Caelum stood frozen, the weight of the figure's words settling heavily upon him. The mist had begun to recede, but the fog in his mind remained thick, clouding his thoughts. Every moment felt suspended in time, as though the world had come to a standstill around him. The figure, or whatever she truly was, had given him the first glimpse of a truth he wasn't sure he was ready to understand.
The Veil was not a barrier. It was a door. A passage between worlds. And he was the key.
Caelum felt his chest tighten as his mind struggled to make sense of it. He had been drawn into this mysterious world—this endless mist—but it was more than just a place. It was a challenge, a test, a journey that had only just begun. But why? Why him? Why had it chosen him?
The figure seemed to sense his confusion. Her form shimmered like a reflection on water, a ripple in the air that was both there and not there at once. She raised her hand again, and a small shape materialized in her palm. It was a vial, a small glass container filled with a swirling, iridescent liquid that seemed to pulse with an unnatural glow.
"This is your inheritance," the figure said, her voice both ancient and tender. "The key to the truth you seek. But it is not for the faint of heart."
Caelum hesitated, his gaze flicking between the vial and the figure. His instinct told him to refuse, to turn away, but there was a curiosity—no, a need—that he couldn't ignore. He reached out, his hand trembling, and took the vial from her grasp.
The moment his fingers brushed against the glass, he felt a surge of energy—cold and sharp, like a thousand needles piercing his skin. He gasped, his body reacting instinctively, pulling away from the vial, but the energy had already seeped into his veins. It wasn't pain, but something worse: a sense of being torn between worlds.
The figure's voice echoed once more, its resonance deepening, "The Veil is not kind to those who are unprepared. You must choose to walk through it, Caelum. You cannot simply exist between worlds. To truly control the Veil, you must allow it to transform you."
The vial shook in Caelum's hand, as though alive, as though it were calling to him. He looked down at it, uncertainty warring with a deep, gnawing hunger for knowledge. Was this the key he had been seeking? Or was it another trap, another piece of the Veil's endless labyrinth?
Before he could make a decision, the ground beneath his feet trembled again. The air shifted, crackling with energy. A low hum filled the space around him, vibrating through his bones. The mist began to swirl violently, gathering into a vortex at the center of the space, pulling him toward it like a current.
"No," he whispered to himself. "I'm not ready."
But the force of the pull was too strong. He couldn't resist it.
He felt his feet leave the ground as the vortex engulfed him, spinning him faster and faster until everything around him became a blur of colors and lights. The pull of the Veil was relentless, dragging him through realms unknown, a journey that seemed endless.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the spinning stopped.
Caelum found himself standing in an unfamiliar place. The air was thick with heat, the smell of ash and smoke heavy in his nostrils. The ground beneath him was cracked and barren, stretching out into a dark horizon. In the distance, he could see a massive, looming structure—an obsidian tower, its peaks piercing the blood-red sky like jagged claws.
This was not Cindrelle.
He looked down at his hand, still clutching the vial. The liquid inside had begun to glow more intensely, its light pulsating in rhythm with his heartbeat.
"Where am I?" Caelum whispered, his voice barely audible in the still, oppressive air.
A low growl sounded from the distance, followed by the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps. He spun around, his heart racing. Emerging from the shadows were creatures—monstrous figures, tall and thin, with dark, shimmering eyes and sharp claws that scraped the earth beneath them.
"Not again," he muttered, backing away. He had fought these creatures once before, but this time, they were different. More powerful. More aware.
The creatures' eyes locked onto him, and for a moment, Caelum felt the weight of their gaze, as though they could see through him. His skin prickled, and every instinct screamed at him to run.
But there was no time. They were already closing in.
He raised the vial, instinctively holding it up like a shield, and watched in shock as the liquid inside began to swirl faster, glowing brighter. The creatures paused, their movements faltering as the light from the vial expanded, forming a protective barrier around him.
Caelum's breath caught in his throat. Was the vial doing this? Was this the power he had just unlocked?
One of the creatures—larger than the others—stepped forward, its eyes narrowing as it reached out toward him. The barrier flickered in response, a warning.
"Leave me alone," Caelum said, his voice stronger than he expected. He didn't know what the vial was doing, but it was his only hope now.
The creature hissed, its sharp teeth bared, but it didn't press forward. Instead, it seemed to recoil, as though it had felt the power of the vial's light.
Then, something unexpected happened. The ground beneath Caelum cracked open, splitting wide, and the creatures, suddenly filled with panic, retreated into the shadows, their howls fading as they disappeared back into the darkness.
Caelum blinked, stunned. What had just happened? What had he done?
He looked at the vial, now dimming in his hand. It seemed… peaceful. And yet, the danger had not passed.
"What was that?" Caelum whispered to himself, more confused than ever. He couldn't understand why the vial had reacted the way it had, or why he had the power to command it.
One thing was certain: this place—this realm—was not his own. And the creatures… they were part of something far darker, something that might be the key to unlocking the truth of the Veil.
But for now, he was alone in a strange world, holding a power he didn't understand. And if he was to survive this place, he would need to learn quickly.
The Veil was waiting.
End of Chapter 17