The chamber was heavy with silence, the echoes of the Hunter's words lingering like a curse. Aloysius's hand slowly lowered the shard, its glow dimming to a quiet pulse.
"We're standing at a precipice," he said, voice steady but filled with weight. "Either we continue gathering the fragments and risk unraveling everything... or we find another way one that honors the balance."
Kaelis exchanged a glance with Elyon, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.
Elyon broke the silence. "Balance is fragile. One wrong move, and the world could be lost. But standing still is no option either."
Aloysius nodded. "We need answers, beyond what the Hunter reveals. The truth of the Fragments, the Crown, and the cycle it binds us to."
The fissure's light dimmed, yet a faint path revealed itself deeper into the ruins, beckoning.
"Whatever lies ahead," Aloysius continued, "we face it as one. No more secrets. No more shadows."
The Hunter's hollow voice whispered one last warning:"Tread carefully, bearer. Eternity watches."
Together, they stepped forward, into the unknown.