The tunnels beneath Vaelith's Hollow weren't silent; they hummed with a rhythm that seemed almost alive. Eryndor could feel the pulse of the Veil beneath his feet, a low vibration that resonated deep in his chest. Each step forward sent shivers up his spine, the walls seemingly watching, the carvings flickering with ghostly light.
Kaelis moved ahead with preternatural grace, her shadows twisting around her like protective serpents. Even with her guidance, Eryndor had the unnerving sense that they were walking into a trap. And in truth, they were.
A low rumble echoed through the tunnels, far louder than before. The blue veins of energy in the stone flickered and split. Shadows danced unnaturally along the walls, forming shapes that made Eryndor's stomach churn. And then, from the darkness ahead, they appeared.
Not the small echoes from before. These were titans—massive, towering forms with jagged edges of darkness and flickers of red light where their eyes should be. Their bodies shimmered with energy drawn straight from the Veil, and every movement seemed to bend reality itself.
Eryndor stumbled back instinctively. "What… what are they?"
Kaelis didn't flinch. Her voice was calm, but cold. "The Veil calls them Veylith Titans. They're born from the strongest fears and memories—the fragments that shouldn't exist in our world. And right now… they're coming for us."
Before Eryndor could respond, the closest Titan surged forward, each step sending shockwaves through the stone. The walls of the tunnel shook violently, dust raining down like snow. Its eyes, molten and burning, fixed on him with horrifying recognition. Eryndor felt it in his mind—a whisper, intimate and invasive, a memory that wasn't his but demanded acknowledgement.
He tightened his grip on his dagger. "I—I can feel them… They know me."
Kaelis's eyes narrowed. "Good. That's exactly why they're here. And it's also exactly why you need to fight, not just run. Do you remember how you bent the Veil before? You need to do it again. Stronger."
Eryndor swallowed, focusing. He let his mind sink into the vibrations of the Veil beneath him, pushing past fear, past the chaos. Slowly, almost reluctantly, a pulse of energy erupted from his hands, illuminating the tunnels with a brilliant white-blue glow.
The Titan halted mid-step, its head cocking slightly, like it was studying him. Then it advanced again.
Kaelis moved beside him, shadows lashing outward. The shadows twisted around the Titan, striking like chains made of liquid night. Sparks of Veil energy crackled where they collided, illuminating the titanic horror in bursts of eerie light.
Eryndor clenched his teeth. I can do this. I have to. He extended both hands, drawing energy from the Veil itself. The pulse formed a sphere of light around him, like a barrier of pure energy. The Titan slammed into it, shattering the sphere into fragments, but not without recoil. A chunk of the Titan's shadowed form evaporated in the collision.
Kaelis gritted her teeth. "Yes! That's it! Keep going, don't stop! Bend it to your will!"
Eryndor felt a surge of power, like the memory of a life he had never lived rushing back into him. Faces, names, voices—fragments of who he was and who he had been—fused into a coherent, terrifying force. He extended it outward, and the tunnel was filled with blinding light. The Titans recoiled, screeching in soundless agony, their massive forms flickering like broken illusions.
Then came the realization: the Titans weren't just hunting him—they were trying to consume him. The energy they sought wasn't destruction, but assimilation. Each Titan that touched the Veil-hardened energy within Eryndor risked dissolving, while their own fragments threatened to pierce his mind.
Kaelis's voice cut through the chaos. "You can't hold them off forever! We need to escape—deeper into the tunnels!"
Eryndor hesitated. Running now would abandon the surge of power he had just discovered. But Kaelis was right. He grabbed her arm, pulling her along as they sprinted through the twisting tunnels. Behind them, the Titans screamed in an alien resonance, shaking the walls, sending pieces of stone raining down.
They reached a cavern, massive and open, unlike the narrow tunnels. Crystals of blue-white Veil energy jutted from the floor and ceiling, radiating a hum that vibrated through their bones. Kaelis skidded to a stop, pressing her palms to one of the largest crystals. Shadows flowed into the stone, and the cavern walls shimmered with protective runes.
"This is the Sanctum of the Veil," Kaelis said, panting. "It's a safe zone, but only temporarily. Here we can strategize… and maybe, finally, figure out what the hell is really happening."
Eryndor sank to one knee, exhausted and exhilarated. His hands still glowed faintly with residual Veil energy. "I… I can feel it. The Titans… the Veil… it's all part of me. I'm… tied to it somehow."
Kaelis turned, her expression serious. "Yes. And that's why Morrath Vein is after you."
The name froze Eryndor in place. "Morrath Vein?"
Kaelis's eyes darkened. "The one orchestrating the collapse of the Veil. No one has seen him fully, not even the oldest scholars. They say he was once human, but now… he's something else entirely. He's testing you, drawing the Titans out, seeing how far your connection with the Veil goes. And if he succeeds…"
She didn't finish. But Eryndor understood. If Morrath succeeded, the city, the world, and perhaps even reality itself could unravel.
Eryndor's pulse quickened. "Then we stop him. No matter what it takes."
Kaelis nodded, shadows curling and coiling in anticipation. "We start by surviving tonight. And then… we strike back. But first, you need to learn control. Not just of the Veil, but of yourself. Because the moment you falter, the Titans—and Morrath—will be waiting."
Outside, the echoes of thunder and the distant screeching of Titans reminded them that the battle was far from over. Deep in the cavern, the crystals pulsed in silent rhythm with Eryndor's heartbeat, as if acknowledging the awakening of something ancient… and dangerous.
And somewhere beyond the Veil, Morrath Vein watched, unseen, calculating, and smiling.