The forest had been silent for too long.

  Nim walked ahead, focused, when a sound cut through the air — like a muffled growl coming from the trees. Kael raised his hand, instinctively sensing the Rune reacting with sudden heat.

  — “We’re being followed…” — Nim murmured, already in a defensive stance.

  Suddenly, from the low mist, a creature emerged — shapeless, cloaked in whitish veils that floated around its body like specters. Its eyes weren’t eyes… they were glowing cracks through which the Veil seeped.

  Kael tried to summon the rune’s power, but something blocked it. His mind was in conflict, trying to command what he still didn’t understand.

  The creature lunged.

  Nim jumped aside, hurling a blast of energy. The creature absorbed part of the impact and screamed with a high-pitched, unnatural sound. It spun, striking Kael with a spectral tail.

  He was thrown against a tree, gasping.

  — “Kael!” — Nim ran toward him, but the creature blocked her path.

  The pain made the rune pulse. Blue. Bright. Alive.

  — “You don’t need to control it… just feel.”

  Zephyr’s voice echoed inside him.

  Kael screamed, and the rune lit up in spirals across his entire arm. The energy burst outward in blue circles, pushing the creature back. But still… it rose again.

  Then, a soft laugh echoed — mocking… coming from the mist.

  — “Tsk, tsk. What a beautiful mess you’ve made…”

  A figure leapt from a high branch — tall, slender, silver-white hair tied with a dark blue ribbon, golden eyes, and the smile of someone who knew too much.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  — “Time to sweep the floor,” he said, snapping his fingers.

  From the air, small crystalized fragments of Veil appeared and floated around the creature. A snap. And they exploded like shards of pure light.

  The creature screamed… and vanished.

  The stranger walked toward Kael and Nim with his hands in his pockets.

  — “You’ve got style, I’ll give you that. But precision? Hmm… a 5 out of 10.”

  Kael stood up, confused.

  — “Who… who are you?”

  — “Ah, names are labels, my dear fellow. But if you must call me something… call me Zephyr. I come from the other side of the Veil. And you two… need help.”

  Elsewhere on the continent, ancient stone corridors echoed with firm footsteps.

  Elira walked wrapped in bandages, the Order’s cloak partially draped over her shoulders. Her body still ached — physical wounds and recent memories. But there was something deeper: an old emptiness, untouched by time or healing.

  She stopped in front of a tapestry marked with the Order’s symbols. She looked at the fabric without really seeing it. Her sister’s face… remained hazy in her mind. She could recall the silhouette — slender, protective — and the way she always stood between Elira and danger.

  She remembered the last time she saw her… or thought she did. A flash. A muffled scream. And hands pushing her away from the abyss.

  “She sacrificed herself for me.”

  Elira clenched her bandaged fist. She didn’t know if it was guilt or longing that drove her, but she knew her search wasn’t over. The image of her sister remained blurred, but her instincts whispered: she’s still out there.

  And the Order… the Order knew something. Knew more than it let on.

  Though she hadn’t completed her last mission, Elira knew the bond with the Guardians of the Veil still bound her. And deep down, she also knew: as long as she sought answers about her sister… she couldn’t abandon the Order.

  In the distance, voices echoed through the corridors — old names, forgotten titles. Elira pulled up her hood and resumed her path through the silent sanctuary.

  She was back.

  And this time, she wouldn’t leave empty-handed.