Shadows of the Order
The deep forest gave way to a wide open plain to meet Kael, a wide expanse of rolling hills cascading down to the edge of the horizon. The crisp morning air carried a faint chill, but Kael barely noticed. His brain r revolved around the Order of the Veil and the enigmatic pronouncements of Calrys. Each step felt heavier, as though the weight of his destiny had grown since parting ways with Lira.
[Alert: Anomalous energy detected. Proximity: 1.2 kilometers. Source: Unstable rift activity. Recommendation: Investigate cautiously.]
Kael sighed, tightening his grip on the Starforged Blade. "Another one," he muttered. "This doesn't stop."
The system's monotone response was as clinical as ever. [Dimensional instability increasing. Frequency of rift manifestations correlates with localized celestial disruption.]
Kael frowned. "Localized disruption? What does that mean?"
[Analysis incomplete. Insufficient data. Continued investigation required.]
He shook his head, frustrated by the system's vagueness. "Right. Guess I'll figure it out myself."
The nature of the disturbance became apparent by the sight of Kael at the top of a hill. In the valley, below, an derelict village awaited, set against the blackening nature of its skeletal remains and the vibrantly greenness of the surrounding vegetation. Shards of stone houses poked skyward like shattered teeth, and acrid smoke from burnt wood hung in the air. In the midst of the rubble there stood a striking crackle of hot light, a hole of incandescent light radiating into the ruin.
Kael's stomach churned at the sight. "What happened here?"
Down to the village he went and the ominous system read its own.
[Energy signatures consistent with Order of the Veil activity. Evidence suggests rift manipulation experiments. Casualties: High probability.]
Kael's grip on the Starforged Blade tightened. "They did this?"
[Affirmative. Patterns align with prior encounters.]
A bang—a sound like heels on gravel ground—jerked Kael's focus to his right. Turning, he brandished the Starforged Blade, its heavenly energy showing itself in the radiation of the sword. A darkened figure, obscured by cloak, emerged from the shadows, a mask with runes as fine as a knife's edge covering the visage.
"You're far from home, stray," the figure said, their voice distorted by the mask. "And meddling in matters beyond your comprehension."
Kael stepped forward, his blade gleaming. "You're with the Order."
The figure tilted their head, as though amused. "Perceptive. But it will do you no good. You should've stayed in the shadows, boy."
At that instant, the figure made a hand motion and dark tendrils of power shot from their outstretched hand. As an instinctive reaction, Kael saw the Starforged Blade flash, with pure light, against the impact. The momentum sent him back but the moment he recovered, they shut their pupils as wide as they could.
"System," Kael muttered, "any suggestions?"
[Threat assessment: Veil Enforcer. Specialization: Rift energy manipulation. Weakness: Energy overload destabilizes defensive capabilities. Recommendation: Aggressive engagement to disrupt focus.]
Kael smirked. "Aggressive it is."
He surged forward, and the Starforged Blade cut through the tendrils of dark energy with impunity. The enforcer moved out of the way—fit and boneless yet Kael kept trading chops, each blow from his blade sending it another inch and a half toward the tear.
The enforcer retaliates, figures of hands drawing complex patterns that entrain a set of sharp edges of energy. Kael sidestepped and parried with accuracy, the IOT system augmenting his reactions. With the violence continuing, at the same time he saw the fissure developing in the armor of the enforcer—the attacks' sequence and each movement becoming less and less deliberate.
"What's the matter?" Shouting, Kael, as his blade tore through and another wave of energy swung through, over, and over. "Losing your edge?"
The enforcer growled, their voice dripping with venom. "You're a fool to challenge the Order. Do you think you've accomplished anything by disrupting our plans? The rifts are beyond your control."
Kael's expression hardened. "Maybe. I'm not going to let you destroy every single opportunity you create to do so, however.
The killing blow, with a single, mighty shock from Kael, drove the Starforged Blade through the enforcer's chest. On their mask runes flared for a second then went bang, coalescing into a cloud of black smoke. At their backs the tear fluctuated wildly, its force faltering in its master's absence.
[Warning: Rift collapse imminent. Recommend immediate evacuation.]
Kael fled back to the village and bounded out of the village, but as soon as a footstep hit the ground, the soil vibrated under his boots. Presaging him, the tear imploded with a mighty crack and booming sound while the valley shook with tremors. When the dust settled, Kael stood at the edge of the ruins, his chest heaving as he surveyed the destruction.
"That's one less," he mumbled, but the win tasted funny. The Order's reach was growing, their methods more destructive. He realised that this could not be the only one, the start.
The system, although Kael went searching for knowledge, broke the quiet.
[Observation: Host exhibiting increased combat proficiency. Synchronization level: 36%. System features, such as other, may be made available when the critical benchmarks are reached.]
Kael nodded, though his thoughts remained heavy. The future was long, and so was the cost. However, he was set on finishing the course and making sense of truth about the Order, the divisions, and of who he was again in the grand scheme of this unfolding battle.
For now, though, the only path was forward.