Chapter 89: The Veil's Return

The rift pulsed like an open wound, its edges writhing with unstable energy. Lucian kept his sword raised, his muscles coiled tight, but no figure emerged from the darkness. Not yet. The voice had been a warning—a promise. The Original was out there, gathering strength, and she wasn't alone.

Aurelia's golden eyes narrowed as she studied the tear in reality. "They're coming," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kael struggled to sit up fully, his hand pressed to his scarred chest. "Who's 'they'?"

The answer came not from Aurelia, but from the shadows themselves. Figures materialized at the edges of the ruined battlefield—silent, hooded, their faces obscured. Their robes were the color of dried blood, their movements unnaturally synchronized.

Lucian's grip on his sword tightened. "The Veil."

Aurelia didn't respond. Her attention was fixed on the rift, her glowing fingers flexing at her sides. The roots that had birthed her still coiled around her ankles, connecting her to the earth. She could feel it—the disturbance spreading, the Veil's presence like poison seeping into the soil.

The lead figure stepped forward, lowering its hood to reveal a face that made Kael's breath catch.

Eryx.

Lucian's brother.

His once-handsome features were now gaunt, his eyes hollow pits of darkness. A twisted smile curled his lips as he spread his arms in mock welcome. "Did you miss me?"

Lucian's snarl was answer enough.

But Eryx wasn't looking at him. His gaze was fixed on Aurelia, hunger burning in those empty eyes. "Oh, sister," he murmured. "You've grown so... radiant."

Aurelia's glow intensified, her voice cold. "I'm not your sister."

Eryx chuckled, the sound like bones rattling in a hollow chest. "No. You're something much more interesting now." He tilted his head toward the rift. "She's waiting for you."

The ground trembled again, and this time, something moved within the darkness. A shape. A presence.

The Original wasn't just coming.

She was here.