Chapter 12: Shadows in the Veil
The forest seemed to hold its breath as Noah, Lyra, and Riven made their way deeper into the Netherveil. The First Shard's glow cast eerie light on twisted branches and moss-covered stones, turning every shadow into a lurking threat.
Noah clutched the Veil Coin tightly, feeling its cold pulse against his palm—a steady heartbeat in the unnatural quiet. His mind raced with questions, but the one constant was the weight of the echo's warning from the swamp: "Next time, Veilwalker, you'll wish I'd killed you."
"Stay close," Lyra murmured, eyes scanning the darkness. "The Netherveil doesn't like trespassers."
Riven, moving with effortless grace, paused and glanced back. "We're close to the breach site. The air's thickening."
Noah noticed the temperature drop sharply, his breath turning to mist. A low hum vibrated in the air, the same sound that had haunted him in the antique shop.
Suddenly, from the shadows, shapes flickered—twisting, shifting forms that weren't quite human. Eyes glowed faintly, watching, waiting.
"Wraiths," Lyra said, voice tense. "They feed on fear."
Noah's heart hammered. "Great. Just when I thought today couldn't get any better."
Riven pulled a small vial from her belt, uncorking it to release a swirl of silver smoke. "This'll keep them at bay, but only for a while."
The wraiths emerged fully—elongated limbs, faces warped in silent screams, bodies flickering like dying flames. They closed in, whispering unintelligible curses.
Noah felt the coin heat up, a surge of power awakening inside him. His hands glowed silver, threads of light weaving around him like armor.
Lyra slashed through the nearest wraith with her rune blade, blue flames licking the shadowy form as it dissolved. Riven darted forward, dagger flashing, slicing through the dark creatures with practiced ease.
But the wraiths kept coming, a relentless tide of darkness.
Noah's silver threads lashed out, binding one wraith and sending it crashing into the others. "I don't know what this is," he panted, "but I'm starting to like it."
Lyra nodded sharply. "That's the coin's power—woven from the Veil itself. Use it, but don't let it use you."
The battle raged, but the trio fought as one, pushing through until the last wraith vanished into a burst of silver light.
Breathing heavily, Riven wiped sweat from her brow. "That was just a taste. The breach is worse."
They moved forward until the trees gave way to a shattered landscape: a scar in the fabric of the Netherveil where the world fractured, leaking raw magic.
From the crack spilled shadows and flashes of unknown realms, twisted and chaotic.
"Noah," Lyra said softly, "this is why you were brought here. To fix it."
Noah looked at the breach, then at the glowing shard in his pack. The weight of his destiny settled around him like armor.
"We close this," he said, voice steady, "or we lose everything."
Riven smiled, sharp and fierce. "Let's get to work."
Author Note: sorry for uploading chapter 13 as chapter 12 it's was mistake I fix it now