The atmosphere was tense, suffused with emotions too thick to ignore but too fragile to touch. Nia could feel it every glance from Eli, every guarded pause from Jax. The trio moved forward through the labyrinthine streets of the Nexus, their footsteps echoing against the surreal, shifting cityscape. The once vibrant pulse of the stories felt muted, as if even the Nexus itself was holding its breath, waiting for the inevitable fracture.

For Nia, the weight of the moment was unbearable. She had always thought of herself as a writer, not a character. But here she was, not just in the story but at its volatile center. Her heart felt like a battlefield, torn between the past, the present, and the people walking beside

Eli had been quiet since their earlier exchange. His usual warmth, the easy smile that used to light up even the darkest moments, was gone. In its place was a somberness that felt alien, unsettling. He walked a few paces ahead, his shoulders hunched and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Nia wanted to reach out, to tell him that she understood his pain, that she wished things were different. But what could she say? That she didn’t feel the same way but still cared deeply for him? That would only deepen the wound. And Jax’s presence complicated things further. She could sense Eli’s resentment building, not just toward her, but toward Jax as well.

“Eli,” she finally called, her voice hesitant but determined.

He stopped but didn’t turn around. “What?”

“I... I just wanted to say” She hesitated, the words sticking in her throat. “I’m sorry.”

He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, the tension seemed to crack, revealing the depth of his hurt. “Sorry for what, Nia? For not feeling the same way? Or for not telling me sooner?”

Nia flinched. “I didn’t mean to”

“I know you didn’t,” Eli interrupted, his voice softer now but still heavy with emotion. “And I don’t blame you for it. I just... I need time. Okay?”

She nodded, her throat tight. “Okay.”

Jax, who had been lingering just far enough to give them space, stepped forward. His expression was unreadable, but there was a protective edge to his movements. He placed a hand on Nia’s shoulder, his touch light but steady.

“We should keep moving,” he said, his voice firm. “The Nexus isn’t going to wait for us to sort out our feelings.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Eli scoffed, his eyes narrowing. “Of course. Leave it to Jax to keep everything ‘on mission.’”

Jax’s jaw tightened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what it means,” Eli shot back. “You’ve been circling her since the beginning, acting like you’re some sort of knight in shining armor. Maybe if you stepped back for once, things wouldn’t be so complicated.”

Nia’s heart sank as the tension between them finally boiled over.

“That’s rich coming from you,” Jax retorted, his voice icy. “You’ve been following her around like a lost puppy, hoping she’d magically fall for you. Newsflash, Eli Nia’s not some prize to be won.”

Eli took a step forward, his anger simmering just below the surface. “And what about you? You’re so obsessed with playing the hero that you don’t even care about what she wants. You’re just as selfish as you think I am.”

“Stop it!” Nia’s voice cut through the air like a whip. Both of them froze, their gazes snapping to her. “This isn’t helping anything. The stories are falling apart, the Heart is still out there, and we’re standing here arguing like children.”

The weight of her words settled over them, deflating the anger that had flared moments ago.

The three of them resumed walking, the silence now heavier than before. The path ahead twisted and turned, the city’s strange architecture bending and shifting with every step. Shadows flickered along the edges of their vision, reminders of the stories that still hung in the balance.

As they moved, Nia felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t asked for this for their feelings, their tension, or the impossible decisions she now faced. All she had wanted was to fix the chaos she had accidentally unleashed. But now, it wasn’t just the stories she had to contend with it was the emotions of the people she cared about most.

“I never wanted this,” she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

Jax slowed his pace, falling into step beside her. “What do you mean?”

“All of this,” she said, gesturing to the shifting city around them. “The Nexus, the stories, the... everything. I just wanted to make things right. But now it feels like I’m making everything worse.”

Jax’s expression softened, and for a moment, the sharp edges of his usual demeanor seemed to fade. “You’re not making things worse, Nia. You’re doing the best you can. We all are.”

Eli, walking ahead of them, glanced back over his shoulder. There was something unreadable in his expression an emotion caught between longing and resignation.

“Maybe we should all focus on the Heart,” Eli said, his voice steady but distant. “That’s what matters, right? Not... this.”

As they rounded a corner, the landscape shifted again, revealing a massive chasm that split the city in two. The rift glowed with a strange, otherworldly light, and on the far side, a towering structure loomed a castle made entirely of twisting stories.

“The Heart’s in there,” Nia said, her voice filled with certainty. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did.

Jax stepped closer to the edge of the chasm, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the path ahead. “Looks like we’ll have to cross this first.”

Eli joined him, his gaze fixed on the castle. “And we’ll have to do it together. Whether we like it or not.”

Nia felt a flicker of hope as she looked at them two people who had every reason to be at odds, but who were still here, still fighting for the same goal.

The tension between them wasn’t gone, but for now, it was overshadowed by something greater. And as they prepared to face the next challenge, Nia couldn’t help but feel a sliver of optimism.

They might be fractured, but they weren’t broken. Not yet.