The tension between the three of them was palpable as they stood in the forest, the soft glow of Arin's orb and Lira's pendant casting eerie shadows on Kael's face. His sharp eyes flickered between them, sizing them up, but there was something guarded in his expression—something he wasn't sharing.
Arin lowered his hand after the brief handshake, studying Kael with caution. He could feel the connection between them, the same pull of the Veil that had led him to Lira, but there was something about Kael that made him uneasy. His appearance—ragged, worn, and weary—suggested he had been through much more than either Arin or Lira, and that worried him.
Lira crossed her arms, her gaze skeptical. "So you just… found us? Like that?"
Kael glanced at her, his jaw tight. "The Veil guides those who are connected. I felt the pull from miles away. It's how I knew you were close." He paused, his expression darkening. "And it's how I knew the Harbinger is hunting you."
At the mention of the Harbinger, Arin felt a cold shiver run down his spine. "You've seen him too?"
Kael nodded slowly, his eyes hardening. "More than once. He's not the only one. There are others—other servants of the Forgotten. They're after anyone with the power of the Veil. They want to take it, to twist it for themselves. If we don't stop them, they'll break the Veil completely."
Lira frowned, her arms tightening around herself. "What do they want with the Veil? Why is it so important?"
Kael hesitated for a moment, as though weighing how much he wanted to tell them. "The Forgotten… they were once like us. But they betrayed the Veil, trying to use its power to open the doors between worlds, to gain control over realms beyond their own. The Veil was created to stop them, to seal off those other worlds. But now, after centuries, they're trying to break through again."
Arin exchanged a glance with Lira, both of them absorbing the gravity of Kael's words. The Veil wasn't just a barrier—it was the last defense against something much darker, something far more dangerous than they had imagined.
"So what are we supposed to do?" Arin asked, his voice steady but tinged with uncertainty. "We barely know how to use our powers. How are we supposed to stop them?"
Kael's expression softened, though there was still a hard edge to his voice. "We have to find the others. There are more of us out there, scattered across the realms. Together, we can form a bond strong enough to defend the Veil. But it's not going to be easy."
Lira narrowed her eyes. "And how do we know you're not one of them? How do we know we can trust you?"
Kael met her gaze, his jaw tightening again. "You don't. But I've been running from them my entire life. I know what they're capable of. And if we don't stand together, none of us will survive."
Silence settled between them, the weight of his words pressing down like a thick fog. Arin glanced at Lira, who seemed torn between distrust and the realization that Kael might be their only chance. They didn't have the luxury of being picky about allies—not with the Harbinger and the Forgotten closing in.
Arin made the decision. "We need to work together," he said, his voice firm. "If we're going to stop the Forgotten, we'll need everyone we can find."
Lira hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But I'm keeping my eyes on you, Kael."
Kael gave her a slight nod in return, though his expression remained unreadable. "Fair enough."
Arin gestured toward the rocky alcove they had found earlier. "We should rest for the night. It's not safe to travel in the dark."
Kael seemed to consider the offer for a moment before agreeing. "We'll need our strength. The Harbinger won't give us much time before he finds us again."
They returned to the alcove in tense silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Kael took up a position at the edge of the shelter, his eyes scanning the forest for any signs of danger, while Arin and Lira sat together, though the distance between them felt wider than before.
As they settled in for the night, Arin couldn't shake the feeling that Kael was hiding something—something important. He had been running from the Forgotten for so long, but why? How had he survived alone when others had been hunted down?
Lira, too, seemed uneasy. Her mistrust of Kael was palpable, and though Arin understood her caution, he also knew they couldn't afford to push Kael away. Not yet, at least.
The night was quiet, but the tension between them lingered like an unspoken threat.
Hours passed, and Arin found himself drifting in and out of a restless sleep, his dreams haunted by visions of the Veil tearing apart, of shadowy figures emerging from the cracks to consume the world. He saw the Harbinger's hooded face, his eyes glowing with malice, and heard the whispers of the Forgotten echoing through the night.
Suddenly, a sound jolted him awake.
It was soft, barely audible, but it was enough to stir him from his uneasy sleep. He glanced around the alcove, his eyes adjusting to the dim light of the orb, which had grown weaker as the night wore on.
Kael was gone.
Arin's heart skipped a beat. He quickly rose to his feet, his mind racing. Had Kael left them? Was he a spy for the Forgotten, leading them into a trap?
But then he heard it again—a low murmur, coming from deeper in the forest.
Arin quietly stepped out of the alcove, careful not to wake Lira. He followed the sound, his senses on high alert. The orb in his hand glowed faintly, casting a soft light on the trees around him.
As he moved deeper into the woods, he spotted Kael, standing near a clearing, his back to Arin. He was speaking in a low voice, though Arin couldn't make out the words. Kael's hand was outstretched, and in it, he held a small, glowing stone that pulsed with a strange light—similar to the orb, but different. Darker.
Arin's stomach twisted. What was Kael doing?
He took a step closer, careful not to make a sound, but Kael must have sensed his presence. The young man stiffened, then slowly turned around, his sharp eyes locking onto Arin.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
"What are you doing?" Arin asked, his voice low but filled with suspicion.
Kael's jaw clenched, and he slowly lowered the glowing stone, slipping it into the folds of his cloak. "It's nothing," he said, his voice flat.
"Doesn't look like nothing," Arin replied, taking a cautious step forward. "What was that stone? And who were you talking to?"
Kael's eyes flashed with something—anger, perhaps? Or guilt? "You wouldn't understand," he said, his tone cold. "It's not what you think."
"Then tell me," Arin pressed, his grip tightening on the orb. "Because right now, it looks like you're hiding something. Something important."
Kael's expression hardened, and for a moment, Arin thought he was going to deny everything. But then, Kael sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"I wasn't lying about the Forgotten," he said quietly. "But there's more to the story than you know."
Arin frowned, confusion swirling in his mind. "What do you mean?"
Kael hesitated, glancing at the trees around them as though he feared they were being watched. Then, in a low voice, he said, "The Forgotten… they aren't just trying to break the Veil. They're trying to reshape it."
Arin's heart skipped a beat. "Reshape it? How?"
Kael's eyes darkened. "The Veil isn't just a barrier. It's a gateway—a connection between realms. The Forgotten want to use that connection to open the doors to other worlds. Worlds filled with power beyond anything you can imagine. They want to control that power, to reshape reality itself. And they're willing to do whatever it takes to get it."
Arin stared at him, his mind reeling. "How do you know all of this?"
Kael's jaw tightened, and his voice dropped to a near whisper. "Because I used to be one of them."