The air grew heavier as Kael and his companions pushed forward through the ruins, their footsteps muffled by the strange, soft earth beneath them. The faint hum of the Crown was a constant presence, guiding Kael toward an unseen destination. The landscape around them grew darker, the shadows stretching impossibly long as though the very light was being swallowed by the terrain.
"It feels like the world's ending out here," Mareth muttered, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "Everything's too quiet."
"That's because we're nearing the edge," Seryn replied, her voice low but steady. She pointed to the horizon, where the ground seemed to dissolve into nothingness. "The Veil is weakest here. Beyond that boundary lies the Void."
Kael paused, staring at the distant edge. The mark on his hand burned faintly, the Crown's hum intensifying as though in warning. "Is it stable?"
"Stable enough," Seryn said. "But the Void is unpredictable. It warps reality. If we're not careful, we could get lost in it."
"Then let's hope we don't have to cross it," Lira said, her voice tinged with unease. "I've heard stories about people who entered the Void and came back… different."
"If they came back at all," Mareth added.
Kael tightened his grip on his staff. "The Crown is leading us here for a reason. We'll figure out what we need to do when we get there."
As they approached the edge, the ground beneath their feet became more unstable, the soil cracking and shifting with each step. Strange whispers filled the air, faint but persistent, as though the Void itself was trying to communicate.
"Do you hear that?" Lira asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Seryn nodded, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "It's the Veil's energy. The closer we get, the louder it becomes."
Kael's mark flared as the whispers grew louder, resolving into fragments of words that echoed in his mind.
Bearer… step closer… reveal the truth…
He staggered, clutching his head as the voices intensified. Mareth was at his side in an instant, steadying him. "Kael, are you all right?"
"The Crown," he said, his voice strained. "It's… calling me. The Veil wants me to…"
A sudden burst of energy erupted from the ground ahead, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. The group shielded their faces as the light coalesced into a swirling portal, its edges crackling with unstable power.
"That doesn't look inviting," Lira said, her daggers drawn.
Seryn stepped forward, her blades at the ready. "It's a breach. The Void is spilling through. We need to contain it before it destabilizes further."
Kael stepped toward the portal, the Crown's hum now a deafening roar in his ears. The mark on his hand glowed brighter, its heat searing into his skin. "I think I can close it," he said. "But I'll need time."
"Then we'll buy you that time," Mareth said, unsheathing her sword.
As Kael began to channel the Crown's energy, shadowy figures emerged from the portal. They moved with a fluid, otherworldly grace, their forms shifting and flickering as though they were only partially tethered to reality.
"Here we go again," Lira muttered, leaping into action. Her daggers flashed as she struck at the nearest figure, but her blades passed through it harmlessly.
"They're not solid," she shouted. "How do we fight them?"
Seryn's eyes narrowed as she analyzed their movements. "They're projections from the Void. Disrupt their connection to this plane, and they'll dissipate."
"Easier said than done," Mareth said, her sword clanging against another figure, only for it to reform moments later.
Kael focused on the portal, his staff glowing as he directed the Crown's power into its swirling core. The energy resisted him, pushing back with a force that made his knees buckle. The voices from the Void grew louder, filling his mind with fragments of images and emotions—fear, despair, hope.
"I'm almost there," Kael said through gritted teeth. "Just a little longer."
The battle raged around him as the group fought to keep the figures at bay. Seryn's strikes became more precise, targeting the points where the figures' forms flickered the most. Mareth and Lira worked in tandem, herding the projections away from Kael while searching for weaknesses in their ephemeral bodies.
Finally, with a surge of energy, Kael forced the Crown's power into the portal. The swirling mass of energy began to collapse, its edges folding inward as the voices from the Void rose to a deafening crescendo.
The portal imploded, sending a shockwave rippling outward that knocked the group off their feet. The shadowy figures dissolved into nothingness, their connection severed.
Kael staggered to his feet, his breath ragged. The mark on his hand dimmed, its heat fading as the Crown's hum quieted. The landscape around them was still, the air heavy with the aftermath of the breach.
"Is it over?" Mareth asked, brushing dust from her armor.
Kael nodded, though his expression remained grim. "For now. But the Void… it's not done with us."
Seryn stepped beside him, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "And neither is the Veil. We need to keep moving before the Council catches up."
The group exchanged weary glances before pressing onward, the distant edge of the Void a constant reminder of the fragile balance they fought to preserve.