The woman's smile lingered softly as the six stood before her, still adjusting to the reality of the hidden world they had stepped into. The quiet warmth of her presence calmed the tension in the room, even though none of them fully understood why.
She folded her hands on the wooden desk.
"I suppose introductions are overdue," she said gently. "My name is Marienne."
A simple name. Plain, almost forgettable.
But somehow—it felt right.
The kind of name someone earned before the world layered titles and legends onto them.
Razan blinked. "Marienne… that's it? No 'Slayer of Ten Realms' or 'Bone-Crusher' or something?"
Lynx elbowed him. "Shut up."
Marienne laughed softly—like she was used to warriors three times bigger than Razan acting exactly like him.
"No titles needed," she said kindly. "Not yet, at least. I'm just Marienne."
She stood from her chair, hands clasped behind her back as she began walking around the room. Her steps were steady, unfaltering, graceful in a way only a disciplined fighter could ever master.
"You asked who we are… and why I brought you here."Her gaze slid over shelves filled with ancient scrolls and relics."This place, this organization… we are known as The Order of the Veiled Sanctum."
Kaien raised an eyebrow. "Sounds dramatic."
"It is dramatic," Lynx whispered.
Marienne smiled. "The name is old. Older than most nations standing today. But our purpose hasn't changed in centuries."
She stopped beside a large mural carved into the stone wall. A painting—faded yet powerful—depicted warriors battling enormous shadow beasts, cities burning in the distance, and a figure in silver standing at the center of it all.
Arin felt his stomach twist when he noticed that figure.
The Silver Wraith.
"The Veiled Sanctum," she continued, "exists for one reason: to prepare those who have been wronged… to become strong enough to face their enemies and their fate."
Draiven tilted his head. "So… like a revenge school?"
"More like a forge," she corrected. "We take broken iron and turn it into unbreakable steel."
The six exchanged looks.
"Those who join us," Marienne continued, "train harder than any normal soldier. They learn to fight monsters, disasters, and the darker sins of the human heart. They rise above the weakness that once destroyed them."
Razan nodded slowly. "And after that? What happens when they get their revenge?"
Marienne's eyes softened.
"Then they choose."She raised two fingers."Walk with us… or walk their own path."
Eira observed her carefully. "So you don't force anyone?"
"No," Marienne said simply. "But all who join must swear one vow. A vow that cannot be broken."
Her tone shifted then—faintly darker.
"We give you power. We teach you strength. But that power must never be used to harm an innocent. Ever."
Lynx let out a whistle. "Reasonable."
Kaien asked, "And those who break that vow?"
For the first time… Marienne's eyes hardened.
"They become something else entirely. Ruthless killers. Monsters wearing human skin."Her voice held a weight that came from experience—painful experience."We hunt them. Relentlessly. They are no longer one of us."
A quiet settled between the six.
Shadows of fallen warriors seemed to echo through the room.
After a breath, Draiven spoke, "We… have questions. About the Wraith."
Marienne nodded. "Of course you do."
All six stepped forward at once.
Razan: "Why was he helping us?"
Kaien: "We were always told he was dangerous."
Lynx: "Yeah, like the guy who kills anyone who looks at him funny."
Eira: "But he saved us. More than once."
Draiven: "And he doesn't act like a villain."
Arin said nothing—but the unspoken question consumed him.
Marienne raised her hand and they quieted.
She inhaled slowly through her nose, then spoke with a gentle certainty.
"The Wraith… is a mystery even to us."
They blinked.
"What?" Kaien said. "But you work together."
"For decades," Marienne confirmed. "He has been the Sanctum's ally for longer than I have lived. Yet even now… none of us truly know what he wants. Or why he chooses to appear where he does."
She clasped her hands behind her back again, pacing slowly.
"But one thing," she said firmly, "is beyond question. The Wraith—no matter what rumors say—would never harm an innocent. He has saved more lives than history bothers to record."
The room fell still.
Arin felt a strange warmth twist in his chest—not trust, not affection… but something like understanding.
Lynx frowned. "Okay, but how is he so strong? Like, unfairly strong."
Marienne chuckled softly. "That, too, is a mystery. But… allow me to tell you what I do know."
She approached them, stopping close enough that they could see the lines of age around her eyes—faint, earned through decades of hardship.
"I was born into the Sanctum," she said quietly. "My parents were warriors here long before me. And from the moment I was old enough to stand—someone trained me."
Her lips curled into a soft smile of memory.
"The Wraith."
Silence.
All six stared at her.
