THE BROKEN EGG

eatures-the Echoes of the Broken-had reached the shrine, their watery forms slithering through the entrance, their glowing eyes locked on her. The air crackled with their presence, a

anicked gasps. The vision felt so real-the heat of the flames, the weight of their words. She could feel her resolve crumbling, the fear taking hold. But then, through the haze of the vision, she heard the orb's whispers again: *Courage.* The word cut through the fear like a blade, and Clara blinked, forcing herself to focus. This wasn't real. It was the fractures-they were feeding on her fear, just as Lila had warned. She turned back to the altar, where the orb still glowed, its light a beacon in the darkness of the vision. The creatures were circling closer, their forms more solid now, their claws scraping against the stone floor. Clara's hands shook as she reached for the orb, her fingers brushing its warm surface. The moment she touched it, the vision shattered, and she was back in the shrine, the burning village replaced by the stormy reality of Harrow's Hill. The creatures hissed, their movements growing more aggressive. They knew she'd broken their illusion. Clara tightened her grip on the orb, its light pulsing in time with her heartbeat. "I'm not afraid of you," she said, her voice steadying. "You're just echoes. You don't get to decide Eldermoor's future." The largest of the creatures reared back, its form swelling as it let out a deafening roar. The sound shook the shrine, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the stone walls. Clara braced herself, the orb's light flaring brighter than ever. She didn't know how to use it, but she felt its power coursing through her, a strength that wasn't entirely her own. It was Lila's strength, and the strength of every chosen one before her, carried through the echo. The creature lunged, its claws aimed for the orb, but Clara didn't flinch. She held the orb out in front of her, and a beam of blue light shot from it, striking the creature in the chest. It screamed, its form dissolving into a puddle of dark water that seeped into the ground. The other two c