The storm had ended two days ago, but the Academy still smelled like…rain. It felt…damp.
Every hallway carried the faint scent of ozone, damp stone, as if the building itself had been rinsed clean of its…ghosts. It felt…empty.
Eryndor stood by the window of the eastern tower, his reflection framed by shards of fractured glass. It felt…like he was looking at a broken version of himself.
Beyond them, the horizon glowed pale gold, sunlight spilling over the jagged rooftops, the distant mountains. It felt…like a new beginning.
The world had changed subtly, but undeniable. It felt…different.
He could feel it in the air, in the quiet pulse that throbbed beneath the floorboards. It felt…like a heartbeat.
It was the Veil, breathing through the world again. It felt…like it was watching him.
Behind him, footsteps echoed, soft.
"You haven't slept," Luca said, his voice gentle but edged with worry. He sounded…tired.
Eryndor didn't turn. "I keep hearing it. Like…a song just beneath the silence."
He couldn't escape the resonance, even in his thoughts.
Luca leaned against the wall, arms folded. "You mean the Veil?"
"Yes. Or what's left of it."
He hesitated. "It doesn't feel dangerous anymore. Just…curious. Like it's watching through me."
He felt…uneasy.
"That's not comforting."
Eryndor smiled, faint. "It's better than being afraid of it."
He was trying to find a way to live with the resonance, not fight it.
Luca pushed away from the wall, coming closer. "You should still rest. You look"
"Tired?" Eryndor's smile widened, faint but real. "You've said that every day since the collapse."
He knew Luca was worried about him.
"That's because you are tired," Luca said, stepping beside him. "Even the Veil can't change the fact that you're…human."
He wanted Eryndor to remember that he wasn't just a vessel for the resonance.
The light reflected across both their faces soft, refracted, shimmering through the cracked window. It felt…like they were being bathed in a new light.
Eryndor exhaled, slow. "Maybe that's why it chose…me."
Luca frowned. "Chose you?"
Eryndor's voice softened. "The Veil. The resonance. It didn't need a perfect vessel it needed one that could break and still…hold."
He felt like he was being used, but he also knew that he had a purpose.
For a long time, neither spoke. The wind brushed through the broken glass, scattering the sunlight across the walls like fragments of gold. It felt…like they were surrounded by memories.
Finally, Luca asked, quiet, "Do you regret it? What happened down there?"
Eryndor's gaze drifted toward the horizon. "Regret? No. But it feels…strange to be both myself and something else. Like walking through a reflection that keeps…shifting."
He was still trying to make sense of what he had become.
Luca studied him careful. "If it ever becomes too much promise me you'll tell me."
He wanted Eryndor to know that he was there for him, no matter what.
Eryndor turned to meet his eyes. The faint glow that once shimmered within them had faded, but something deeper had replaced it a calm that felt older than the storm. It felt…like he had found a new kind of strength.
"I promise," he said, soft. "Though I'm not sure the Veil knows how to keep…secrets."
He knew that the resonance would always be a part of him.
Luca smiled, a quiet relief breaking through. "Then I'll just have to make sure you still know how to…laugh."
He wanted to bring some joy back into Eryndor's life.
Eryndor tilted his head. "And how do you plan to do that?"
Luca looked thoughtful for a moment. "Start by reminding you that you still owe me a real meal. Not that nutrient paste Soren keeps pretending is food."
He knew that the way to Eryndor's heart was through his stomach.
A soft laugh escaped Eryndor before he could stop it. "I suppose I do."
He couldn't help but be drawn to Luca's energy.
The sound of his laughter echoed faint through the tower a sound fragile yet grounding, proof that something human still lived beneath the new calm. It felt…like he was finally finding his way back to himself.
Down below, the courtyard was being cleared. It felt…like they were cleaning up the remnants of a battle.
Broken glass, twisted metal were gathered into neat piles, though the earth beneath them still shimmered faint with silver traces of resonance. It felt…like the resonance was refusing to let go.
A team of scholars in dark robes moved methodical, scanning every corner, measuring invisible frequencies with small devices that clicked in uncertain rhythms. It felt…like they were trying to understand something that was beyond their comprehension.
From the observation deck above, Soren watched them with the weary patience of someone who hadn't slept in a week. He looked…tired.
When Eryndor, Luca descended, Soren turned toward them immediate.
"Good," he said without preamble. "You're awake."
He sounded…almost relieved.
"I was never really asleep," Eryndor replied, folding his arms.
He knew that the resonance was keeping him awake.
"That's precisely the problem," Soren said. "You've become the stabilizer, Eryndor. The Veil is reacting to you, adapting itself through your state of mind. If you collapse, it collapses."
He sounded…almost warning.
Luca shot him a glare. "You could try saying that without sounding like you're talking about a machine."
He wanted Soren to remember that Eryndor was a person, not just a tool.
Soren sighed. "I don't mean it unkindly. But we're still learning what's happened. The readings are…unusual."
He sounded…almost helpless.
Eryndor frowned. "Unusual how?"
Soren gestured toward the central courtyard fountain the one that had once overflowed with resonance light. Now, its water shimmered faint with silver ripples, each pulse in time with Eryndor's breathing. It felt…like he was connected to something larger than himself.
"It's synchronized," Soren said, quiet. "To you."
He looked…almost awed.
Eryndor stepped closer, the faint hum in his chest aligning with the rhythm of the water. "It feels peaceful. Balanced."
Soren shook his head. "For now. But resonance isn't static it evolves. The question is whether it's adapting to your stability, or consuming it."
He knew that the situation was still volatile.
Luca's hand brushed light against Eryndor's sleeve. "We're not letting that…happen."
He wanted to reassure Eryndor that he wasn't alone.
Soren looked at them both, then back to his tablet. "Let's hope you can keep that…promise."
He knew that their future was uncertain.
Later that afternoon, the sunlight dimmed as clouds gathered once more. It felt…like the world was about to change.
But this time, the rain didn't fall heavy. It came soft, whispering, as if the sky itself was remembering how to breathe. It felt…gentle.
Eryndor, Luca sat on the outer steps beneath the eaves, watching droplets slide down the marble rails. It felt…like they were seeking refuge from the storm.
"I used to hate the rain," Luca murmured. "It always reminded me of…endings."
"And now?"
Luca tilted his head slight. "Now it just feels like something…starting over."
He was trying to find the positive in the situation.
Eryndor smiled, faint. "You're learning to sound like…me."
"Terrifying thought," Luca teased.
He didn't want to become too serious.
Eryndor chuckled, then looked toward the horizon again. The world beyond the Academy seemed softer now, as though the edges between sky, land had blurred. It felt…like they were seeing the world in a new light.
"What are you thinking?" Luca asked, quiet.
"That maybe this peace is only temporary," Eryndor said. "And that's all right. Even temporary things…matter."
He knew that they had to appreciate the present moment, even if it wouldn't last