The edge was alive with power, the energy from the rift casting eerie shadows on their faces. The pulsating glow of the horizon painted the dark sky shades of violet and gold, as if reality itself was bleeding into something else. Elara stood at the forefront, the orb cradled in her hands. It pulsed in rhythm with the rift, its warmth a strange comfort amidst the biting wind.
"We're at the edge of the unknown," Korrin muttered, breaking the tense silence. His usual bravado was muted, his eyes darting nervously between the glowing fissure in the distance and the orb. "Feels like a bad idea to just stroll through it."
"It's more than a bad idea," Malric replied, his tone grim. "Crossing into a nexus is like stepping into a storm with no shelter. The energies could tear us apart."
"Comforting," Korrin quipped, his voice forced.
Seris ignored them both, her gaze locked on Elara. "What do we need to do?" she asked, her voice steady despite the tension in her shoulders.
Elara turned to her, the weight of responsibility settling heavy upon her chest. "The orb is the key," she said. "It's tied into the energy of the rift. If I focus, I can feel it tugging on me, like it's trying to pull me in. But the closer we get, the harder it pulls. I don't think it will let me turn back.
"Then we follow it," Seris replied straightforwardly, her hand tighening on the hilt of her sword.
Malric frown deepened. "It's not that easy. The rift isn't simply a tear―it's a bridge. And bridges could lead anywhere."
"Anywhere but here sounds fine to me," Korrin muttered.
Elara shook her head. "This isn't about trying to escape. The rift is growing because the balance is failing. If we don't stop it, it'll consume everything." She looked at each of them in turn, her resolve hardening. "We have to go through, no matter the risk.
Malric started his incantation, faintly glowing as he conjured intricate runes into the air. The energy around them grew heavier; the humming of the rift was louder with every passing moment. At the edge of the cliff stood Elara, the orb glowing brighter and brighter in her hands as if resonating with the light swirling in the distance.
What exactly are you doing?" Korrin asked, eyes wide and anxious as he watched Malric's spellwork.
"Stabilizing a portal," he said, voice tight as he concentrated. "The rift's energy is chaotic. If we try to step into it without a stable pathway, it'll tear us apart. This spell will give us a fighting chance."
"Define 'fighting chance'," Korrin muttered.
Seris shot him a warning look. "Save your jokes for later. Focus.
The air around them shimmered as Malric completed his spell. The runes he had drawn coalesced into a glowing circle-a portal mirroring the swirling light of the rift. The orb in Elara's hands flared brilliantly, its energy intertwining with the glow of the portal.
"It's ready," Malric said, his voice strained. "Step through quickly. I can't hold this for long.
Elara took a deep breath and stepped forward; the others fell in line behind her.
Crossing the threshold was like plunging into a maelstrom. Elara felt as though she were being pulled in every direction at once, her body stretched and compressed in the same instant. The air around her was thick with energy, crackling and roaring like a storm.
When the sensation passed, she found herself standing on solid ground. Opening her eyes, she saw a world she had never seen.
Above them, the sky had been a kaleidoscope of colour-shifting hues of violaceus, gold, and crimson in a continuously maddening dance. Faintly glowing, the ground beneath their feet went glassy smooth and crystalline; it reflected the dancing sky's light above them, which shifted unceasingly. Strange plants with skin-thin leaves moved with an imaginary gentle breeze.
This… this is the Veil's heart," Malric said in a hushed tone. "A place between realms, where the threads of reality converge."
Elara clutched the orb tightly, its glow now dimmer but still warm against her skin. The air was thick with power here; every breath she took was filling her with strength and making her uneasy.
"What is that?" Seris asked, her voice cutting through the silence. She pointed ahead to where a huge structure rose from the crystalline ground.
The structure was an intricate web of light and shadow, its shape constantly shifting and rearranging itself. At its center lay a glowing sphere, pulsating in time with the rhythm of the orb in Elara's hands.
"The rift's core," Malric said. "That's what's causing the imbalance."
Elara took a step forward, her gaze fixed on the glowing sphere. "Then that's where we're going."
As they moved closer to the core, the air grew heavier, the energy pressing down on them like a physical weight. The whispers Elara had heard before grew louder, their voices overlapping and blending into an incomprehensible cacophony.
"Anyone else hear that?" Korrin asked, his voice trembling.
It's the Veil," Malric said. "It's alive, in a sense. And it's trying to communicate."
Elara spun around, her mark flared brightly as a wave of energy rippled through the air, and the whispers ceased; one single voice seemed to echo from everywhere at the same time.
"Elara…"
She turned, standing frozen, heart pounding against her chest, while the resonant voice vibrated within. It was deep and melodic, and yet underlaid by an unbearable weight of sorrow.
"Elara," the voice repeated. "You stand at the edge of destiny. To heal the Veil, you must sever the threads that bind you."
"What does that mean?" Elara demanded, her voice shaking.
The voice faded, leaving only silence in its wake. The mark on her palm burned, the pain sharp and insistent.
"Elara?" Seris called, her tone urgent.
Elara turned to her, determination hardening her features. "It means there's no turning back. We end this now, no matter the cost."
As she spoke, the core of the rift pulsed, the light around it strengthening. The path ahead was clear, but the weight of the unknown pressed heavily upon them all. With a quieted heart for what was to come, Elara stepped forward.
While the Veil, in the distance, quivered, as if the entire realm was steeling itself for what was to come.