"No," Kaien said immediately. "That's impossible."
Razan shook his head. "He's like… young"
Draiven frowned. "You're older than him by… a lot."
Lynx nodded rapidly. "Yeah, I'm not trying to insult you, ma'am, but you look older than him."
Marienne laughed. "No offense taken. And you are correct—I am older. Much older."
Arin stepped closer, voice steady.
"Then how could the Wraith train you since childhood?"
Her eyes softened with the weight of a truth few were ever ready to hear.
"Because… the Wraith is far older than he appears."
A shiver rippled through the room.
Eira whispered, "How much older?"
Marienne's smile grew faintly wistful.
"From the moment I can remember him… he has looked exactly the same. He has not changed. He has not aged. His strength does not waver."
The six froze.
Her voice lowered.
"Decades have passed. Yet he remains untouched by time."
Kaien croaked, "So you're telling me… he's basically immortal?"
"Not immortal," Marienne corrected."Just… beyond the reach of normal aging. His power is so vast, so incomprehensible, that his body refuses to wither."
Razan squeezed his eyes shut. "Bro what—"
Lynx muttered, "No wonder he's annoying. Imagine being ancient and still treating us like toddlers."
Draiven whispered, "How old… do you think he actually is?"
Marienne lifted her shoulders helplessly.
"I don't know. Nobody knows. The records of the early Sanctum mention him. The founding scrolls speak of him guiding the first warriors. Even the founder—our greatest ancestor—was said to have learned from him as a friend, a mentor."
Arin swallowed, heart beating faster.
"Then…"He paused, gathering the courage."Do you know what he wants with me? Why I'm important?"
Marienne studied him carefully.
Her eyes softened—not with pity, but with sincerity.
"I don't know what he sees in you, Arin. Nor why he chose you."She stepped closer, her voice comforting."But I do know this: whatever his plans are… you are in the best hands possible."
Something warm and frightening settled in Arin's chest.
For a moment—just a moment—he wondered if trusting the Wraith was less dangerous than trusting himself.
Marienne stepped back and addressed all six again.
"Now… to the matter of why I brought you here."
Her tone steadied—leader-like, strong, carrying the weight of her station.
"I want you to join the Veiled Sanctum."
The six straightened.
"You came here wronged. Betrayed. Broken. Seeking justice… or vengeance."Her eyes lingered briefly on each of them."We can give you the strength to claim it. And when your debt is paid—whether through revenge or redemption—you may choose to stay… or leave."
Kaien crossed his arms. "And the price?"
"The vow."Her expression grew firm."You cannot harm an innocent. Not for revenge, not for anger, not for anything. Power earned here must serve purpose—not cruelty."
Lynx nodded. "Fair enough."
Razan squinted. "Be honest—will we actually get strong?"
Marienne's smile returned—wider this time.
"Stronger than you can imagine."
Eira lifted her chin. "Strong enough to defeat the ones who wronged us?"
"Strong enough to change your fate," Marienne promised.
Draiven whispered, "Strong enough to face what slipped through the Veil?"
"More than enough."
All six looked to Arin.
Arin closed his eyes.
He remembered the burning ruins.The monstrous shadows.The collapsing worlds.The Wraith's warning:You cannot fight what is coming alone.
When he opened his eyes—
They were steady.
Resolved.
"We accept."
Marienne's expression softened with pride.
"Then kneel."
They did.
All six lowered themselves before her.
She placed a hand over her heart.
"Repeat after me."
Her voice echoed like a sacred chord.
"I swear to wield my strength with honor."
The six repeated,"I swear to wield my strength with honor."
"I swear to protect the innocent."
"I swear to protect the innocent."
"I swear to never use my power for cruelty, greed, or vengeance against the undeserving."
They echoed the vow.
"And I swear… upon my life… to rise above the darkness that once tried to break me."
Their voices trembled—some with emotion, some with adrenaline.
When they finished—
Marienne extended her hand.
"Welcome," she said warmly."To the Veiled Sanctum."
A surge of pride filled the room.
A new beginning.
A new path.
A new destiny.
Marienne stepped back toward her desk.
"Rest tonight," she advised with a knowing smile. "Because starting tomorrow…"
Her eyes sharpened into those of a true warrior.
"…training begins."
Razan gulped. "Uh… what kind of training?"
Marienne smirked.
"The kind that makes grown warriors cry."
Lynx whispered, "We're dead."
Eira sighed.
Kaien grinned.
Draiven straightened.
Arin clenched his fists.
And—
Tomorrow, their real battle begins.