The Veilspawn lunged, its claws slashing through the shed's rotting wall like paper. Kaelith dove aside, splinters grazing her cheek as Lysra rolled the other way, dagger flashing. The beast roared—a sound like breaking glass—and swung its eyeless head toward her. Up close, it reeked of sulfur, its jagged limbs twitching with unnatural life.
"Move!" Lysra shouted, slashing at its flank. The blade sparked against its hide, barely scratching it. Kaelith scrambled up, heart pounding, the shard in her satchel pulsing hot. The whispers surged—strike—and she obeyed, thrusting her knife at its leg. A faint ripple of energy flared from her hand, cracking its shell. It shrieked, stumbling.
Lysra seized the opening, driving her dagger into its neck. Black ichor sprayed, and the creature collapsed, twitching once before going still. Silence fell, thick and heavy. Kaelith stared at her knife, then her trembling hand. "What… was that?""The Veil's power," Lysra said, wiping her blade. "You're waking up to it. Lucky for us." She kicked the Veilspawn's corpse. "These things are drawn to you now. More will come."Kaelith's stomach sank. "Great. So I'm bait?"
"You're a weapon," Lysra corrected, stepping closer. "Come with me to the Shroudwalker camp. We'll teach you to use it—before the Order finds you again."
Kaelith glared, the shard's heat seeping through her satchel. She didn't want any of this—cults, monsters, powers—but running alone wasn't working. "One condition," she said. "I'm not swearing to your Lords. I decide what I break."Lysra nodded, a faint smile tugging her lips. "Fair enough. Let's move—dawn's close." They slipped out, leaving the shed and the beast behind, Kaelith's steps heavy with doubt but pointed toward an uncertain future.Explain Veil's powerShroudwalker history