The swirling mist enveloped them as soon as they stepped through the passage, thick and tangible, curling around their limbs like living smoke. The golden glow of Aria’s embers cast fractured light across the twisting corridors of crystalline formations, revealing glimpses of the world beyond the rift. Shapes moved in the periphery, sometimes glimpsed, sometimes only sensed but each step forward carried a weight of anticipation heavier than any they had known.
Kael stayed close, his eyes scanning every shadow with practiced vigilance. “Stay sharp,” he whispered, his tone low but urgent. “The Veil has layers, and not all of them are forgiving.”
Aria’s chest burned as her embers extended outward, probing the edges of the mist, seeking paths through the chaos. The threads of golden flame wr
