Mrwallentini

In the world of Aetherra, energy known as "Veyl" permeates all living things born from emotions, thoughts, and spiritual balance. When corrupted by despair or hatred, it twists into "Blight", giving rise to monstrous entities known as Wretches. To battle these Wretches, the world relies on Veylbound, individuals who can manipulate Veyl into magical forms.

Veyl is classified into five Aspects:

Flame (Will)

Gale (Change)

Stone (Resolve)

Tide (Emotion)

Shade (Despair)


Only rare individuals can master more than one Aspect. A secret organization called the Sanctum Order exists to train, rank, and dispatch Veylbound to protect the realm from Blight outbreaks and uncover ancient secrets of the Veyl.


Kaien Voss, a reckless orphan boy from a remote village, dreams of joining the Sanctum Order to escape his mundane life. Born without the ability to control Veyl, Kaien compensates with extreme combat training and pure determination.

During a Wretch attack on his village, Kaien tries to save a friend and is mortally wounded—but something within him snaps. He unleashes a powerful light he can shoot out of his hand, the light allows him to cause anything he shoots or touches to disintegrate into dust or regenerate, but he can not control it which causes the ability to sometimes not be as affective as it should be, The Sanctum Order arrives and, shocked by Kaien’s power, takes him in for training and surveillance.

Veil of sanctum

Training resumed the next day, but the atmosphere had shifted. Whispers followed Kaien through the halls. Some revered him, others feared him.

Zedd slapped him on the back after a particularly intense sparring match. "Guess being terrifying has its perks."

Kaien rolled his eyes. "I didn't ask for any of this."

"None of us did," Lyra interjected, entering the courtyard. Her voice carried a note of frost, but her gaze lingered on Kaien's hand—the one that disintegrated the Wretch. "But power demands responsibility. Whether we're ready or not."

Eira joined them, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "We should talk. All of us. There's something I found in the ancient texts."

They gathered in the evening near the Sanctum's garden, beneath lantern-lit trees. Eira laid out a worn scroll between them.

"This speaks of the 'Veiled Flame'—a prophecy that mentions a child born without Veyl who would awaken a light that neither heals nor destroys, but chooses."

Lyra's eyes narrowed. "Sounds like sanctified nonsense."

"It might be," Eira admitted, "but it describes a power beyond the five Aspects. Something not bound by emotion, but by intent. The power to change the Veil itself."

Kaien exhaled slowly. "So I'm a walking prophecy now?"

Zedd grinned. "Better than being just a freak."

They laughed—softly, briefly. Then the wind shifted. Cold. Unnatural.

A ripple of dark energy pulsed through the air. Shadows twisted on the edges of the garden. From them stepped a figure in tattered robes and a half-mask etched with old runes.

"You children shouldn't dig so deep," the figure rasped. "You might unearth the world's last breath."

Lyra summoned flame in her palm. "Dissonant Choir."

The intruder smiled, though his face was barely visible. "You know us, little Caelum. Your family knew us well."

Before she could react, the intruder threw a vial to the ground—shattering into smoke that blanketed the area. When it cleared, he was gone.

Kaien clenched his fists. "Why do I feel like that won't be the last time we see him?"

Eira looked back at the scroll. "Because the Choir doesn't make idle threats. They make war."

Dissonant Echoes