Chapter 27: The Weaver of Shadows

The Oracle's words lingered in Selena's mind long after they had left the shrine.

"Find the weaver of shadows… before the Veil is undone."

The phrase echoed in her thoughts like an unrelenting whisper, a prophecy she couldn't shake. Someone was summoning the Lost. Someone was deliberately unraveling the Veil's balance. And if they didn't stop this force soon, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Selena tightened her grip on the hilt of her dagger as they moved through the forest, the heavy silence of their surroundings pressing against them like an invisible force.

Kael walked beside her, his expression grim. "If someone has figured out how to summon the Lost… that means they've found a way to manipulate the Veil itself."

Liora, her eyes distant, spoke softly. "That kind of power shouldn't exist. The Veil isn't something that can be controlled—it's a force of nature. If someone is interfering with it, it could cause irreparable damage."

Garrik exhaled sharply. "We need a lead. Where do we even start looking for this 'weaver of shadows'?"

Selena closed her eyes, reaching out with the energy of the Veil that now flowed within her. Since taking the oath, she could feel the Veil's pulse beneath reality, could sense its shifting tides. She focused, searching for any sign of a disturbance.

And then she felt it.

A ripple in the Veil, distant yet undeniable.

A presence that did not belong.

Selena's eyes snapped open. "I know where to go."

---

The Shadowed Ruins

The journey took them to the edge of the known lands, where remnants of an ancient civilization lay crumbling beneath the weight of time. The ruins were swallowed by dense forests, their once-proud spires reduced to broken stone.

It was here that Selena felt the disturbance most strongly.

The Veil trembled, its threads twisting unnaturally, like fabric being torn at the seams.

Kael stepped forward, his sword drawn. "This place feels wrong."

Liora traced her fingers along a cracked pillar, her voice a hushed murmur. "The energy here… it's unnatural. Like something is forcing the Veil open."

Garrik knelt, examining the ground. "Footprints. Fresh." He looked up. "We're not alone."

Selena's heart pounded. "Stay ready."

They moved cautiously through the ruins, weaving between crumbling archways and overgrown courtyards. The silence was oppressive, as if the very air was holding its breath.

Then, they saw it.

A figure stood in the center of the ruins, cloaked in darkness, their back turned to them. Tendrils of shadow coiled around their form, pulsing with unnatural energy. The air around them crackled with raw magic, the scent of burning ozone hanging thick in the air.

Selena knew instantly—this was the weaver of shadows.

The figure did not turn but spoke, their voice smooth and haunting.

"You're too late."

A wave of dark energy erupted from the ground, forcing Selena and the others to scatter. Shadows coalesced, forming monstrous shapes—twisted creatures that had no true form, their eyes burning with an eerie violet light.

The Lost.

They had been summoned.

Kael didn't hesitate, lunging forward with his sword, cutting through the nearest creature. It dissolved into mist, but more emerged in its place.

Selena channeled the Veil's energy, sending a pulse of light crashing into the creatures, forcing them back. Liora wove spells of fire and ice, her magic flickering through the battlefield. Garrik moved like a phantom, striking fast and disappearing before the creatures could retaliate.

But the weaver of shadows remained untouched, watching with cold amusement.

Selena gritted her teeth. They couldn't keep fighting shadows forever. They needed to stop the one who had summoned them.

She charged forward, breaking through the fray. "Who are you?" she demanded.

The figure finally turned.

Selena's breath caught.

The face beneath the hood was familiar.

Too familiar.

Her blood ran cold.

"No…" she whispered.

The weaver of shadows smiled.

"Hello, sister."

---

Shattered Truths

The battlefield blurred around Selena. The creatures, the ruins, the very world faded away as her mind tried to comprehend what she was seeing.

The face beneath the hood was not just familiar—it was a reflection of her own.

Dark eyes, sharp features, the same determined set of the jaw. But where Selena's presence was infused with the Veil's light, the woman standing before her was wreathed in shadows, her aura filled with an unsettling coldness.

Kael moved beside Selena, his sword raised, eyes darting between them. "Selena… who is this?"

Selena swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. "My sister."

Liora gasped. Garrik tensed, gripping his daggers tightly.

Kael's gaze darkened. "You have a sister?"

Selena barely heard him. Memories she had long buried surged forward. A childhood once shared, then torn apart. A bond that had been severed by forces beyond her understanding.

"Riven," she breathed, her voice trembling. "You're alive."

The weaver of shadows—Riven—tilted her head, a slow smile spreading across her lips. "Surprised?"

Selena took a step forward. "I thought you were dead. I—"

"You thought wrong." Riven's voice was laced with mockery. "And while you were off playing savior to the Veil, I was learning the truth."

Selena's brows furrowed. "The truth?"

Riven's expression darkened. "The Veil isn't a force of balance, sister. It's a cage. A prison. And I am going to break it."

Selena's heart pounded. "You don't know what you're doing."

Riven's eyes flashed. "Oh, but I do." She lifted a hand, and the shadows around her writhed like living things. "The Veil steals. It consumes. It decides who lives and who fades into nothingness. You think you're protecting it, but you're just upholding a lie."

Selena shook her head. "That's not true."

"Isn't it?" Riven took a step closer. "Didn't you ever wonder why we were separated? Why the Veil took me but left you?"

Selena's breath hitched.

Riven's smirk was sharp as a blade. "It wasn't chance, sister. It was choice. The Veil chose you and cast me aside."

Selena felt the weight of those words settle over her. Could it be true? Had the Veil deemed one of them worthy and the other expendable?

Kael's voice was tense. "Selena, whatever this is, we don't have time for it. She's summoning the Lost. We have to stop her."

Riven's gaze flickered to Kael, then back to Selena. "So this is what you've become. A pawn of the Veil."

Selena's grip tightened on her dagger. "Don't do this, Riven."

But Riven only laughed. "It's already done."

The ground trembled beneath them. The sky above darkened as the shadows thickened. The Veil's very fabric rippled, as if crying out in pain.

Riven spread her arms, her voice rising like a storm.

"The Veil has stolen enough from me. It's time I take something back."

And with that, the world shattered.