The air in the Veil's territory grew colder, shadows lengthening like claws stretching toward Kaien's very soul. Every step forward felt like walking on cracked glass, fragile but dangerous.
Iria's fiery aura flickered, uneven, betraying her unease. Solryn's frost-coated hands trembled slightly, the elemental harmony within him strained.
Kaien's grip tightened on his sword hilt, the Abyss thrumming in response to the unease surrounding them.
"We're not just fighting soldiers," Kaien said quietly, voice rough. "We're fighting a corruption that seeps into everything."
Iria looked up, eyes sharp. "The Commandment of Love's corruption… it's not just a power. It's a poison that infects minds."
Solryn nodded. "Alteron is its host, but the real monster is the commandment itself—the source behind the Veil's darkness."
Kaien's mind flashed to Elias's last words, the weight of truth pressing down. He knew their enemy was more than just a man; it was an idea twisted beyond recognition.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them cracked open.
From the fissure rose spectral figures—ghosts of the Veil's past victims, their eyes empty but burning with silent screams.
"Stand firm!" Kaien commanded, stepping forward, sword glowing with abyssal energy.
The ghosts surged like a tide, but with every strike, Kaien's blade cut through the lies they embodied—each a fragment of truth revealed and freed.
As the last spirit dissipated, a whisper echoed in Kaien's mind:
"The shadows lengthen. The heart is broken. Your truth will be shattered."
Kaien faltered, the weight of the prophecy heavy.
Iria touched his shoulder. "We fight because there's still hope. Don't let the darkness claim you."
Kaien nodded, determination hardening.
The battle was just beginning.