My Mysterious Ring

the murky water, the ground quaking beneath its weight. I raised my hand, channeling the ring's energy again, and unleashed an

I shouted, my v

ones where the shard lay hidden. Elenna clung to a gnarled tree behind

ural roar that sent a shiver down my spine.

creature's claws slicing through the air where I'd been standing. The ring's energy

d out from the distance, her figure bare

done!" I muttere

ised the ring just in time to create a shimmering barrier of light. The tail struck the

ream pierced the air

toward her. Its movements were relentless, driven by an unn

mmoning another blast of energy. The ring flared brightl

For the first time, I saw hesitation in its movements, as if i

again, urgent and triu

and. Its light was brilliant, brighter than the first two shards combined, and

shard. For a brief moment, everything was still. T

, adrenaline su

hed into them, shattering the ancient structure. She landed g

lled, sprinti

nd slowing our movements as we splashed through the muck. Behind us, the cre

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sounds of the marsh faded into the distance. By the time we reached a small

he shard as its light dimmed to a fain

g?" Elenna asked, h

hs. "They're bound to the shards, create

my heart still poundin

e hadn't distracted it long enough, I wo

t. "That thing... it was unstoppable. How are we suppos

"We have to. The Shadows won

low casting a soft light in the clearing. The power they hel

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h. Kael took the first watch, her posture rigid as she scanned the darkness for any sign of d

ntly with the ring on my finger. When I brought them close together, the

nd them all?" I asked Ka

ok at me. "We

hem? But... they're so powerful. Wou

r their own ends. Power like this corrupts, no matter the intention. The only way

r expression troub

ed sharply. "This isn't a debate. The s

cted. The idea of destroying something so powerful felt w

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up at the stars. The weight of the journey pressed heavily

ing to my thoughts. I closed my eyes, the hum of the sh

s were far f

a brilliant, blinding light. The light consumed everything, reshaping the world around

e. The ring's light flickered faintly, and the

hing for certain: the true test