Chapter 21: Whispers of the Lost

The day was growing colder as Elias and Aric ventured deeper into the village. Despite the mundane appearance of the settlement, Elias felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. The villagers, though polite, avoided prolonged eye contact, their unease palpable. Whatever plagued this place went beyond the ordinary, though the villagers were blissfully ignorant of its supernatural nature.

The two Lanterns stood at the heart of the village, where a small square surrounded by timber-framed homes served as the community's central hub. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys, and the faint clang of a blacksmith's hammer echoed in the distance.

"Cozy little place," Elias remarked, his voice laced with dry humor. "If you ignore the eerie tension hanging in the air."

Aric smirked but kept his eyes sharp, scanning the surroundings. "Places like these often hide more than they show. Let's talk to the locals first."

They approached a pair of villagers huddled near a weathered bench. One was an elderly woman with a knitted shawl, while the other, a wiry middle-aged man, had the look of someone accustomed to hard labor.

"We're here to look into the disturbances," Aric began, his tone calm and professional. "Have you noticed anything unusual?"

The man hesitated, glancing nervously at the woman, who finally spoke. "There've been strange sounds from the woods at night—like whispers carried on the wind. And..." She paused, wringing her hands. "Some folk have been... acting odd. Forgetting things. Like something took pieces of their minds."

Aric nodded thoughtfully. "Has anyone been hurt?"

"No, not hurt," the man interjected, "but shaken. My brother... he started muttering about shadows watching him. Now he won't leave his house."

Elias scribbled notes, keeping his face neutral. The signs matched descriptions of Veilborn Aberrations—entities born from unstable Veilborn who had succumbed to corruption.

"Thank you," Aric said, offering a reassuring nod. "We'll take it from here."

As they walked away, Elias turned to Aric. "Memory loss, shadows, and paranoia. This sounds more like a Veilborn Aberration than a Hollowed."

"I agree," Aric said, his expression serious. "If it's a Veilborn Aberration, it's a creature of instinct—violent but without the strategic cunning of higher-level Aberrations. Still, it's dangerous enough to destabilize this village."

Elias frowned. "Why would a Veilborn Aberration end up here? This place isn't exactly close to anything important."

"Desperation, maybe," Aric said. "Veilborn Aberrations are drawn to places where the Veil is weaker. They thrive on instability. If someone here accidentally triggered Veil energy, it might have lured the creature."

The two stopped near a small clearing on the village outskirts, where the forest loomed dark and silent. Aric set down his satchel and began pulling out components: a Veil-infused candle, chalk, and a small bowl of sacred oil.

"I'm going to commune with the local spirits," Aric explained. "They might have seen something we haven't."

Elias folded his arms, watching as Aric knelt and began drawing an Arcaenic glyph—a series of interwoven spirals enclosed in a diamond shape. He placed the candle at the center and lit it with a match, the flame glowing faintly blue.

Aric closed his eyes and murmured an invocation in Arcaenic. His voice was soft yet deliberate, each syllable resonating with the surrounding air. The glyph glowed faintly, and the temperature dropped.

The spirits appeared slowly, their forms vague and shifting. They hovered near the glyph, their whispers barely audible.

"Spirits of this land," Aric intoned. "Show us what you've seen. What stalks the shadows of this village?"

One spirit moved forward, its form coalescing into a faint humanoid shape. Its voice was fragmented, like a distant echo.

"Darkness... restless... wandering..."

Another spirit joined, whispering, "It hungers... for memories... for identity..."

Elias felt a chill crawl down his spine. "It's feeding on them," he muttered.

The first spirit leaned closer to Aric, its voice tinged with urgency. "Beware... it is fractured... yet whole..."

"Fractured yet whole?" Elias repeated, his brow furrowing. "What does that mean?"

"It's describing a Veilborn Aberration," Aric said grimly, extinguishing the candle. "They're unstable by nature, existing between worlds. The phrase fits its fractured essence."

As they packed up the ritual components, Elias glanced at Aric. "You mentioned earlier that you weren't there for the Hollowed subjugation. Why not?"

Aric's expression darkened slightly. "I was assisting Elira with artifact stabilization. We've been cataloging items recovered from rogue practitioners—dangerous work, but necessary. Veylan thought I'd be more useful there than on the field."

Elias nodded, sensing there was more to the story but choosing not to press. "Well, you're here now, and I'm glad for it. Your skills are... unique."

Aric smirked faintly. "And you're learning fast. Let's hope that's enough."

The duo ventured closer to the forest, following a faint trail that seemed untouched by the villagers. The air grew heavier, the trees casting long, distorted shadows despite the early afternoon light.

Elias scanned the ground, noting faint disturbances in the dirt—like claw marks. "Whatever we're dealing with, it's not just wandering aimlessly. These tracks suggest it's been circling the village, watching."

Aric crouched beside the marks, brushing his fingers over the ground. He closed his eyes briefly, using his Spirit Communion ability to sense lingering echoes. His brow furrowed.

"It's been here recently," he said. "The energy is fresh."

"Any sign of where it went?" Elias asked.

Aric pointed deeper into the forest. "That way. But we shouldn't follow it blindly. If it senses us, it might lash out."

Elias nodded. "Then we set a trap. Draw it out on our terms."

Back in the village, Elias and Aric prepared a warding ritual near the forest's edge. Aric drew another Arcaenic glyph, this one larger and more intricate, designed to radiate a faint pulse of Veil energy.

"This will act as a beacon," Aric explained. "It should irritate the Aberration enough to draw it closer."

"And then what?" Elias asked.

"We observe," Aric said firmly. "This isn't a subjugation mission. We gather intel and report back to Veylan."

Elias nodded, though he couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking a fine line between caution and danger.

As the glyph activated, the surrounding air seemed to hum faintly. The forest grew eerily silent, and Elias felt a familiar prickle of unease.

Then, from the shadows, a figure emerged. It was humanoid but distorted, its body flickering like a poorly formed shadow. Glowing cracks ran along its form, and its hollow eyes leaked mist.

Elias instinctively reached for his revolver, but Aric placed a hand on his arm. "Not yet," he whispered.

The Aberration lingered at the edge of the glyph, its tendrils of darkness testing the invisible boundary. It let out a low, distorted wail that sent shivers down Elias's spine.

"It's testing us," Aric murmured. "Smart for something so unstable."

Elias squinted through his monocle, noting the dense knot of Veil energy at the creature's core. "Its core is strong," he said. "If we're not careful, it could overpower us."

The Aberration hesitated for a moment longer before retreating into the forest, its form dissolving into the shadows.

Elias let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "That was too close."

Aric extinguished the glyph, his expression tense. "We have what we need. Let's return to the Lanterns and plan our next move."

As they walked back to the village, Elias couldn't help but glance over his shoulder, the image of the Aberration's hollow eyes burned into his memory.