The mist around them thickened until the platform seemed suspended in a sea of pale silver fog. Aria’s chest heaved, the embers inside her roaring in response to the Gate’s test. The golden flames shimmered faintly, dancing across her skin like living tendrils, reaching outward into the mist.
Kael stood at her side, eyes sharp, hand resting on the hilt of his blade, though he knew it might not help. Thane and Ryn stayed close behind, while the Keeper remained calm, watching, guiding, yet giving her space.
The Gate loomed ahead, black stone etched with glowing, curling runes that pulsed in time with the fire in her chest. It was no longer a mere archway, it was alive. The air around it throbbed with a steady, invisible pulse, as though the Veil itself were breathing.
Aria took a tentativ
