Chapter 13: A Step Into the Unknown
Aedan's breath came in ragged gasps, his body trembling with exhaustion. The creatures had fled, but the weight of what had just happened still pressed heavily on him. His side burned where the wound had torn through flesh, but the pain was distant—overshadowed by the fire coursing through his veins.
The shard was gone.
No, not gone.
It was inside him now.
He clenched his fist, staring at his shaking hands. Strength surged beneath his skin, foreign yet natural, as if it had always been there, simply waiting to be awakened.
A step had been taken.
And there was no going back.
A soft groan pulled him from his thoughts.
Kael.
Aedan turned quickly, his heart pounding anew. His friend was still unconscious, his face pale, his breath slow but steady. The corruption had retreated from his veins, but the toll it had taken on his body was evident. He wouldn't last much longer without help.
"We need to move," Aedan muttered to himself, forcing his weary body to action.
He sheathed his dagger, then crouched beside Kael, lifting him onto his back once more. Every muscle in his body protested, but he ignored the pain. There was no other choice.
He took a step forward—
And then he heard it.
A rustling sound.
Different from before.
Slow. Purposeful.
Not a creature.
Someone.
Aedan froze, his grip tightening around Kael. His eyes scanned the darkened trees, his senses—now heightened—straining against the unnatural silence.
Then, a voice. Smooth, deep, and laced with amusement.
"You've made quite the mess."
Aedan turned sharply.
A figure emerged from the trees.
Tall and lean, draped in a dark cloak that barely concealed the intricate silver armor beneath. His face was partially obscured by a hood, but Aedan could make out sharp features—high cheekbones, piercing silver eyes that glowed faintly in the dim light.
Aedan's heart skipped a beat.
He knew this man.
"Veyrin," he breathed.
The name felt foreign on his tongue after so long.
Veyrin's lips curled into a small, knowing smirk. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Aedan didn't lower his guard. "What are you doing here?"
Veyrin's silver eyes flickered to Kael's unconscious form, then to the darkened blood staining Aedan's side. "It looks like you're in no position to be asking questions."
Aedan grit his teeth. He didn't have time for this.
"Tell me why you're here," he demanded. "And how do you even know about this place?"
Veyrin let out a quiet chuckle. "You really don't remember, do you?"
Aedan stiffened.
And then—
The memories surged forward.
---
[One Year Ago]
The flickering glow of candlelight cast long shadows against the walls of the hidden chamber beneath the city of Aldros. Aedan stood with arms crossed, a mixture of unease and curiosity brewing in his chest.
Veyrin stood before him, resting against a stone altar covered in ancient runes. His silver eyes gleamed with a knowing light.
"You asked me once about the Hallows Path," Veyrin murmured. "Do you remember what I told you?"
Aedan frowned. "That it was a road walked by those who sought power beyond their means."
"That's the simple version."
Veyrin pushed off the altar and paced slowly.
"The Hallows Path isn't just a legend, Aedan. It's real. It's the journey every true wielder of an Essence must take." His gaze locked onto Aedan's. "And it's the only way to survive what's coming."
Aedan had felt the weight behind those words, but he hadn't fully understood. Not then.
"You knew this would happen," he had accused. "That the shards would start appearing. That people would—"
"Change?" Veyrin finished. "Yes."
He stopped walking, his expression unreadable. "And now you're standing at the threshold of it yourself."
Aedan's jaw tightened. He had never told Veyrin about the strange pull he had always felt toward the unknown, the way his body reacted differently to certain artifacts, as if they recognized him.
And yet, Veyrin had always known.
"The Hallows Path is not kind," Veyrin had warned him. "Once you set foot upon it, you will never be the same. Power comes at a cost, and the more you take, the greater the burden."
Aedan had scoffed then, brushing it off. "I don't plan on chasing power, Veyrin. I just want to survive."
But Veyrin had only smiled.
"Then you'll walk it, whether you choose to or not."
---
[Back in the Forest]
Aedan snapped back to the present, his heart hammering in his chest.
Veyrin was watching him, his expression unreadable.
"You remember now," he said simply.
Aedan swallowed hard. "Why are you here?"
Veyrin's gaze shifted, scanning the darkened forest. His posture remained relaxed, but there was an edge of tension to it.
"You're not the only one who has awakened, Aedan," he said. "The others have begun to appear."
Aedan frowned. "Others?"
Veyrin's silver eyes gleamed. "The Essence Bearers."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Aedan had barely begun to understand what was happening to him, and now—
He wasn't alone in this.
Veyrin's expression darkened. "The first has already made their move."
Something in his tone sent a chill down Aedan's spine.
"Who?" Aedan asked.
Veyrin's gaze met his.
"The one they call the Crimson Veil."
Aedan's stomach twisted.
Something told him that whoever this person was—
They would be nothing like the creatures he had just fought.
And for the first time, despite the power thrumming in his veins—
He wasn't sure if he was ready.