Veyl

The corridors of the Sanctum Academy buzzed with subdued tension. Ever since Kaien's duel with Master Rhain, whispers followed him like shadows. Not out of awe—though his power had impressed many—but out of fear. Something in the air had shifted. The very energy of the Academy seemed to hum unnaturally, as if reacting to a hidden tremor beneath its polished floors.

Kaien walked through the training wing with his hood pulled over his head. His knuckles were still bruised, and the gauze wrapped around his right palm hinted at the raw, unstable force barely contained within him. Every step he took felt heavier than the last. The murmurs around him weren't imagined. He heard fragments:

"He's not normal..."

"They say he disintegrated part of the stone arena—by accident."

"He shouldn't be here."

Kaien bit the inside of his cheek and kept walking.

---

In the study chambers, Eira sat quietly, cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by scrolls and open books. She barely noticed when Kaien entered, her attention buried in diagrams of Veyl currents and fragmented prophecies.

Kaien didn't announce himself, only slumped into the corner with a quiet grunt.

"You're getting popular," Eira finally said without looking up.

He exhaled, eyes closed. "Not the kind of attention I want."

"They're afraid."

"Yeah, I noticed."

Eira paused, setting aside a scroll. "You're not like them, Kaien. Even I can feel it now. Whatever you're channeling, it isn't just Veyl. It feels... older. Cracked."

"Is that your healer intuition talking?"

She met his eyes. "Partly. But mostly my gut."

Kaien stared at her, and for a moment, the tension ebbed. With Eira, things didn't need to be masked. She didn't prod or preach. She just observed, like water flowing around a stone.

---

Later that day, Lyra and Zedd entered the war council chamber with the rest of their cohort. The circular hall was bathed in crystalline light from the stained-glass dome above. Several instructors stood near the center, along with Master Rhain, arms crossed, gaze severe.

Kaien joined quietly at the back.

"Something's coming," Master Rhain began without preamble. "Two hours ago, a village near the Eastern Verge reported a Blight surge. Wretches appeared without warning. Dozens dead. Some of our scouts vanished entirely."

Gasps rippled through the room. Lyra's fists tightened. Zedd's grin faltered.

Rhain continued. "This wasn't a normal outbreak. Tide fluctuations detected Hollow Veyl signatures. The same readings we picked up the night Kaien was wounded."

Kaien's breath caught.

"So we're dealing with the Choir?" Zedd asked.

"We believe so," another instructor said. "Or at least a splinter cell. Which is why we're dispatching a team. You five—Kaien, Lyra, Zedd, Eira, and Tenrik—you're being sent to investigate."

Lyra nodded without hesitation.

"Wait," Kaien stepped forward. "You're sending us? Alone? Against the Choir?"

Rhain looked him dead in the eye. "You're not children anymore. You either learn to fight what's coming, or you'll die waiting."

Tenrik, the quiet Earth-aspect user who often trained in silence, spoke up for the first time. "Then we should leave now. Before the trail fades."

Kaien met Lyra's gaze. No words needed. Whatever lay ahead, they'd face it together.

---

The mission began under the pale light of dusk. The five rode sleek, Veyl-enhanced gliders—hovering discs that skimmed over terrain like wind over water. Mountains loomed in the distance as twisted forests whispered secrets only the Blight understood.

The village, once vibrant, was now a scorched ruin. The scent of ash clung to the air. Blackened husks of buildings lay collapsed, and Veyl trails flickered with instability.

"Look at this..." Eira whispered. She knelt near a shattered well. "These Wretches didn't just kill—they fed. See the residue? It's not just Blight. It's Hollow."

"How is that possible?" Tenrik asked. "Only Veylor could—"

A hiss sliced the air. Then came the screech. The first Wretch emerged, not from the shadows—but the earth itself. It looked like molten obsidian with eyes like cracked mirrors.

Zedd didn't hesitate. With a burst of Gale, he surged forward and cracked the creature across its snout. It staggered, screeched again, and lunged.

"There's more!" Lyra shouted. Twin bursts of Shade and Flame erupted from her hands as three more Wretches burst forth.

Kaien hesitated. His hands trembled. The pulse of light in his palm flickered chaotically.

"Kaien!" Zedd yelled. "Snap out of it!"

He growled and stepped forward. A white arc of unstable energy burst from his palm, grazing a Wretch. It disintegrated half of its limb before sputtering out.

"Not enough," Kaien cursed.

Tenrik slammed the ground, stone spears impaling two Wretches in place. Eira hurled blue threads of Tide into the air, slowing time for a moment.

"Focus, Kaien! Don't force it. Let it flow!" she cried.

Kaien dug deep. He felt the familiar burn—not of Veyl, but something beneath it. Something fractured. The light surged.

He opened his palm, and a lance of white struck the last Wretch dead center. It didn't just disintegrate—it vanished.

Then silence.

Lyra walked slowly over to the remains. "They were using Hollow Veyl. But not like Veylor. Crude. Weak copies."

"Which means they're experimenting," Tenrik muttered. "They're trying to replicate it."

"Or... wake it up," Eira added.

Kaien turned toward the smoldering east.

He could feel it. A presence. A whisper in the bones of the world.

The Hollow Veyl... was stirring.

---

That night, they camped in a grove untouched by Blight. The fire crackled quietly. Zedd sharpened his glaive. Eira wrote notes. Tenrik meditated. Lyra stared into the flames.

Kaien sat apart, watching his hands.

"You did well today," Lyra said, finally sitting beside him.

"No. I hesitated. Again."

"And yet you saved us. Again."

He didn't respond. After a while, he asked, "Do you ever wonder if it's worth it? All this fighting?"

"Every day." Her voice was softer than usual. "But I keep going. Because if we don't fight, who will?"

He looked at her, eyes tired. "And if I lose control? If I become like Veylor?"

She didn't flinch. "Then we'll stop you. Together. But I don't believe that will happen."

"Why not?"

"Because you're still asking the question. A monster wouldn't."

He chuckled bitterly. "You always know what to say."

Lyra stood. "Try sleeping. We'll need our strength. I think tomorrow... we'll find what the Choir left behind."

Kaien looked toward the forest again, where the darkness felt thicker.

He could feel it, still.

The echo.

The Hollow Veyl was watching.