The ruined city loomed before them, a shadow of what it had once been. Broken stone buildings rose like ancient skeletons, their jagged remains clawing at the sky. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the once-great streets were now overrun by creeping vines, moss, and a creeping fog that seemed to whisper with every step.
The city had once been a place of grandeur, of knowledge and power, but now it was little more than a graveyard of the forgotten. Kael couldn't help but feel the weight of the place as they passed through the city's gates, the desolation pressing in from all sides. This was no ordinary ruin; it was alive with something darker, something that whispered of lost histories and ancient curses.
"Stay close," Kael said, his voice low, though the urgency of their mission was palpable. His red hands glowed faintly in the dim light, a constant reminder of the danger that still hung over them. The glow was subtle but unmistakable—his curse always stirred in places like this, a reminder of the power he could not escape. The reddish hue seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat, as if the curse itself were alive, reacting to the city's oppressive atmosphere.
Silas, as always, was on edge, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a predatory sharpness.
Aurenya walked beside him, her hand resting lightly on her sword hilt, though she made no move to draw it. She had grown quiet again, the weight of their past conversations hanging between them like an unspoken promise of pain. The girl, too, was silent, her eyes wide, as if seeing something they couldn't. She was always a step ahead, her senses attuned to things none of them could understand.
They came to a small plaza, where the remnants of fountains and statues stood as broken monuments to an age long past. The air grew colder here, a chill that seemed to seep into their very bones. Kael felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he glanced around, his instincts telling him that something wasn't right.
"Kael," Aurenya whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I feel... something."
Before Kael could answer, a strange, otherworldly hiss echoed from the shadows, a sound like a thousand voices whispering at once. The hairs on his arms stood on end. Silas immediately dropped into a defensive stance, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the darkness.
"We're not alone," he growled, his voice tight.
A figure emerged from the mist, stepping slowly into the fading light. It was tall, thin, and its body seemed to shimmer as if it were made of smoke. Its face was a hollow mask of features, its eyes nothing but black voids.
A Veilwalker.
Kael's grip tightened around his sword hilt, though he hesitated. He'd heard of these creatures—things that roamed the forgotten places of the world, devouring memories and leaving nothing but emptiness in their wake. But he had never encountered one before, and the power it exuded was palpable, something that gnawed at his very soul.
The curse within him stirred restlessly, a sharp pang in his chest. His red hands began to glow brighter, the crimson hue spilling over his fingers like liquid fire. Kael clenched them into fists, his mind racing. He could feel it—the curse's presence here was no coincidence. The Veilwalker's power and his own were not so different, both reaching for what was hidden, what was buried.
The creature moved forward, its long limbs flowing unnaturally, gliding across the ground with unsettling grace. A sharp, high-pitched voice rasped from the depths of its mask. "The child... She carries something. We will take it."
"Stay back," Kael ordered, his voice low and commanding.
But before he could raise his blade, the Veilwalker moved with lightning speed, its fingers reaching for Aurenya. The air around them seemed to distort, as though the very world was bending under its touch.
Aurenya's breath hitched, her body stiffening. "No—"
The Veilwalker's hand brushed her cheek, and Kael saw it then—the creature's touch did not just freeze the air; it seemed to pull at her very memories. The instant it made contact, Aurenya's eyes glazed over, her expression faltering as if she were slipping away from herself. Kael's hands tightened into fists, the red glow intensifying, his pulse quickening with the force of the curse's response to the attack on her.
"Stop!" Kael roared, launching himself at the creature, but it was too late. The Veilwalker hissed, pulling away from Aurenya as she staggered back, her body trembling.
Kael reached for her, but before he could make contact, the creature spun, its hand moving like a blur. There was a sound like glass shattering, and suddenly, Kael's mind felt... muddled. It wasn't his body, but his memories that were under attack. He tried to focus, but images and emotions slipped through his fingers like smoke. His heart pounded in his chest, and the world seemed to spin.
"Aurenya!" Kael shouted, but his voice sounded distant, muffled, as though he were shouting underwater.
Silas charged forward with a snarl, his blade flashing in the dim light as he slashed at the creature. But the Veilwalker evaded him, twisting its body in impossible ways, like something not quite human. Kael could barely track the creature's movements as his vision blurred and shifted, memories of his past flashing in and out of focus.
"Kael!" Aurenya's voice finally cut through the haze. He turned toward her, and his mind felt like it snapped back into focus.
Aurenya was struggling against the Veilwalker's grip, her eyes wide with fear. "It's stealing—my memories—"
Kael's heart skipped a beat as he realized what was happening. The Veilwalker wasn't just attacking her—it was taking her memories, erasing parts of her that she couldn't afford to lose.
Kael lunged forward, his sword raised high, and with a single, brutal swing, he cleaved through the Veilwalker's arm. The creature screeched, but before it could retaliate, the girl—a quiet figure standing in the corner of their vision—took a step forward.
With an almost casual motion, she reached out and touched the Veilwalker's form. The creature froze, its body becoming rigid, its shimmering essence turning to stone. The crackling silence that followed was eerie, but it was also a relief.
Kael stood panting, his chest heaving. "What...?"
The girl didn't answer, but Kael could see her eyes, deep and knowing, as she turned back to the frozen Veilwalker. She said only one thing: "They're not real."
Aurenya staggered back, her hand clutching her head as if the memories she had almost lost were swimming just out of reach. "I... I remember. I remember it all."
"Are you all right?" Kael asked urgently, his hands hovering over her, unsure if he could touch her or if she would vanish with the slightest movement.
Aurenya nodded slowly, though her eyes still looked distant, as if trying to piece together fragments of herself. "I'm... fine. But this is... not the first time. I've seen this place before. I don't know why."
Kael's throat tightened, and he glanced toward the girl. She was still standing, her gaze fixed on the frozen Veilwalker, but her expression remained unreadable.
"You said it before," Aurenya said slowly. "What did you mean by that? You said something about me being 'new.'"
The girl's eyes flickered to Aurenya, then back to the creature. "You were made to hold something. But something inside you... it rebelled."
Kael's gaze darkened as he looked at Aurenya. She was something more than she seemed. Something... dangerous.
And he was getting closer to understanding just what that was.