**Chapter 21: The Threshold of Twilight**

**Chapter 21: The Threshold of Twilight**

Jack stepped through the doorway, the weight of the fire and shadow coursing through him. The tunnel beyond was neither lit nor dark; it hovered in a space between, as if reality itself had not decided what it wanted to be. The air felt thick, charged with energy that sent a shiver up his spine. Shadow followed closely, his golden eyes flicking between the shifting hues of light and darkness around them.

Ahead, the passage opened into a circular chamber, unlike anything Jack had seen before. The walls were smooth obsidian, embedded with pulsating runes that flickered between gold and deep violet. At the center of the chamber stood an archway—a gate framed by jagged stone, its surface shimmering like a reflection on water. It pulsed with the same strange balance of fire and shadow now resting within Jack.

The Last Keeper's voice echoed from behind him. **"The Veil has thinned. Beyond this gate lies what remains of Eldrin's truth."**

Jack turned, meeting the Keeper's gaze. "And what exactly am I walking into?"

The Keeper descended the steps leading into the chamber, their form still shifting between substance and mist. **"Not all who fell in Eldrin's last stand perished. Some were taken—trapped beyond the threshold. If you seek answers, you will find them there."**

Jack exhaled, steadying his thoughts. "And what happens if I step through?"

The Keeper's voice softened. **"You will stand where no Keeper has stood since the fall. You will see the echoes of the battle that sealed Eldrin's fate. But be warned—those who dwell beyond the Veil do not rest. Some seek release. Others…"** They paused. **"…will seek you."**

Shadow let out a low growl, his fur bristling. Jack placed a hand on his companion's back, grounding himself. There was no turning back now. He stepped forward, reaching for the gate.

The moment his fingers brushed the shimmering surface, the world around him **folded.**

A rush of energy tore through him. The chamber, the Keeper, even the floor beneath his feet—**gone.**

Jack landed hard on uneven ground, the breath knocked from his lungs. The air smelled of scorched stone and something bitter, metallic. He pushed himself up, blinking rapidly as his vision adjusted.

He was no longer in Eldrin's ruins.

He stood on a battlefield.

The sky was fractured, ribbons of burning light slicing through an endless void. Around him, ghostly figures clashed—warriors of Eldrin, their armor shining even in death, locked in eternal combat against beings born of the Veil. **The final battle.**

Jack turned, his heart hammering. These weren't just visions; the air **hummed** with their presence, their pain. He could hear their cries, the clash of weapons, the last stand of a civilization lost to time.

A voice, distant yet clear, cut through the chaos. **"You are not meant to be here."**

Jack spun, searching for the source. A figure stood amidst the battle, untouched by the warring spirits. Unlike the Last Keeper, this one was fully formed—**a man clad in obsidian armor lined with golden runes, his face hidden behind a helm that pulsed with energy.**

Jack's grip tightened on his sword. "Who are you?"

The figure took a step forward, and the battlefield seemed to shift around him, bending to his will. **"I am the one who remained when all others were lost. The Guardian of the Veil."**

Jack felt the energy around him twist, as if something **else** had noticed his presence. The spirits battling around him turned—some hesitating, others drawn toward him. 

The Guardian's voice grew sharp. **"You should not have come."**

Before Jack could react, the world **lurched.**

The battlefield trembled. The spirits **screamed.** From the far horizon, a darkness began to spread, a tide of writhing shadow unlike anything Jack had ever seen.

The Guardian turned his helm toward it. **"You woke it."**

Jack's pulse pounded. The air **froze**, and from the tide of darkness, a form began to emerge—taller than anything human, shifting with an unnatural grace.

A Veilborn.

Not just any—**the first.**

Jack felt his fire recoil. His gauntlet trembled. Shadow let out a fierce, warning bark, but it was drowned beneath the whispering roar of the darkness coming for them.

The Guardian drew his blade. **"Run."**

Jack lifted his sword. **"Not a chance."**

The darkness surged forward.

**To be continued...**