Crimson Veil
Episode 12: Nyzael's Shadows — Trial of the Abyss!
[Page 1] – Splash Page
Scene: Shadows twist and rise like serpents from Nyzael's cloak as she steps closer. The ruined chamber trembles with pressure. Ren stands over the fading Second Fragment, breath heavy.
Narration Box:
"Victory draws enemies closer. In the abyss, nothing comes without consequence..."
[Page 2] – Scene: Immediate Confrontation
Lira (defensive stance):
"She's not like the fragments. This is a General."
Kael (aiming):
"Shadow Queen Nyzael. One of the six Demon Generals. She's already gauging us. Be ready."
Nyzael (smiling):
"Oh, don't look so scared. I'm not here to kill you... not yet."
[Page 3] – Nyzael's Proposal
The shadows form a throne beneath her. She lounges in it, lifting one leg with elegance and menace.
Nyzael:
"You're not ready for the Tyrant. But I'll give you a chance. Pass my trial... and I'll teach you how to survive what comes next."
Ren (suspicious):
"Why help us?"
Nyzael:
"Because even the Tyrant fears what stirs below. If he awakens... everything burns."
[Page 4] – The Trial Begins
Shadows surround the team. They're pulled into an illusion — a twisted version of their pasts.
Trial of the Abyss:
Face your greatest failure. Or become it.
Ren sees himself standing before his mother's grave... only this time, he's the one who caused her death.
[Page 5] – Lira's Trial
Lira sees her old village burning — her hands soaked in blood, villagers looking at her with betrayal in their eyes.
Voice:
"You could've saved them. But you ran."
She screams — wind explodes around her, cutting the illusion for a moment.
[Page 6] – Kael's Trial
Kael is alone again, his family's lab destroyed. His brother lies dead, whispering: "You were too slow."
He clenches his teeth and fires into the illusion, breaking through with tech-generated pulses.
[Page 7] – Ren's Stand
Ren walks toward his illusion-self and thrusts his spear through it.
Ren (shouting):
"I'm not perfect. But I won't carry chains that aren't mine! I fight for the living!"
The mark on his back pulses brightly — shadows dissolve.
[Page 8] – Nyzael Applauds
The illusions break. Ren and the team fall to their knees, exhausted but awake. Nyzael claps slowly.
Nyzael:
"You passed. Barely. But enough to earn this."
She throws them a dark orb — inside it, a map to the Third Fragment's location.
[Page 9] – Final Panel
As Nyzael vanishes into the mist, she whispers:
Nyzael:
"Make it in time… or the next one won't give you a second chance."
Far beneath them, a chained being stirs in the darkness. A name is whispered across realms:
"Zareth."
Narration Box:
"Three fragments remain. But the real war is only beginning..."
Text:
Next Episode: "The Name Zareth — Echoes from