The Moon Rot

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Through the Veil

The shimmering wall of light stretched between the two ancient stone pillars like a curtain made of moonlight and starlight. It hummed with power, sending vibrations through the frozen ground. We stood at the edge of it, exhausted, bloodied, and barely standing.

The red path ended right at the barrier.

“This is it,” Max said, his voice rough. “The Veil.”

Zara stayed pressed against my side, supporting most of my weight. After draining myself on the lake, my legs felt like they were made of stone. The glowing patterns on my skin had dimmed to a faint pulse, but the emptiness inside me remained.

I reached out slowly. The moment my fingers touched the light, it reacted. The barrier rippled like water, and a surge of energy shot through my body. The ancient orb in my pocket burned hot again.

**“Only the true Anomaly may pass,”** the voice whispered directly into my mind. **“But the pack must pay the toll.”**

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. I gasped and dropped to one knee.

“Arian!” Zara cried out.

The light of the Veil suddenly split into three glowing threads — one gold, one silver, and one burning orange-red. The golden thread wrapped around Zara. The silver one around Max. The orange-red one coiled around me like a chain.

Max tried to move forward but hit an invisible wall. “It’s separating us!”

Zara reached for me desperately. “No! We go together or not at all!”

The ancient voice spoke again, louder this time:

**“The Veil accepts only one true sacrifice. One of you must remain behind so the Anomaly may pass. Choose, or the barrier will choose for you.”**

Silence fell.

I looked at Zara and Max — the only family I had left in this broken world. Zara’s golden eyes were filled with tears and fierce love. Max’s silver-gray eyes burned with stubborn loyalty.

“I won’t choose,” I said through gritted teeth. “We all go through or none of us do.”

The barrier flared brighter. The threads tightened around us. Pain shot through my body as the orange-red light tried to pull me forward alone.

Zara suddenly stepped closer to the Veil. “Take me instead,” she said firmly. “Let Arian and Max through.”

“No!” I roared, fighting against the pull. “Zara, don’t!”

Max grabbed her arm. “You’re not sacrificing yourself.”

The light grew blinding. The ground beneath us began to shake. Cracks appeared in the ice behind us as more twisted creatures started rising from the frozen lake.

We were running out of time.

I forced myself to stand fully and placed both hands on the Veil. The ancient power inside me surged one last time. I pushed everything I had into the barrier — every ounce of strength, every memory of pain, every moment I’d spent with them.

“I am the Anomaly!” I shouted. “And they are my pack! We pass together or the old blood can rot!”

For a terrifying second, nothing happened.

Then the Veil screamed.

The three threads of light merged violently into one brilliant white flame. The barrier tore open like a curtain being ripped apart, revealing a lush green valley on the other side — untouched by snow or darkness. Trees heavy with fruit. Distant lights of buildings. The air smelled clean and alive.

The force of the opening threw all three of us forward.

We tumbled through the Veil together.

The moment we crossed, the barrier sealed shut behind us with a thunderous boom. The twisted creatures that had been chasing us slammed against it and burned away into ash.

I lay on soft grass, staring up at a normal, beautiful night sky. The glowing patterns on my skin had gone completely dark for the first time in days.

Zara crawled over and collapsed on my chest, sobbing with relief. Max lay nearby, laughing breathlessly through his pain.

“We made it,” Zara whispered. “All of us.”

I held her tight, but deep down I felt the cost.

The ancient voice was silent now.

But I knew it wasn’t gone.

It had accepted our refusal to choose… for now.

And I could already feel that the real sacrifice was still waiting somewhere in this beautiful, hidden valley.

A figure approached us from the trees — an older woman with kind eyes and silver-streaked hair.

“Welcome, Anomaly,” she said gently. “We’ve been waiting for you. But I must warn you… not everyone here will be happy you brought your full power with you.”

I closed my eyes, exhausted.

We had reached the safe haven.

But something told me the real war was only just beginning.

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To be continued…