Chapter 8: Veil Resonance
The morning after the encounter felt heavier than usual — like the air itself had learned how to listen.
Aira stood on the rooftop again, the city below her flickering with faint distortions only she could see now. Glitches in reality — cracks in the Veil. Every time she blinked, colors shimmered at the edge of her vision.
"Focus on the rhythm, not the noise," Rimuru said, her voice steady but distant.
Aira tried. The hum inside her was back — that endless chorus whispering in the back of her mind. She reached for it, carefully this time.
Her hands glowed faintly. Threads of light began to drift between her fingers like strands of silk.
Rimuru watched closely, her eyes glowing with that sharp, ethereal blue that made it impossible to tell whether she was impressed or worried.
> "Good," Rimuru murmured. "You're syncing faster than I expected. The Veil recognizes you."
> "Recognizes?" Aira asked, straining to keep her focus. "Like I'm part of it?"
> "You were," Rimuru said. "Or maybe you still are. Depends on who you ask."
Aira frowned. "You're not going to explain that, are you?"
> "Not until you're ready to remember," Rimuru said with a small smile.
Aira sighed. "You always say that like I actually want to remember."
> "You will," Rimuru said quietly. "Because when you do, you'll either save this world… or break it."
Before Aira could reply, the air trembled.
The rooftop shadows stretched unnaturally, twisting and warping like ink spilled in water. Rimuru's expression shifted — calm but alert.
> "Stay behind me."
Dark mist began to seep through the cracks in the concrete. Whispers followed — the same voices Aira had heard before, only now they weren't pleading. They were angry.
> "You shouldn't exist…"
"The cycle was sealed…"
Aira's glow faltered, the threads of light breaking apart. "They're— they're inside my head again—"
> "No," Rimuru cut in sharply. "They're not in your head this time."
From the shadows, figures began to form — twisted echoes of light and memory, their shapes human but distorted, faces shifting like broken reflections.
Rimuru stepped forward, her aura flaring in a soft blue wave that made the distortions recoil.
> "So it begins," she said under her breath.
Aira looked at her, fear mixing with awe. "You can fight them?"
Rimuru smiled — calm, almost teasing. "Fight? No. I erase them."
In an instant, the air exploded with light. Rimuru's hand moved faster than Aira's eyes could follow — the glow of her energy slicing through the distortions like glass meeting flame.
But even as the last echo dissolved, Aira noticed something horrifying — every time Rimuru struck, her own body flickered slightly, as if the world couldn't fully decide she existed.
And when it was over, Rimuru fell to one knee, breathing hard.
> "You used too much," Aira said, rushing forward.
Rimuru laughed weakly. "You sound like you've seen me bleed before."
> "You're bleeding light, Rimuru," Aira said quietly.
Rimuru met her eyes, the faintest sadness flickering behind her grin.
> "Then I guess we're running out of time."
Lightning cracked in the distance, and somewhere below, the city alarms began to blare.