Fragments of Dawn

Kai’s breath came in short, shallow bursts as he stumbled through the remnants of the city. His pulse thudded in his temples, the weight of what had just happened sinking in. Ava—his Ava—was no longer herself. Whatever had consumed her was beyond anything he could understand. The creature, the whispers, the distorted space they’d been trapped in—it had all shifted something deep within her. His mind raced as he tried to piece together what he had seen, what he had felt. The connection to the fragments was growing stronger, more terrifying.

And he was losing her.

Kai’s feet scraped against the cracked ground as he moved forward, his eyes scanning the twisted landscape. The once-vibrant city, a beacon of humanity’s achievement, was now a hushed ruin—its towering buildings reduced to skeletal remains, its streets nothing but jagged stone and broken glass. The very air seemed thick with a sense of foreboding, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

The figures that had appeared around him—those strange, otherworldly beings—were gone now. For a moment, he had thought they were watching him, studying him, but now the city was still. Silent. Yet Kai couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t alone.

He wasn’t alone.

A faint whisper of a presence lingered, hovering just beyond the edges of his awareness. It was as though something was watching him, waiting. His fingers twitched, and the faintest pulse of power surged through his arm. The fragment embedded in his skin—it had awakened something in him. But it felt different now, darker, as if its power was no longer his to command. It pulsed with the same energy he had felt when Ava was consumed by whatever force had taken her. The thought made his stomach twist with dread.

I have to find her.

That thought kept repeating itself like a mantra, driving him forward. There was still a chance. He couldn’t give up. He wouldn’t. Not when the fragments held the key to saving the world. Not when the key to his survival—and perhaps to hers—was still locked inside him.

His footsteps faltered as he heard a soft sound in the distance, barely audible over the wind. At first, he thought it was his mind playing tricks on him. But then the sound grew clearer: voices.

He crouched low, instinctively reaching for the weapon at his side. His fingers brushed against the cool metal of his sidearm, but he hesitated. This wasn’t the time for guns. Not anymore. The world had changed. The power of the fragments was beyond anything his old training had prepared him for. If he was going to survive, if he was going to get Ava back, he needed to adapt. He needed to learn.

The voices grew louder, closer. The tension in the air seemed to thicken, wrapping around him like a vice. Kai’s heart began to race again, but this time, it wasn’t fear that drove him. It was a primal need to know, to understand what was happening. The fragments had unleashed something—something beyond the city, beyond the fragments themselves. And whatever it was, it was drawing closer.

From the shadows ahead, figures emerged—no, people. But they were unlike any humans Kai had seen before. Their faces were obscured by helmets, their bodies cloaked in dark, flowing garments that seemed to shimmer with an unnatural glow. They moved with an eerie grace, their steps silent as they advanced, like shadows come to life.

A chill ran down Kai’s spine as he studied them, trying to discern their intentions. There were no signs of aggression, but something in the way they moved, in the way they seemed so… inhuman, set him on edge.

As they drew nearer, one of them—taller than the rest, its cloak darker, its presence more commanding—stepped forward. Its helmet was featureless, but Kai could feel its gaze, could feel the weight of its attention pressing down on him.@@novelbin@@

“You’re Kai Voss,” the figure said, its voice low and resonant, like a whisper carried on the wind. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of fact. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

Kai’s hand tightened around his weapon, but he didn’t draw it. Not yet. This wasn’t the enemy. Not in the way he had feared. He was being watched, yes—but this was something else entirely. Something far more controlled.

“I don’t know who you are,” Kai said, keeping his voice steady despite the tension bubbling beneath the surface. “But if you’ve been waiting for me, then you must know what’s happening. You must know about the fragments. About Ava.”

The figure’s head tilted, as if considering his words. Then, with a soft motion, the figure gestured for Kai to follow them. “Come with us. You’re not alone in this fight.”

Kai hesitated, his mind racing. He wasn’t about to just follow these strange figures into whatever hell they were walking him toward. He couldn’t trust them—not yet.

“You’re not answering my questions,” Kai said, voice hardening. “Who are you, really?”

The figure’s helmet seemed to flicker for a moment, as if responding to his challenge. “We are the Keepers. We protect the balance of the fragments. We keep them from falling into the wrong hands.”

The words rang in Kai’s ears, and his mind began to spin. The Keepers. They knew. They knew about the fragments. About the creature. About the force that had taken Ava. He wanted to ask more, to demand answers, but before he could speak, the figure turned and started walking, its cloak trailing behind it like an extension of the night itself.

The others, the ones who had been standing at attention, followed in silence.

For a moment, Kai stood frozen. Should he follow? Should he trust them? He couldn’t shake the feeling that they knew more than they were letting on—that they had answers to questions he had only begun to ask. His fragment, still pulsing in his arm, seemed to be responding to their presence, drawing him toward them like a magnet.

He had no other choice.

“Wait!” Kai called, catching up with them. “If you want me to follow, then you need to explain more. What’s happening with the fragments? Why did Ava… change?”

The Keeper didn’t look back but spoke as though it had expected the question. “The fragments have their own purpose. Their own will. The destruction of the moon wasn’t just an event. It was a transition. A reshaping of the world. Those who control the fragments can reshape it to their will, but not without consequence.”

Kai’s mind reeled. Consequences. He had seen what happened when the fragments were tampered with—he had felt it, the time distortion, the overwhelming power. But it wasn’t just about him or Ava. It was about the world. The very fabric of reality itself was being torn apart.

“Is there any way to stop it?” Kai asked, urgency creeping into his voice.

“There is a way,” the Keeper replied. “But it won’t be easy. To control the fragments, you must first understand them. You must accept the power they grant you. And you must face the price it demands.”

Kai clenched his fists at his sides, the weight of the Keeper’s words sinking in. The price. He had already felt the toll of the fragment on his body, on his mind. But if there was a chance to undo the damage, to stop what was coming, he had to take it. Even if it meant giving up everything.

“I’m ready,” Kai said, his voice steady now, even though uncertainty gnawed at his insides. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

The Keeper turned to face him then, its dark, featureless helmet looming above him like an impenetrable wall. “You will. But remember this: once you accept the fragments, there is no going back.”

Kai’s heart pounded, but he didn’t flinch. This was it. The path ahead was unclear, filled with peril and uncertainty, but he had no choice. Ava, the fragments, the fate of the world—they were all tied together now. And no matter what, he was going to find out the truth.

He had no choice but to follow.