The shimmering vortex of the Veil Gate pulsed behind Rudraen, humming like a storm caged in eternity. Its swirling light painted the broken ground in shades of white and violet, bending reality at its edges. Every glance toward it made Vaishnavi's skin crawl; it didn't feel like a gate—it felt like an eye, staring back from another world.
Rudraen turned his head slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over Ariv and his friends. "We leave soon," he said flatly.
But Vaishnavi, still clutching her trembling hands, stepped forward. "Wait… what about us? Why do we have to go?" Her voice cracked on the last word.
Rudraen's cold eyes met hers, and for a moment, it felt like the weight of an entire world rested in his stare. "You think this is just about Ariv?" His tone was sharp, each syllable cutting like steel. "The moment you awakened your energy… your lives stopped being ordinary."
Rohit looked confused, anger flashing in his eyes. "Energy? What energy? I don't even have—"
"You will," Rudraen interrupted without looking at him. His voice was steady, but the edge of certainty in his tone sent chills down Rohit's spine.
Neel didn't say a word. His gaze stayed fixed on Rudraen, calm yet coiled tight like a predator ready to strike. Something about his silence was louder than any question.
Ariv stepped forward, fists clenched at his sides. "You still haven't answered the question," he said firmly, his voice carrying a low growl. "Why… them? Why my friends?"
For the first time, Rudraen's expression shifted—not with anger, but with something darker. A faint shadow passed over his face. When he spoke, his words were deliberate, as though each carried the weight of a secret older than time.
"Because, Ariv…" He let the name hang in the air before continuing, his voice dropping into a tone that silenced even the wind.
"…your friends are not just random mortals. Their parents… are connected to Aethrion."
The world seemed to freeze around them. Vaishnavi's breath caught in her throat, Rohit's hands went cold, and even Neel—stoic, unreadable Neel—narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What… did you just say?" Vaishnavi whispered, her voice barely audible.
Rudraen's gaze swept across each of them, one by one, before finally returning to Ariv. His eyes were hard as iron, but beneath them burned something far more dangerous—truth.
"Your bloodlines tie you to the Queen's domain. That's why you were targeted. That's why the Kalaraks came. And that's why… none of you can escape this fate."
The silence that followed was suffocating, heavy with fear and questions no one dared ask.
Rudraen turned toward the Veil Gate again, his long coat swaying with the pull of its energy.
"Rest tonight. At dawn, we leave for Aethrion."
With that, he and his squad vanished into a ripple of shimmering light, leaving only the hum of the gate behind.
Ariv stared at the fading glow, his heart pounding like a war drum. His friends' voices blurred around him, their questions melting into white noise. Only one thought burned in his mind—
Connected to Aethrion? Our parents… what does that mean?
The chapter closed with that single, lingering question echoing in all their minds. And somewhere far beyond the mortal sky, the Queen of Veils smiled.