Fragments of Oblivion: Lost Memories

The fracture creature roared, its jagged form shifting in and out of focus like a glitch in reality. The ground beneath Elias cracked, sending him staggering to keep his balance. The device in his hand pulsed violently, its glow flickering like a dying ember.

"It's failing," Elias muttered under his breath, panic creeping into his voice.

Darius walked a few feet away, his eyes fixed on the creature. "Then stop relying on it," he snapped, his tone sharp. "You've got a choice to make—fight or die. And right now, you're not helping."

Elias shot him a glare, his chest tightening. "You think I don't know that?"

The creature lunged, its fractured limbs stretching toward them with unnatural speed. Darius moved first, stepping into its path with ungodly ease. A shimmering blade of mana formed in his hand, but this time it had no effect on the creature, to his surprise.

"Stay back," Darius barked. "It's different now. My mana suddenly isn't enough to make a scratch, and I was not holding back."

Elias stumbled further away, his grip tightening around the faltering device. He pressed his thumb against its surface, willing it to respond. The glow flickered weakly, then faded entirely.

"No, no, no…" he muttered, his heart pounding.

The creature recoiled from Darius's strike, its form shifting as it adapted to the attack. Darius stepped back, his breathing steady but labored. He glanced at Elias, his expression dark.

"That thing isn't going to wait for you to figure it out," he said. "Use the device—or use your mana. Pick one."

Elias shook his head, frustration boiling over. "I'm not burning my memories to use your magic."

Darius narrowed his eyes. "Then you'd better get creative. Because right now, you're a liability."

The words stung, but Elias didn't have time to argue. The creature lunged again, and he dove to the side, his body hitting the ground hard. Pain shot through his shoulder, but he ignored it, his eyes scanning the area.

The battlefield was chaotic—cracked ground, pools of silvery liquid that shimmered unnervingly. Elias's mind raced, piecing together fragments of an idea.

If the device won't work… I'll make something that does.

He scrambled to his feet, his hands moving instinctively. He grabbed a jagged shard of fractured material, its glass-like surface humming faintly with energy. Nearby, a length of stone jutted out from the ground, its edges sharp and uneven.

Elias worked quickly, binding the shard to the stone with a strip of cloth torn from his sleeve. The makeshift weapon was crude, but it would have to do.

Darius caught sight of him and frowned. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Improvising," Elias shot back, gripping the weapon tightly. "If that thing is made from the same material as this shard, I should be able to hurt it."

The creature turned its attention to Elias, its glowing eyes narrowing. It lunged again, its fractured form twisting unnaturally. Elias braced himself, waiting until the last possible second before sidestepping and slashing upward with his makeshift blade.

The shard connected, slicing through the creature's limb. The impact sent a jolt up Elias's arm, but the creature recoiled, its form flickering.

Darius let out a low whistle, stepping back into the fray. "Not bad, kid. Crude, but effective."

Elias didn't respond. His focus was entirely on the creature, his mind racing with calculations. He could see the way its form shifted, how its fractured body adapted to each attack. If he could just time his strikes right—

The creature lunged again, faster this time. Elias moved to intercept, but Darius blocked him, his mana blade carving a trench toward the creature until it flung the beast high into the air. The ground cratered, and boulder sized shards was sent in every direction when the beast fell.

"This is why you use mana," Darius said, his tone firm. "It's faster. Stronger. Smarter."

"And it costs more than I'm willing to pay," Elias snapped back.

Darius shook his head, his expression unreadable. "Your stubbornness is might bury you. Especially, here."

The creature retreated briefly, its form flickering as it recalibrated. Darius took the opportunity to step closer to Elias, his voice lowering.

"You think I haven't made sacrifices?" he said, his tone quieter now. "You think I don't know what it costs?"

Elias frowned, caught off guard by the shift in Darius's demeanor.

"I've burned through more memories than I can care to count," Darius continued, his eyes darkening. "Faces. Voices. Names. Gone. All because I thought I could fix - never mind. It doesn'tmatter."

His gaze shifted to the creature, his expression hardening. "But you know what I've learned? You'll never win if you're afraid to lose."

Elias stared at him. There was something in Darius's voice—something raw and unguarded—impossible to dismiss.

"But you're still here," Elias said quietly. "What are you trying to fix?"

Darius didn't answer right away. He glanced at the creature, which was beginning to reassemble itself, its limbs glowing brighter.

"That's a story for another time," he said finally. "Right now, we've got bigger problems."

The creature roared, its form shifting into something larger and more menacing. Elias tightened his grip on his makeshift blade, his chest tightening as he prepared to strike again.

Darius moved first, his mana blade carving through the air with precision. The creature twisted to evade him, its movements faster and more unpredictable.

Elias saw an opening—a split-second opportunity. He darted forward, his weapon slashing across the creature's exposed flank. The shard in his blade flared with energy, and the creature let out a deafening screech.

Darius smirked faintly. "Maybe you're not completely useless after all."

Elias shot him a glare. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

The creature staggered, its form flickering violently. Darius stepped forward, his mana blade glowing brighter.

"Finish it," he said, his tone commanding.

Elias hesitated, the weight of the device in his hand reminding him of what it had cost so far. But then he stepped forward, raising his makeshift weapon.

With a final, decisive strike, the creature shattered, its fragments scattering into the air like falling glass.

The battlefield fell silent, the air heavy with the aftermath of the fight. Elias stood still, his body trembling from the exertion.

Darius approached. "You survived," he said simply.

"Barely," Elias muttered, lowering his weapon.

Darius's gaze shifted to the horizon, where the fractured landscape stretched endlessly. "This is just the beginning," he said, his voice low. "The real fight hasn't even started."

Elias followed his gaze.

In the distance, the whispers began to stir again, louder this time. And with them came the faint silhouette of something even more monstrous.