Mind of Kaoru reeled. It happened when he looked scene before him. They returned to Veil. But something seemed different this time. The air was heavier. Shadows were darker. And eerie hum of Resonance felt more chaotic. It was as if Veil itself was fraying at the edges.
Rei stood by him. Her hand tightly gripped hilt of katana. Ayaka stood on his other side. Massive greatsword was slung across her back. Her eyes scanned the horizon for threats.
"Where are we?" Kaoru asked. His voice was barely audible.
"We're deeper in Veil than we've gone before," Rei answered. Her voice was calm. There was tension in her tone. It made Kaoru uneasy. "This is where Resonance starts to lose stability. If we're going to find answers, they're here."
"Answers?" Kaoru questioned.
Rei turned to him. Her gaze was intense. "About Wraith. About you. And about true nature of Veil."
Kaoru's heart skipped beat. Words of Wraith lingered in his mind. It claimed there was a connection. A connection he could not understand.
As they continued their journey the landscape changed. It was almost as if it was shifting and warping around them. The ground seemed to ripple like water. Jagged light shards pierced the darkness. This cast a strange, fragmented reflection.
Ayaka warned, "Stay close. This place is alive. It senses us."
Kaoru didn't doubt her. He could feel something too. An oppressive weight. The Veil was pressing against his chest. It was almost as if it was trying to smother him.
Suddenly there was a tremor beneath them. Rei and Ayaka responded immediately. They drew their weapons. Their eyes searched for the disturbance.
A figure emerged from the shadows. Cloak of darkness shrouded it. It had a suffocating presence. Form shifted and flickered like mirage. It was distorted. Kaoru recognized the aura.
It's you Kaoru whispered.
Wraith's voice echoed through the Veil. It was low and resonant. "Did you think you could sever me so easily child? I am bound to you. You cannot escape me."
Rei stepped forward, her katana glowing. It was glowing with Resonance energy. "You're not welcome here. If you want a fight, we'll give you one."
The Wraith chuckled. The sound seemed to reverberate through Kaoru's soul. "A fight? No not yet. I am here to offer truth. The boy deserves to know what he is."
Kaoru's breath hitched. "What… what do you mean?"
Wraith turned flickering gaze to him. "You feel it, don't you? Connection. Pull. You're not like others Kaoru Tenjou. You are fragment of Veil itself. A piece of me given form in your world."
Kaoru staggered back. Mind raced. "That's not possible… I'm human! I'm nothing like you!"
Wraith's form flickered, drawing closer. "You are both. A bridge between worlds. That is why Hollowed are drawn to you. Why you awakened Resonance so easily. And why you will never truly belong."
"Shut up!" Kaoru shouted, voice shaking. "You don't know anything about me!"
Rei stepped between Kaoru and Wraith. Blade was ready. "Whatever game you're playing ends here."
The Wraith laughed a chilling laugh. Its sound seemed to make the Veil itself tremble. "This is neither a game nor nonsense. This is destiny. The boy will be forced to make a world choice. This decision will impact the equilibrium of all universes."
Before anyone person could react Wraith dissolved. It turned into a swirling mass of shadows. This mass vanished into the void. Oppressive weight of its presence lingered. It lingered long after it was absent.
Kaoru fell to his knees. His breathing was ragged. In his mind raced the Wraith's words. The weight of its revelation threatened to crush him.
"Kaoru," Rei said. She knelt beside him. Her voice was firm but gentle. "Don't listen to it. We'll figure this out together whatever it said."
Ayaka put a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. You're not alone in this kid. We have your back."
Kaoru looked up at them. His eyes were blurred by tears. These tears had been falling without him realizing. For first time he felt truly adrift. His sense of self was rocked to its core.
As he looked at Rei and Ayaka he made a discovery. There was a flicker of resolve within him. Regardless of what the truth was. Regardless of his relationship with the Veil. He was not going to allow it to define him.
"We continue moving," Kaoru proclaimed. His voice was trembling yet resolute. "I am not surrendering. Not at this moment."
Rei gave a nod. A faint smile danced on her lips. "Very well. Because the battle is ongoing."
Rising they advanced, deep into Veil. Kaoru could not rid himself of feeling. It haunted him. Wraith's words just began it. Propelled by a sense of truth. It lingered outside, someway. Whatever the price he was resolute. He would confront it.
To be continued…