Chapter 6: The Shadow’s Hunger

Darkness pulsed beneath Orion's skin.

The whispers had not faded. If anything, they were growing louder. More insistent.

And his mark—it was no longer just a mark.

The faint glow on his arm pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, the dark veins around it shifting as if something beneath his skin was alive.

He gritted his teeth. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

But he wasn't about to let the Veil break him.

Not now. Not ever.

---

A Sudden Summons

A sharp knock echoed through the chamber door.

Orion stiffened. His body still ached from the trial, from the way he had absorbed the Hollowed's essence. He wasn't sure if he had won that fight… or lost something deeper.

The door creaked open, revealing Selene.

Her sharp green eyes flickered over him, reading every detail—his ragged breathing, the tension in his shoulders, the way he clenched his fists.

"Veylan's calling you."

Orion narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Selene's lips pressed into a thin line. "Because something else just crossed the Veil."

---

The Arrival of the Unseen

The chamber where the others waited was dimly lit, torches casting eerie shadows against the ancient stone. Kastiel stood with arms crossed, his golden gaze unreadable. Ash leaned lazily against a wall, but his fingers tapped against his dagger's hilt—a subtle sign that he was on edge.

And then there was Veylan.

The leader of the Forsaken sat at the head of the chamber, his violet eyes glowing unnaturally in the dim light. He looked at Orion as if he were a puzzle—something to be examined, studied.

"You felt it, didn't you?" Veylan's voice was quiet, but it carried a weight that made the room feel smaller.

Orion hesitated. "Felt what?"

Veylan exhaled, almost as if he were disappointed. "The presence beyond the Veil."

Orion's blood turned to ice.

Because he had felt it.

That whisper in the dark. The silver-eyed man. The way the shadows had warped around him.

And somehow, Veylan knew.

Orion forced his expression to remain neutral. "What are you talking about?"

Veylan's lips curled into a smirk. "You're not the only one the Veil is watching."

A deep chill settled in Orion's chest.

Selene shifted beside him, clearly uncomfortable. Kastiel remained silent.

Ash, however, let out a low whistle. "Guess that means we're not alone, huh?"

Veylan's gaze darkened. "No. We're not."

---

The Breach

A loud, unnatural howl tore through the air, reverberating through the chamber like a war cry.

The torches flickered. The shadows deepened.

Orion's breath hitched. That sound—it wasn't human.

Veylan rose from his seat. "It's here."

The others moved immediately. Selene unsheathed her twin daggers, Kastiel's hands glowed with an unnatural, dark fire. Ash cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders.

Orion gripped his own dagger tightly.

And then—the walls shuddered.

A fracture split open in the farthest end of the chamber, black mist seeping out like something had torn a wound into reality itself.

And from within that mist—it stepped forward.

---

A Creature Not of This World

The thing that emerged wasn't like the Hollowed Orion had faced. It wasn't just a twisted, broken remnant of a human soul.

No.

This was something older.

Something worse.

Its form shifted constantly, flickering between a humanoid figure and something far more monstrous. Its body was covered in blackened runes, pulsing like veins filled with pure void.

And its eyes—they were silver.

Orion's stomach dropped.

The silver-eyed man. The whisper in the dark.

It was the same presence.

The creature cocked its head, its distorted voice slithering through the air.

"You are not ready."

Then it moved.

---

A Fight Against the Unknown

Orion barely had time to react before the creature was upon him.

It moved like a living shadow, flickering in and out of existence. One second it was in front of him, the next it was at his side, its elongated claws slashing toward his throat.

He twisted away just in time, but the force of the attack sent him skidding backward.

Selene lunged forward, her daggers glowing faintly with Veil-infused energy as she aimed for its core.

The creature didn't dodge.

It let her hit it.

For a moment, she seemed to sink her blades into its form. But then—

Her weapons passed straight through it.

Selene's eyes widened. "What—"

The creature backhanded her across the chamber.

She hit the wall hard, coughing as she slumped to the ground.

Orion's fury ignited.

He didn't think. He acted.

His veins burned, his mark pulsed.

And then—the shadows around him answered.

---

A Power Unleashed

Black tendrils shot out from Orion's arm, striking the creature before it could move again.

This time—it reacted.

It let out a distorted screech, twisting unnaturally as Orion's power wrapped around its form.

For the first time, Orion felt it—a connection.

He could feel the creature's essence, the same way he had with the Hollowed. But this… this was different.

It wasn't just hunger.

It was recognition.

The creature's silver eyes locked onto his, something flashing within them—something almost like understanding.

"Not yet," it whispered.

And then, it unraveled into mist.

Gone.

Just like that.

---

The Aftermath

Silence filled the chamber.

Selene groaned, pushing herself up from where she had fallen. Kastiel's flames dimmed. Ash let out a slow breath.

But Orion…

Orion was shaking.

Not with fear.

With understanding.

That thing hadn't attacked him.

It had tested him.

And worse…

It had recognized him.

Veylan's voice broke through the silence. "We're out of time."

Orion turned to face him. "What do you mean?"

Veylan's gaze was sharp. "The Veil is watching you, Orion. But you're not just its prey anymore."

A heavy pause.

"You're becoming something else."

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