**Chapter 22: The First Veilborn**

**Chapter 22: The First Veilborn**

The darkness surged forward like a living storm, tendrils of shadow twisting and writhing as they reached for Jack. The battlefield trembled beneath his feet, spectral figures caught in an endless war suddenly turning their faces toward the growing abyss.

Shadow barked, his fur bristling as he stepped in front of Jack, ready to fight. But the Guardian of the Veil did not hesitate—he lunged forward, raising his obsidian blade high, his runes flaring to life. The strike cleaved through the encroaching darkness, forcing it to recoil momentarily.

**"Fool!"** the Guardian roared. **"You do not understand what you face!"**

Jack's grip on his sword tightened, the fire within him surging in response to the encroaching force. "Then tell me!" he shouted over the howling void. "What is it?"

The Guardian didn't answer—there was no time. The darkness pulsed, shifting, and from within its depths, the figure emerged fully. The **First Veilborn.**

It was **massive**, easily twice the height of a man, its form constantly shifting between solid and ethereal. Its body was draped in what looked like tattered remnants of armor, but its face—if it had one—was nothing but a shifting void. Its presence sent waves of pressure through the air, making it hard to breathe.

Jack felt something deep within him recoil. This was no mere enemy. **This was the source.**

The Guardian moved first, vanishing in a blur of speed. His sword flashed in a perfect arc, striking the Veilborn's center mass. The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield, but when the dust cleared, the Veilborn remained unmoved. Its void-like form simply **absorbed** the attack, the darkness rippling as if it had never been struck at all.

Jack's heart pounded. "That's not good."

The Veilborn raised an arm, and suddenly, **the battlefield screamed.**

The spectral warriors of Eldrin—those who had been locked in eternal combat—were **drawn toward it.** Their bodies twisted, their essence siphoned, feeding the Veilborn's form. The golden runes on their armor flickered and died as they were consumed.

Jack's stomach turned. **It was devouring them.**

The Guardian cursed, flickering back to Jack's side. "It grows stronger with every fallen soul. We cannot let it feed."

Jack gritted his teeth. "Then we stop it."

He surged forward, channeling his fire, his gauntlet igniting in golden light. He swung his sword at the Veilborn's outstretched limb, his flames biting deep—but instead of burning, the fire was **pulled** inward, devoured as though the creature had been waiting for it.

Jack staggered back. **It eats fire too?**

The Veilborn's form pulsed, and in an instant, it retaliated. Shadows burst outward, **a wave of pure void energy** crashing toward them. Jack barely had time to raise his gauntlet before it hit, sending him flying backward. He skidded across the shattered ground, pain jolting through his limbs.

Shadow leapt in front of him, snarling, but even he hesitated against the sheer force of the entity before them.

The Guardian stood firm, his armor cracked, but his blade unwavering. **"Fire alone will not stop this."**

Jack coughed, pushing himself up. "Great. What else do you suggest?"

The Guardian turned to him, and for the first time, Jack saw something **akin to desperation** in his stance. "The balance," he said. "The fire and the shadow. You carry both."

Jack hesitated, his mind racing. The Keeper's words echoed in his head—**Balance, Keeper. Only then can you face what is coming.**

Shadow whined beside him. Jack exhaled, shaking his head. **I've been fighting fire against fire. Maybe that's the mistake.**

He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, centering himself. The fire within him burned hot, but now… so did something else. **The darkness.**

Not corruption. Not void. Just **shadow.** A force as natural as the flames. **Two sides of the same power.**

Jack opened his eyes. His gauntlet flared—not with fire, but with a swirling **balance** of gold and black energy. The Guardian's head tilted, as if understanding. The Veilborn hesitated for the first time.

Jack smirked. "Alright. Let's see how you like this."

He dashed forward, faster than before, his blade humming with dual energy. The Veilborn lashed out, but this time, **Jack didn't fight it.** He moved **with** the darkness, twisting through the tendrils of void like a shadow himself. His sword struck home, and this time—the Veilborn **reacted.**

It let out a sound—a deep, reverberating wail, like something ancient and furious. The wound Jack had left did not close immediately. The balance had affected it.

Jack grinned. "Yeah. That got your attention."

The Guardian's voice was sharp. "Do not hesitate. Strike again!"

Jack didn't need to be told twice. He pivoted, channeling everything he had into his next strike. The Veilborn howled, the battlefield quaking beneath their feet.

For the first time in untold centuries, the darkness **reeled.**

And Jack knew—they could **win.**

**To be continued...**