The Chaos shards covered every surface. Thousands of them. Each one represented a fragment-bearer who had been harvested—killed so their power could be stolen.
Varyan stood in the center of the vault, surrounded by death.
"We need to destroy them," he said. "All of them."
"If we destroy them, the power is lost forever," Seris said. "Some of these shards could be used to heal. To protect."
"Or to harm. The Harvesters would just collect them again."
They argued for an hour. In the end, they compromised: they would destroy the majority of the shards but keep a small number—the ones that seemed least corrupted—for study and defense.
Mira set them on fire. The shards exploded one by one, releasing bursts of Chaos energy that shook the mountain.
When it was over, the vault was dark. Empty.
[Quest complete: "The Forbidden Peak" – Harvester stronghold destroyed. Reward: 「ECHO」Level 15. New ability: "Architect's Echo" – Briefly perceive memories of past fragment-bearers.]
[Global Harvester operations: disrupted. Estimated recovery time: 1-2 years.]
They climbed down the mountain as the sun rose. The cold was gone. The unnatural pressure had lifted.
"You did it," Tobin said, staring at Varyan with something like awe. "You actually did it."
"We did it," Varyan corrected. "All of us."
Seris walked beside him, her mismatched eyes fixed on the horizon. "The Lord Harvest is still out there. Malach was just a servant. The real enemy is still hiding."
"I know."
"Are you scared?"
Varyan thought about it. He was tired. Bruised. His arm still ached from the frostbite. But scared?
"No," he said. "Not anymore."
He looked back at the mountain. At the cave where thousands of fragments had been stored. At the place where they had struck a blow against the people who had hunted them.
"This is only the beginning," he said.
[「ECHO」: Correct. The Architects are stirring. The Lord Harvest will retaliate. But for now—]
[For now, you have won.]
Varyan smiled. A real smile.
"Let's go home."