CHAPTER 98:

Rylan Quinn stared at the intricate carvings on the Shardkin's communication terminal, his fingers tracing the delicate lines etched into the crystalline surface. The device hummed softly, in tune with the pulsing energy that seemed to flow through everything on Zhyra. Spires of quartz towered in the distance, glimmering under the alien sun, casting fractured rainbows over the barren landscape. The harmony of the crystals was undeniable, but today that harmony was strained, the air thick with an energy akin to static before a storm.

At the heart of the Crystal Grove, the Shardkin gathered, their iridescent forms shimmering with every step. Their skin reflected light in a cascade of colors, a living spectrum of unity and fear. Rylan stood at the edge of the gathering, watching as the ancient beings united in desperation, their collective anxiety palpable. His mission ha