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Chapter 15: The Whisper Beyond the Veil
The stars above flickered.
Ji turned, breath visible in the cold air, as the realm behind the Gate of Shadows began to warp. The peace that followed the final trial now cracked like glass.
Yeonhwa clutched her sword. "Something's coming. Something old."
The light dimmed.
Duri floated near Ji's shoulder, face pale. "No... this isn't just shadow magic. This is primordial. The kind of force sealed before even dokebi tales were written."
From the broken edge of the realm, black mist coiled into the air. Whispers—soft, seductive, in a language none of them knew—began to fill their heads.
Ji staggered. The crescent pendant around his neck grew warm.
A form began to rise from the mist. Not a monster. Not a beast.
A woman.
She wore robes woven from darkness, her hair like falling night, her face veiled and eyes glowing violet. She hovered slightly above the ground.
"I am No-eul," she said, voice echoing in the soul. "Once Guardian of the First Moon. Now... its prisoner."
Seora stepped in front of Ji. "What do you want?"
"To be freed," No-eul whispered. "And for that... the Guardian must fall."
Before anyone could react, she lifted her hand. The realm screamed. Winds tore through the chamber. Mirrors cracked. Time trembled.
Ji fell to one knee, clutching the pendant.
Visions struck him again. Not memories—possibilities.
—Seora crying alone. —Duri vanishing into dust. —The moon shattered.
"No!" Ji roared. His light flared—violent and desperate.
The shadows paused. Just a second. Just enough.
Yeonhwa struck with a burst of moonsteel. Duri sealed a spell of protection around the pendant. Seora threw a dagger of starlight.
But No-eul simply vanished.
Her voice echoed around them.
> "You carry a spark, boy. But sparks fade. I will return when the final moon rises."
Silence.
The chamber began to repair itself.
Ji stood, sweating, chest heaving.
"She's not like Baek Rin," he said. "She doesn't want power. She was power."
Seora looked out toward the edge of the realm. "And now she's watching."
Ji clutched the pendant tighter.
The Gate had opened. But the true test... had only just begun.
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To Be Continued in Chapter 16: Starlit Refuge