The campfire had long since burned down to embers, but Kaito couldn't bring himself to sleep. The hooded figure's words repeated in his mind like a curse: "The boy is the key to the Shattered Veil."
Noah lay wrapped in a blanket, his chest rising and falling steadily, but the glowing mark on his arm refused to dim. Every pulse of light felt like the ticking of a clock—counting down to something inevitable.
Ava returned from patrol, silent as always. Her crimson eyes scanned Noah before she spoke. "The woods are too quiet. Even the beasts are avoiding this place. They can sense it."
Kaito nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "We need answers, Ava. Not just rumors or legends. If the Veil is real… if Noah's connected to it… then we're walking blind into a storm."
Ava crouched beside the embers, her gaze sharp. "Then we find the truth. There's a monastery north of here—the Monastery of Liora. It's said their archives hold texts from before the first Guardians. If the Veil was ever real, the monks would know."
Kaito considered her words. It wasn't much, but it was something. "Then that's our path."
The decision felt heavy, but before they could rest, Noah suddenly stirred. His lips moved, whispering words that didn't belong to him.
"Beneath the moon… the chains are breaking…"
Kaito leaned closer. "Noah? What do you mean?"
But Noah's eyes snapped open—not violet this time, but pitch black. For a moment, his voice layered with dozens of others spoke in unison:
"He sees you. He marks the stubborn flame."
The fire pit erupted in a burst of sparks, forcing Kaito and Ava to shield their eyes. When the light faded, Noah was unconscious again, his mark dimming back to a faint glow.
Silence hung between them.
"…That wasn't Noah," Ava whispered.
"No," Kaito agreed, his fists clenched. "That was something—or someone—using him."
By dawn, they were already moving. The path north cut through jagged valleys and misty rivers, the kind of terrain that wore down both body and spirit. Yet the weight in their chests kept them from slowing. Every step felt like they were running out of time.
As they trekked, Ava finally broke the silence. "That figure last night… he mentioned the 'Forgotten One.' Do you think that's who's trying to reach Noah?"
Kaito shook his head. "I don't know. But if Noah really is the key, then we're not the only ones looking for him. We've become targets."
Ava smirked faintly. "Good. Let them try."
Her bravado was sharp, but Kaito caught the flicker of doubt in her eyes. Even she couldn't mask the unease that came with enemies they couldn't see or understand.
By late evening, they reached a clearing where the moonlight pooled like silver water. Exhausted, they set camp again. But the night held no peace.
The wind shifted suddenly, carrying with it the sound of… whispers. Dozens, maybe hundreds, echoing from every direction.
Kaito's hand shot to his sword. "Do you hear that?"
Ava already had her blade drawn. "We're not alone."
From the treeline emerged shadows—figures that weren't flesh but mist, their forms constantly twisting. Their eyes glowed the same violet as Noah's had the night before.
"Guardians…" the voices hissed together. "Guardians who failed."
One shadow lunged. Kaito met it with steel, but his blade cut through air. Still, the shadow shrieked, recoiling as if wounded. Ava slashed two more, moving with precise strikes.
The whispers grew louder, forming a chant: "The Veil shatters… the Forgotten rises…"
Noah suddenly gasped awake, his arm burning with light. He stumbled forward, clutching his head. "They're not enemies," he choked. "They're echoes. Fragments of what the Veil has consumed!"
The shadows froze, turning their glowing eyes on him. For a moment, they bowed, their misty forms trembling. Then, one stepped forward and spoke in a voice that rattled the earth:
"Key-bearer… free us… or join us."
Kaito stepped between Noah and the shadow, blade raised. "You're not touching him!"
But before the shadow could respond, Noah's mark flared violently, sending out a wave of energy that disintegrated every shadow in the clearing. The whispers stopped. The forest was silent once more.
Noah collapsed, breathing heavily. When Kaito rushed to him, Noah's eyes met his—clear, frightened, but undeniably his own.
"I didn't mean to…" Noah whispered. "They were begging… but something inside me… it wanted them gone."
Kaito held his shoulder firmly. "Don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault."
But Ava's gaze was locked on the fading mist where the shadows had been. Her voice was grim. "They weren't lying. They were prisoners of the Veil. And if Noah has the power to destroy them, then he's not just the key to opening the Veil… he might be the only one who can break it."
Kaito's heart sank at her words. For the first time, he realized the truth they'd been avoiding: Noah's power wasn't just dangerous.
It was necessary.
END OF CHARPTER 39