The walls of the ancient temple groaned, fissures spreading like spiderwebs across the stone. Dust rained from the ceiling as chunks of rock crumbled, crashing to the floor. The once-majestic pillars trembled under an unseen force.
"Run!" Kael's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding.
Lyra clutched the glowing shard and the Codex tightly to her chest, her heart racing as she stumbled after Kael. Silas was right behind them, muttering curses under his breath.
The temple wasn't just collapsing—it was tearing apart, reality itself splintering at the seams. Dark rifts opened along the walls, glimpses of something unnatural flickering within: swirling shadows, distorted lights, and whispers that didn't belong to any living thing.
Kael grabbed Lyra's wrist, pulling her forward just as the ground cracked beneath them. A gaping chasm split the floor where she'd stood a heartbeat ago.
"Don't stop!" he shouted.
They sprinted through the crumbling corridor, dodging falling debris. Lyra's legs burned, but she forced herself to keep going, the Codex's ominous words echoing in her mind:
The Veil is breaking.
A deafening roar filled the temple—not from the structure but from something inside the rift. Lyra dared a glance over her shoulder.
A shadowy figure was emerging from one of the cracks. Its form was vague, shifting like smoke, but its glowing red eyes burned with malevolence.
"It's following us!" she cried.
Silas spun, throwing a burst of magic toward the creature. The blast hit, but the shadow absorbed it, growing larger.
"Oh, that's not good." Silas's face paled.
Kael didn't hesitate. He dragged Lyra down a side passage, away from the pursuing shadow. "We can't fight it—not here!"
The temple's entrance came into view, but the ground ahead gave way, leaving only a narrow ledge above a seemingly endless abyss.
Kael glanced at Lyra. "Jump. Now."
Lyra hesitated, her breath ragged. "What if I fall?"
Kael's eyes locked with hers, fierce and unwavering. "I'll catch you."
Her heart thundered, but she nodded. Taking a running start, she leapt across the gap.
For a terrifying moment, she was weightless—suspended in the void.
Then Kael's strong hand grabbed hers, pulling her to solid ground. Silas followed, landing clumsily beside them.
The shadow shrieked behind them, enraged but unable to cross the gap.
They didn't stop to celebrate. Kael pulled Lyra to her feet, and they sprinted the final stretch, bursting out into the sunlight just as the temple behind them collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Silence fell, broken only by the sound of their ragged breathing.
Lyra sank to the ground, her body trembling. She stared at the Codex, now dim and lifeless in her hands.
Kael knelt beside her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. "You did it. You got it."
But Lyra couldn't shake the feeling of dread curling in her chest. "We didn't win, Kael. We just survived."
Silas flopped onto the grass, staring at the sky. "Yeah… and I'm starting to think that was the easy part."
Lyra's gaze drifted to the horizon. The sky seemed darker now, tinged with faint streaks of crimson, as if the world itself had changed.
The Veil wasn't just breaking.
It had already begun.
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Sneak Peek for Chapter 43:
After their narrow escape, Lyra, Kael, and Silas seek refuge in an ancient outpost where answers may lie hidden. But Lyra's visions grow stronger—fragments of a forgotten past and whispers of an impending doom. As tensions rise within the group, Kael's protective instincts clash with Lyra's newfound strength, and secrets threaten to unravel. Meanwhile, in the shadows, something—or someone—is hunting them.