The path wound through towering crystalline trees, their glowing branches casting fragmented light across Valerie's face as she stumbled to keep up. The two strangers—guides, perhaps—moved with a grace that made her feel clumsy in comparison.
Despite their calm demeanor, their urgency was palpable. Whatever danger had driven them to flee, Valerie could sense it looming, though she dared not look back.
After what felt like an eternity, they emerged from the shimmering forest into a vast open plain. At its center rose a structure unlike anything Valerie had ever seen.
It was a fortress made of translucent stone, its spires spiraling upward as though trying to pierce the golden sky. The fortress pulsed faintly with a rhythmic glow, like a heartbeat.
"This is the Sanctum," the smaller figure said as they approached the massive gates.
Valerie hesitated, staring up at the towering structure.
"And who exactly am I supposed to meet here?"
The taller figure glanced at her.
"Our leader. He is the Keeper of Aeloria, the one who governs this realm and protects it from the chaos of the Rift."
"And he'll know what to do with me?" Valerie asked, doubt heavy in her voice.
"If anyone does, it will be him," the smaller figure replied, though its tone was guarded, as if there were more it wasn't saying.
The gates opened soundlessly, and they stepped inside. The interior of the fortress was just as breathtaking as its exterior. The walls seemed to shimmer with shifting images, like water catching the light.
Strange symbols glowed faintly beneath their feet, and the air carried a faint hum that vibrated through Valerie's chest.
They led her down a long corridor that opened into a grand hall. At the far end, on a throne carved from the same crystalline material as the fortress, sat a man.
He leaned back in the throne, one hand resting on the armrest, the other tracing lazy patterns in the air, causing shimmering glyphs to appear and vanish.
Valerie stopped in her tracks, her breath catching. He looked no older than his mid-twenties, his features sharp and strikingly handsome. His pale skin had a faint luminescence, his black hair fell in soft waves to his shoulders, and his piercing silver eyes seemed to glow faintly in the dim light.
"This… is your leader?" Valerie whispered, half to herself.
She'd been expecting someone ancient, wizened—someone who looked like a sorcerer or a king. Instead, he looked disarmingly young and unreasonably attractive.
The man's silver eyes flicked to her, and the room seemed to grow colder.
"So," he said, his voice smooth but devoid of warmth, "this is the human."
Valerie bristled at the way he said it, as though she were an insect under a magnifying glass.
"I have a name," she said, forcing her voice to stay steady.
"It's Valerie."
The man tilted his head, his expression unreadable.
"Valerie," he repeated, as though testing the sound.
"Strange, even for a human."
She glared at him, her fear momentarily giving way to irritation.
"I didn't ask to be here, you know. So if you could just send me back to Earth, that'd be great."
At this, his lips curled into a faint, humorless smile.
"Send you back?" he said, standing.
His movements were deliberate, almost predatory. He descended the steps of the throne, his silver eyes never leaving hers.
"Do you think the Veil is a door you can simply walk through? That you can cross into a realm not meant for you and then return without consequence?"
Valerie took a step back, his presence overwhelming.
"I didn't cross anything," she said defensively.
"I woke up here! I don't even know how I got here!"
Veader stopped in front of her, towering over her despite his lean frame. His gaze bore into hers, and for a moment, she felt as though he was looking through her rather than at her.
"You are either ignorant," he said softly, his tone sharp as a blade, "or you are lying. The Veil does not tear on its own, human. If you are here, it is because something—or someone—brought you here."
Valerie opened her mouth to argue but found herself unable to speak under the weight of his stare.
The smaller figure stepped forward, bowing its head.
"Keeper Veader," it said, its voice steady.
"The human was found near the Rift. We brought her here for your guidance."
Veader's gaze shifted to the figure briefly before returning to Valerie.
"The Rift," he murmured, his tone cold.
"Of course. Her arrival and its activity are no coincidence."
"What does that mean?" Valerie asked, finding her voice again.
"It means," Veader said, turning away and ascending the steps to his throne, "that you are far more than a lost traveler, whether you realize it or not. You are a disruption, an imbalance. And until I uncover the truth of your presence here, you will remain in the Sanctum."
Valerie's hands balled into fists.
"You can't just keep me here!"
Veader sat down, his silver eyes glinting like ice.
"You are in no position to argue."
Her blood boiled at his arrogance, but before she could retort, the smaller figure touched her arm gently.
"Do not provoke him," it whispered.
"The Keeper does not take kindly to insolence."
Valerie gritted her teeth but held her tongue. She turned back to Veader, who had already dismissed her, his attention on the glowing glyphs hovering in the air before him.
As she was led out of the hall, her mind churned with questions. Who was this cold, unyielding man who ruled Aeloria? And why did she have the sinking feeling that her fate—and perhaps more—was now tied to his?