalate the challenges ahead.
But he would face them.
Because yielding was not an option.
The reckoning had begun, and the next storm was coming faster than he could anticipate.