The journey had stretched on for days, the trees thinning as they entered the outskirts of a vast, ancient landscape. The air was colder here, sharp with the bite of winter, and the ground beneath their boots seemed to hum with an energy that was both ancient and unsettling. Kael could feel it in his bones—the pull of the City of Mirrors. It was close now, and yet, it felt as though they were walking straight into a forgotten dream.
The city itself rose from the horizon like a shattered reflection of the past. Towering spires of glass and silver caught the light of the dying sun, their surfaces cracked and broken as though the city had once been whole, but something had splintered it from within. The sky overhead was dim, and the glassy structures seemed to flicker in and out of existence, as if they weren't fully there.
Kael's heart tightened as they moved closer, the city looming larger with each step. This was a place of legend—a place where gods had once walked and where secrets lay buried beneath layers of broken illusions. He flexed his fingers, feeling the ever-present tingle of heat beneath the leather wraps around his hands. Even now, the cursed red skin itched faintly, alive with something ancient—restless.
The girl, still barely conscious, clung to Aurenya, her fragile body shivering. Kael couldn't help but glance at her now and then, watching her pale face and the faint glow that still flickered beneath her skin. He had no idea what the girl was, or what had been done to her, but he knew one thing for certain: they needed to find answers here. Answers that would stop her from falling apart.
Aurenya's voice was soft beside him. "Do you feel that?"
Kael nodded, his eyes scanning the city ahead. "Yes. Something's wrong."
They passed through the shattered gates, stepping into a vast plaza filled with pools of still water, their surfaces reflecting the twisted, cracked glass towers that rose high into the mist. The water rippled in strange, erratic patterns, as if it breathed with its own pulse. The silence in the city was oppressive, broken only by the sound of their footsteps echoing off the stone ground.
"I've been here before," Aurenya said, her voice barely a whisper. "In my dreams."
Kael turned to her, his brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"
Her gaze was distant, lost in the haze of memories she couldn't quite reach. "I remember walking through these streets... but it's different now. There's something here, something I can't explain."
Before Kael could respond, the ground beneath them trembled, and a low, almost imperceptible hum filled the air. The reflections in the pools twisted and warped, warping into images that weren't their own. Faces appeared—strange, ethereal figures, their eyes glowing with a cold, otherworldly light.
Kael's hand instinctively went to the hilt of his blade, his senses on high alert. "We're not alone."
Aurenya took a step back, her hand moving to the small pouch at her waist. "Veilwalkers."
Kael's blood ran cold at the mention of the creatures. Veilwalkers were notorious for their ability to steal memories, twisting the minds of their victims and leaving them as little more than empty husks. They had been hunted nearly to extinction, but Kael knew that some remnants still lingered in places like this—places that time itself refused to remember.
The first of them appeared in the distance, its form shimmering in and out of focus as it glided toward them. It was humanoid in shape, but its features were warped, its face an ever-shifting blur of shadows. The air around it crackled with dark energy, and its presence alone seemed to distort reality.
Aurenya's hand tightened around the pouch, pulling out a small vial of shimmering liquid. "We need to move," she said, her voice urgent. "If they touch us, they'll take everything."
Without warning, the Veilwalker lunged forward, its hand reaching out toward Aurenya. Kael was faster, stepping in between them and drawing his blade in a single fluid motion. His cursed hands tightened around the hilt, the red glow beneath the wrappings briefly pulsing with a deeper hue—as if the city's magic recognized the rot festering within him.
The creature's hand collided with his sword, and the impact sent a shockwave through the air, knocking him back several paces. His feet scraped across the stone, but he regained his footing quickly, eyes narrowing as the Veilwalker's blurred form shifted and flickered before him.
It hissed, a sound like nails on glass, and lunged again.
"Stay back," Kael growled, his blade ready. But the creature was faster than he expected, and before he could react, its hand struck out, grazing his cheek.
Pain flared, and Kael staggered back, a dizzying sensation flooding his mind. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he couldn't remember where he was. A fleeting memory of his childhood, of his family, flickered before him, but it slipped away like smoke when he tried to grasp it.
"Aurenya!" he shouted, his voice hoarse, his mind clouded.
Aurenya's voice cut through the haze, sharp and clear. "Kael, focus!"
With a growl of frustration, Kael fought through the fog in his mind. His memories—his identity—slipped away with every passing moment, and he could feel the Veilwalker's influence creeping into his thoughts. But the curse burning in his blood—always there, always waiting—fought back. His red hands trembled with an angry heat, flaring in defiance of the creature trying to steal his mind. The Veilwalker had touched something ancient, something cursed—and it recoiled.
Before it could strike again, Aurenya stepped forward, her hands glowing with divine magic. With a sharp cry, she unleashed a burst of light that struck the Veilwalker directly in the chest. The creature recoiled, its body writhing and flickering as if struggling to remain whole.
Kael seized the opportunity, stepping forward with a force he hadn't known he still possessed. The curse throbbed in his palms as he raised his sword, channeling that restless, volatile power as the blade carved into the Veilwalker's distorted chest. The creature shrieked, a high, fractured sound—and with a final flicker, it disintegrated into dust.
Kael stumbled back, his chest heaving. His vision cleared, and the haze in his mind began to lift.
Aurenya's eyes met his, and there was something unreadable in them. "Are you all right?"
He nodded, breath ragged. "For now."
The girl stirred beside Aurenya, her small frame trembling but still alive. Kael's heart twisted in his chest. She was still fragile, still hanging on by a thread.
"Come on," he said, his voice firm. "We need to get her to the heart of the city."
They moved deeper into the City of Mirrors, the oppressive silence thickening around them. The strange distortions in the reflections only grew stronger the further they went. It was as if the city itself were alive, watching them, judging them.
Kael's mind buzzed with questions. What was this place? What had been left behind by the gods who once walked here? And what did all of this have to do with the girl?
Yet as they continued onward, a creeping sense of dread settled over him. His cursed hands burned faintly beneath their wraps, the crimson glow pulsing once… twice… as though they, too, recognized that something waited at the city's heart—something that would not be forgotten.