Erend felt the fragment before he ever saw it. As the expedition pushed through the final stretch of corrupted terrain a strange pulse brushed against his senses.

The sensation immediately made him slow down. It was powerful but not oppressive. Ancient but not hostile. It carried a presence that felt completely different from the corruption that had infected every corner of this world.

The Dragonborn raised a hand. The expedition gradually slowed behind him.

Their eyes moved toward the horizon.

Then the site finally appeared.

The place was nothing like the major fragment locations he had discovered before. There were no towering ruins reaching into the sky. No enormous structures radiated overwhelming defense. The site looked surprisingly modest compared to the importance of what rested there.

A shallow basin stretched before them between weathered stone formations that rose from the earth like broken fangs. Clusters of silver and blue crystals emerged from the ground throughout the area. Some stood only waist-high while others towered above the surrounding rocks. Streams of glowing energy flowed lazily between them, creating faint rivers of light that illuminated the basin beneath the dark cloudy sky.

Most surprising of all was the atmosphere. The corruption still existed around the area but it felt weaker here. Much weaker. As if the oppressive sensation that had followed them throughout the journey seemed unable to fully enter this place.

Several soldiers immediately noticed it.

"The corruption feels weaker," One knight said, slowly released a breath and looked around in disbelief.

A nearby mage nodded. "I can feel it too. It feels different here."

Quiet murmurs spread through the formation.

Erend narrowed his eyes while studying the currents of energy flowing throughout the basin. He carefully examined every fluctuation of Magic surrounding the site.

This power was immense. But it lacked the hunger and malice that accompanied the Void Architect’s corruption.

There was no sensation of decay or feeling of madness lurking beneath the surface. Instead, the energy felt ordered and stable despite its age.

Ancient understanding slowly formed inside his mind. This isn’t the Void Architect’s Magic. This is its own Magic.

The nearby mages immediately turned toward him.

Erend continued observing the glowing crystals scattered throughout the basin.

"This is the Sky Anchor’s own power."

The realization immediately spread through the expedition.

They had finally found something that remained untouched. Relief washed across countless faces.

Some soldiers lowered their weapons slightly while releasing exhausted breaths. Others stared at the basin with expressions that almost resembled wonder.

The journey had pushed them beyond their limits. They had crossed corrupted wastelands, fought endless monsters, and marched through exhaustion that should have broken them long ago.

Now they had finally arrived.

Erend turned toward the expedition. "We’re here."

The simple statement carried enormous weight. Fatigue still filled their bodies but their morale immediately rose again.

The Dragonborn looked back toward the basin. "Move. Everyone enters the site. Come on. We have no time left."

The expedition obeyed immediately.

Knights remained alert while scanning for threats. Mages prepared defensive spells in case some hidden danger revealed itself. Everyone expected resistance.

But none came.

The Sky Anchor’s energy flowed peacefully around them as they descended into the basin.

No monsters emerged or any traps activated. No corrupted creatures appeared from the surrounding terrain.

The entire site felt strangely calm compared to the nightmare they had traveled through to reach it.

As they moved deeper into the basin, the source of the energy finally came into view.

At the center of the site floated a fragment.

The object hovered several meters above the ground while rings of silver and blue energy slowly rotated around it. Streams of glowing runes continuously flowed across its surface, appearing and disappearing.

The fragment was much smaller than the ones Erend had seen at the major sites. Those fragments had resembled pieces of a shattered celestial monument. This one looked more like a broken shard.

Even so, the power radiating from it remained extraordinary.

Every few seconds, a pulse of energy spread out from the fragment and flowed through the entire basin. The surrounding crystals responded each time and they briefly shone brighter before returning to their normal glow. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Several mages stopped walking entirely.

Their eyes widened.

"Incredible..."

"So this is a Sky Anchor fragment. The amount of energy inside that thing is unbelievable."

Even the senior mages looked stunned.

Erend stepped closer while studying the fragment carefully.

Its size might have been smaller, but he could immediately sense its importance. Every fragment mattered, they represented a piece of the ancient structure holding the Sky Anchor, which was the Creation of Void Architect, together.

Without them, the Sky Anchor could never be restored.

Erend finally turned toward the expedition. "You may begin now."

The single word immediately snapped everyone back to reality.

"Come on," he urged firmly. "We don’t have time to stand around staring at it."

The mages immediately sprang into action.

Teams that had spent days preparing for this moment rushed forward carrying specialized equipment. Crystal pylons were placed around the fragment in a carefully measured circle. Other mages began carving enormous runic patterns into the ground while support mages activated containment crystals brought specifically for the transport operation.

The basin quickly filled with activity.

Lines of glowing energy connected one formation to another. Runes ignited across the ground. The air began vibrating from the amount of Magic gathering in one place.

"Containment Circle ready," one mage said.

"Synchronization array active," the other replied.

"Energy stabilization beginning."

"Transport formation at twenty percent."

Voices echoed throughout the site as the operation progressed.

Meanwhile, the knights established defensive positions around the perimeter. Nobody intended to risk failure now that they had finally reached their objective.

At the center of the operation, the mages continuously poured Magic into the growing network of formations. Layers of silver and blue barriers gradually formed around the fragment while the containment arrays carefully synchronized with its ancient energy.

The fragment resisted slightly at first.

The rotating rings of power brightened.

Several runes flashed violently.

But the mages held their positions and continued adjusting the formation.

Slowly, the fragment’s energy began aligning with the transport array.

One by one, additional runes ignited throughout the basin. Light spread across the entire site. The operation to secure the fragment had finally begun.

Erend allowed himself to believe that they might actually succeed before the world collapsed around them.

—