The Frozen Veil swallowed them, its mist curling like the breath of forgotten gods. Li Xuanji ran, Memory's Fang pulsing in his hand, its warmth a stark contrast to the frost that clung to his skin. The orb in Mira's arms glowed, its light flickering like a dying star, casting shadows across the stone path. Kael led the way, his blindfolded face unerring as he navigated the Veil's twisting passages. Behind them, Torren's final scream still echoed in Xuanji's mind—a sacrifice that burned like a wound.
The air grew heavier, thick with the scent of ancient stone and faded sorrow. The statues of forgotten gods loomed larger here, their eroded forms towering, their glowing eyes tracking the trio's flight. The Enforcers' golden light had faded, but their chants lingered faintly, a distant hum: "The Loom weaves all. Errors are unwoven."
"How much farther?" Xuanji asked, his voice rough, his legs burning from the sprint. The visions from the camp—himself defying the Loom, protecting a threadless child—swirled in his mind, each fragment sharpening the mystery of his past.
"To the Veil's heart," Kael said, his voice steady despite the chaos. "A place even the Loom struggles to see. But we must hurry—the orb is weakening."
Mira clutched the orb tighter, its pulses erratic. Her shattered-glass eyes flicked to Xuanji, guilt shadowing her face. "If it breaks, we lose everything," she said. "The Threadless' memories, their defiance—it's all in here."
Xuanji's jaw tightened. Torren's sacrifice, the camp's fall—it was all for this orb. And yet, Mira's touch in the battle had stolen another memory from him, a fleeting lullaby under starlight. "Then stop touching me," he snapped, the words harsher than he meant. "Every time you do, I lose more of myself."
Mira flinched, her orbs dimming. "I don't choose what I take," she said, her voice low, almost breaking. "It's a curse, not a choice." She looked away, but not before he saw the flicker of something softer—regret, perhaps, or a longing she wouldn't name.
Kael paused, his fingers tracing the air. "Enough," he said, his blindfold glowing faintly. "The Veil's heart is close. But the threads are stirring. Something watches."
The passage widened into a vast chamber, its walls encrusted with crystals that pulsed like living threads. At its center stood a pool of liquid light, its surface rippling with echoes of forgotten emotions—grief as red sparks, hope as golden wisps. The Veil's heart. The orb in Mira's hands flared, resonating with the pool, as if drawn to it.
"This is it," Kael said, stepping toward the pool. "The orb must be anchored here to survive. But first, you must learn, Xuanji."
"Learn what?" Xuanji asked, his grip tightening on Memory's Fang. The blade hummed, eager, as if it sensed the chamber's power.
"Remnant Weaving," Kael said. "Your sword drinks memories, but you can wield them. Focus on the memories you've taken—the Enforcers' threads, the visions of your past. Let them flow through you."
Xuanji hesitated, the weight of the stolen memories pressing against his mind. The golden hall, the child, his own voice defying the Loom—they were fragments, but they burned. He closed his eyes, letting Memory's Fang guide him. The blade warmed, and a faint glow spread through his arm, like threads weaving inside him. Strength surged, sharp and fleeting, as if he'd borrowed the Enforcer's power.
"It's… working," he said, opening his eyes. His hand glowed faintly, a mix of red and gold threads swirling around it. "What is this?"
"The beginning," Kael said. "Remnant Weaving uses memories for power. The more you take, the stronger you become—but the heavier the burden."
Mira's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. "And the more you lose yourself. Be careful, Threadless. Memories aren't just power—they're pain."
Before Xuanji could respond, the chamber trembled. The pool's light flickered, and a low growl echoed from the shadows. The mist parted, revealing a beast woven of threads—red, blue, gold, but frayed and chaotic, its form shifting like a nightmare. Its eyes were voids, leaking memories that swirled into the air: A mother's cry, a warrior's last stand, a lover's forgotten name.
"A memory beast," Kael said, his voice tense. "Born from the Veil's echoes. It's drawn to the orb."
Mira stepped back, clutching the orb tighter. "We can't fight that and protect this at the same time."
Xuanji raised Memory's Fang, its glow matching the beast's threads. "Then we fight," he said, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at his chest. The beast lunged, its claws tearing through the air. Xuanji dodged, the sword slicing into its side. A scream erupted—a child's voice, desperate—and a memory flooded him: A girl with no thread, running from golden light, her hand in his.
He stumbled, the vision overwhelming. The beast roared, its threads lashing like whips. Mira threw an orb, its light bursting into a barrier that slowed the beast, but her touch grazed Xuanji's arm again. Another memory slipped—a starlit sky, a promise to protect. "Stop it!" he shouted, his voice raw.
"I'm trying!" Mira snapped, tears in her eyes. "I can't control it!"
Kael's blindfold glowed brighter. "Anchor the orb, Mira. Now. Xuanji, hold the beast."
Xuanji nodded, channeling the stolen memories through Memory's Fang. The blade flared, and he struck, cutting through the beast's threads. Each slice brought a new memory—pain, loss, defiance—until the beast faltered, its form fraying. But the orb in Mira's hands pulsed wildly, cracks spreading across its surface.
Mira reached the pool, her hands trembling as she lowered the orb into the liquid light. The chamber shook, the statues' eyes flaring. "It's done," she said, her voice shaking. "But it's not stable."
The beast's threads dissolved, its final scream echoing: "You cannot save her." Xuanji froze, the child's face from the vision burning in his mind. Before he could speak, the pool erupted, light spilling like a tide. The orb cracked further, and a new sound rose—a hum, like the Loom itself, growing louder.
Kael's voice cut through the chaos. "The Enforcers are coming. The orb's light has betrayed us."
End of chapter 5