The sun rose slowly over the pack lands, its golden light stretching across the quiet rooftops and dew-touched fields. For most, it was a day like any other. But for Eila, it marked the final day before her entrance exams—the culmination of weeks of relentless preparation and sleepless nights.
She had studied every subject thoroughly, committed each formula and theory to memory, and revised until her fingers cramped and her eyes burned. By all accounts, she was more than ready. But inside, a storm brewed.
Eila paced the length of her room, her books stacked neatly on the side table. Her siblings hovered close, trying to distract her with light conversation and jokes, but her mind wouldn't settle. Even her mates—Leonard, Lukas, and Zois—had gently insisted she take the day off and let her mind rest. But rest wasn't something she could afford. Not when unease twisted inside her like a coiled serpent.
Eventually, she could sit idle no longer.
"I need to go to the library," she said suddenly, pushing off the couch. Meera frowned from the kitchen.
"You've done enough, Eila," she urged, her voice laced with concern. "You're just exhausting yourself now. Stay, at least until dinner."
But Eila was already tying her cloak, her expression distant. "I'll be back soon. I promise."
The library was nearly empty when she arrived—just the way she liked it. Quiet, still, humming with ancient knowledge.
She wasn't looking for study material anymore. Something else called to her—something older, darker. Her parents' condition haunted her more than the thought of failing an exam ever could.
Row after row, she searched, her fingers trailing along cracked leather spines and frayed bindings until one book stopped her: Properties of the Veil by Edmund Satori. It was hidden on the highest shelf, barely visible. The cover was faded, the edges crumbling with age.
Curious—and strangely compelled—Eila pulled it down and carefully opened it on the nearest desk. Her eyes scanned the brittle pages, and a chill prickled down her spine as she read.
Varium.
That was the name.
They matched the description perfectly—those hollow-eyed, whispering creatures that had attacked the pack and left her parents unconscious. The book claimed they could only be summoned—never arrived of their own will. Someone had brought them here. Someone had paid a terrible price to do it.
What kind of price? The book offered no details. Just vague warnings. Secrets buried between lines.
The Varium dwelled in a shadow realm called The Veil. They were feared as one of the most lethal entities in existence. And worse—the few survivors of their attacks always bore strange black dots on their skin. Dots that siphoned life slowly until the host withered away within weeks.
Eila's breath caught.
Black spots. Like the ones she had seen on her parents' backs.
The world tilted slightly as she stood, her legs stiff and heart thudding. She gingerly returned the book to its place, handling the fragile cover as though it might crumble under her fingers. Then she turned and all but ran from the library.
The infirmary was silent save for the soft rustle of linens and the steady rhythm of breathing. Her parents lay still, just as they had for weeks, unmoving but alive.
She peeled back the layers of blankets and gently examined their backs.
The marks remained. Small, dark, and unnatural—unchanged even after her healing efforts.
She tried again, channeling more energy than usual, pouring her heart into it, whispering softly to them as she worked. A faint glow surrounded her hands. But the result was the same. The marks dimmed slightly, but did not vanish.
Tears stung her eyes.
She sat between their beds and talked to them, as she did every time she visited. She told them about Meera's stubbornness, about her siblings' antics, and about her exam tomorrow. She even laughed once or twice, though it caught in her throat.
When she finally rose to leave, her shoulders were stiff with tension, but her eyes burned with resolve.
"I don't know who did this," she whispered, brushing her mother's hair gently behind her ear, "but I'll find out. I'll break every barrier and cross every realm if I must. I'll bring you both back."
Her fists clenched at her sides as she walked home beneath the fading twilight.
Let the tests come. Let the truth rise. Let the Veil tremble.
She was ready.