Chapter 34: The Whispering Veil
The sun dipped below the blood-orange horizon, casting elongated shadows over the twisting forest path. The scent of damp earth lingered in the air, thick with a mysterious sweetness. The leaves rustled gently as if whispering secrets from another time. In this tranquil yet uneasy calm, Elias walked in silence, flanked by Arin and Kael. The mark on his palm—glowing faintly with a pale silver light—itched beneath his glove.
Elias's thoughts drifted to the moment he'd been transported to this era. The sensation of falling through the air, the roaring wind, the heart-pounding fear—it was all etched into his memory like a nightmare.
"What is the true reason we were brought here?" he wondered, his mind swirling with unanswered questions. "This kingdom, these people… they all seem trapped in a loop. A cycle begging to be broken."
A strange chirping echoed through the woods. Aisya, their newest companion with sharp eyes and quicker intuition, turned her head toward the sound.
"There's something nearby," she said quietly.
Kael immediately reached for the blade strapped to his back. "Is it a monster?"
"No… It's familiar," Elias said, stepping forward.
From behind a thick tangle of vines, a soft glow emerged. A small creature—a white monkey with large, curious eyes and four gently swaying tails—stepped out. It was 3ya.
"Hey there, little guy," Elias whispered, kneeling. The monkey blinked and floated toward him, landing softly on his shoulder.
"He never goes too far from you," Arin noted. "Almost like he's guarding you."
Elias smiled. "Or maybe he knows more than we think."
The group continued forward until they came to a clearing—an ancient ruin half-buried by moss and time. Stone pillars stretched into the sky like frozen screams, covered in glowing etchings none of them could read.
A strange hum vibrated through the air.
"It's singing," Aisya said, her eyes wide.
"No," Kael corrected. "It's calling."
Flashback: In Elias's world—the year 1980—he once visited a forgotten library in the corner of a crumbling university. A book bound in red leather caught his eye. "Echoes of the Forbidden Era," it read. The pages had symbols he couldn't decipher then… but now he could understand them like his native tongue.
"This place… it's mentioned in that book. The Whispering Veil," Elias murmured.
"Wait," Arin said, narrowing his eyes. "You read about this place before you even came here?"
Elias nodded. "Not just this place. I think this whole journey was written. Not in ink, but in fate."
They ventured deeper into the ruins. The walls seemed to pulse with life, the etchings glowing brighter the further they walked.
"I feel… something here," Kael whispered, his voice trembling.
A long hallway led them to a circular chamber. In the center stood a stone pedestal with four notches—one for each of their marks. Without hesitation, they raised their hands.
As their marks touched the stone, the room erupted in light. Visions surged through their minds.
—Flames devouring a peaceful city. —A crowned figure watching from a tower as people screamed. —A shadow emerging from the future, cloaked in ash and time.
Elias collapsed to his knees.
"What… was that?" Arin gasped.
A deep voice echoed in their minds. "You have seen what was, and what could be. The future lies shattered unless you walk the path with courage. The one from beyond time must decide: to preserve magic or end it."
Their marks burned hot. The chamber fell silent again.
Back outside, under the moon's silvery eye, they sat in heavy silence. The breeze carried the scent of burning wood. A distant village was under attack.
"We can't rest," Elias said, determination hardening in his voice. "We're running out of time."
Arin glanced at him. "Are you scared?"
Elias met his gaze. "Terrified. But I'd rather be scared and fight than run and watch everything fall."
Aisya nodded. "Then let's find out who this shadow from the future is—and stop him."
Kael stood, his eyes reflecting the firelight from the distant attack. "Let's move."
As they ran into the darkness, 3ya leapt from Elias's shoulder and soared into the air, a faint shimmer trailing behind him like a falling star.
In the woods, a lone figure watched them—eyes glowing crimson, a mark of his own flickering on his wrist.
"The era has begun to crack," he whispered. "Soon, the choice will be mine."
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