The deeper they traveled through the Veil, the more the land distorted.
They walked past rivers of forgotten laughter, climbed mountains of regret, and passed ruins shaped like people Qingsai couldn't remember—but felt drawn to.
In one ruined shrine, they encountered a spirit named Tirameel, a Guardian Wisp that once served a past Soulkindled.
> "The bond between you must be tested," Tirameel declared, "lest you shatter beneath the weight of your destiny."
He conjured illusions drawn from their fears.
Qingsai saw his wives crying, abandoned. Sandora saw herself shackled, forgotten in her own home, reduced to a political piece.
Together, they held each other through the storm, declaring their truth aloud:
> "We are not bound by the chains of the past," Qingsai shouted.
"I choose my flame—and I choose him," Sandora whispered.
Their courage dispelled the illusions. Tirameel bowed, leaving them with a token—a Veilstone, infused with spiritual flame.
But as the spirit faded, a darker presence stirred.