Location: Veylmar — The Shrouded Isles
Scene not witnessed by Caius, but reported later through rumor and dream-echo.
The sky broke at midnight.
Not with fire.
Not with thunder.
With silence.
One of the moons — Syel — shattered without a sound.
No warning.
No pressure wave.
No explanation.
Just… gone.
Witnesses from Veylmar claimed they saw veins of black flame where the moon used to be, curling like smoke into nothing.
Fishermen along the Dreaming Sea reported voices in the mist.
Ships drifted ashore with no crew. Only laughter etched into the hulls in bloodless script.
Message sent to the Academy from a Chainseeker outpost:
"We've lost contact with six Vein-loci across the eastern Dreamflow."
"Gravemurk is stirring.
The stars are falling out of order."
"Requesting analysis of the Nocturne Verse."
Back at the Academy — Midnight
Caius dreams of water that isn't wet.
Of a girl's voice whispering his name in reverse.
"Suia—…"
He wakes with blood on his tongue.
Lunamiria is sitting upright. Staring out the tower window.
"A moon just died," she says softly.
"How do you know?"
She doesn't answer.
Just hugs her knees.
"The dream said it screamed too loudly…
so the world unmade it."
The Academy responds:
Classes canceled for one day.
Temple bells ring six times — a ritual normally reserved for gods dying.
The Vein of Aethra (Starlight) goes dim for twelve hours.
A celestial map inside the Great Hall burns to ash — only the Chain Vein symbol remains.
Meanwhile… the Codex awakens.
A new entry writes itself in Caius's mind:
"Vein Convergence Threshold Breached."
"Null Celestial Detected."
"Codex Integrity: Fracturing."
And just before it fades:
"The Chains are moving again."