The Veil Gate stood in the plaza.
It was no longer dormant.
Its enormous bronze rings turned slowly above the ancient platform, while silver light shimmered across its surface like a living mirror.
For the citizens of peaceful Veyrath, the sight should have been a miracle.
Instead, fear spread through the plaza.
They had never seen the Gate fully active before.
Not in their lifetime.
Not in the lifetime of their parents.
Yet now it stood open.
And beyond its silver surface...
there was another Veyrath.
The City Beyond the Gate
Sorion stood at the edge of the plaza.
He could see towers through the Veil.
Not ruins.
Not abandoned buildings.
A living city.
Massive structures climbed into the sky.
Floating platforms moved between towers.
Airships passed through enormous transportation corridors.
Technomagik engines hummed beneath the streets.
Mechanical guardians patrolled bridges.
Weapons systems stood mounted along rooftops.
And in the distance...
flashes of Technomagik illuminated the sky.
Lirion stared.
"This is the Veyrath we saw in the memory."
Master Caelion stood beside him.
"No."
He looked through the Gate.
"This is the Veyrath that never truly stopped fighting."
A distant explosion shook the other side.
The citizens gathered around the plaza gasped.
The peaceful people of Veyrath had never imagined that another civilization existed so close to them.
A civilization carrying their name.
A civilization far more advanced.
A civilization at war.
The Veyrath Above
The Gate stabilized.
For the first time, the expedition could clearly see the city beyond.
Its streets were crowded with soldiers.
Technomagik weapons flashed between buildings.
Mechanical armor moved through the streets.
Medical constructs followed the warriors, repairing wounds as quickly as they appeared.
People fought without hesitation.
They had become accustomed to battle.
A warrior was struck by a concentrated energy beam.
His armor shattered.
He fell.
A healing machine immediately surrounded him with blue light.
Within seconds, the warrior stood again.
He picked up his weapon.
And returned to the fight.
Dorion's expression hardened.
"They don't fear battle."
Caelion shook his head.
"They stopped fearing the consequences."
Lirion watched the machines repairing soldiers.
"That's worse."
Caelion nodded.
"Much worse."
The Gatebreakers
Suddenly, several figures appeared at the Veil Gate.
Their armor was unlike anything the expedition had seen.
Advanced Technomagik armor covered their bodies.
Mechanical wings extended from their backs.
Energy weapons formed around their arms.
At their center stood their leader.
The Gatebreaker commander looked directly through the Veil.
His eyes widened.
"The Gate is open."
One of his companions laughed.
"After all these centuries."
Another raised his weapon.
"Then we finally have a path below."
Caelion stepped forward.
"No."
The commander heard him.
His expression changed.
"Who are you?"
"The man who knows what waits on the other side."
The commander laughed.
"You have no idea what we need."
Caelion's voice became cold.
"I know exactly what you need."
He pointed toward the city behind them.
"You want the people below to remember."
The commander smiled.
"They should."
"They will become stronger."
"They will become Veyrath again."
Caelion answered:
"That is precisely what must not happen."
The Warning
The Gatebreaker commander stepped closer.
"You call them peaceful."
"I call them forgotten."
"You stole their history."
"No."
Caelion looked toward the peaceful citizens behind him.
"History was stolen from all of us."
The commander raised his weapon.
"Then give it back."
Caelion shook his head.
"You don't understand."
He pointed toward the city beyond the Gate.
"Look at what remembering did to you."
The commander looked back.
Another battle erupted behind him.
Two Technomagik constructs collided.
A building exploded.
Airships fired at one another.
The streets erupted into chaos.
Caelion continued.
"You remembered your power."
"You remembered your weapons."
"You remembered conquest."
"But you forgot why you were supposed to stop."
The commander clenched his fist.
"Enough."
Caelion's eyes narrowed.
"If the people below remember the entire past..."
He looked directly into the commander's eyes.
"...your war will not end."
"It will spread."
The New War
The Gatebreaker commander stared at him.
Caelion continued.
"The people below have lived peacefully for generations."
"They have families."
"Farmers."
"Builders."
"Children."
"Teachers."
"They have learned only the Technomagik necessary to live."
He pointed toward the peaceful city.
"If you bring your war through this Gate..."
"They will defend themselves."
"And when they discover what their ancestors once possessed..."
"They will seek more."
Lirion understood.
"The peaceful Veyrath will become another army."
Dorion finished the thought.
"And then both sides will fight."
Caelion nodded.
"Your city is already chaotic."
"Give it another army..."
He looked through the Gate.
"...and you will create a war that neither Veyrath can control."
The Gatebreakers Attack
The commander raised his hand.
"Enough talking."
His warriors charged.
The Gate erupted with energy.
BOOM!
The first Gatebreaker crossed through.
Dorion immediately intercepted him.
Their weapons collided.
CLANG!
Dorion was pushed backward.
The enemy's armor amplified his strength.
He attacked again.
Dorion blocked.
Another Gatebreaker entered.
Then another.
The plaza exploded into battle.
Citizens fled.
Guards formed a defensive line.
Technomagik weapons flashed across the square.
Lirion summoned his mechanical construct.
"Keep them away from the citizens!"
The construct charged.
A Gatebreaker fired three energy bolts.
The machine blocked two.
The third struck its shoulder.
Lirion shouted:
"Don't destroy it!"
The construct repaired itself.
"Learn!"
Its mechanical arm transformed.
It struck the enemy's weapon aside.
The Brothers Enter the Gate
Sorion looked through the Veil.
More Gatebreakers were gathering on the other side.
"We can't stop them here."
Dorion understood immediately.
"We go through."
Lirion nodded.
"I'll take the engineers."
Dorion turned toward the expedition.
"Only those capable of fighting come with us."
Ironhide warriors stepped forward.
Several Veilkeeper scouts joined them.
Two Iron Legion engineers carried compact Technomagik equipment.
Bardin looked at his instrument.
Then at the battlefield.
He sighed.
"Well..."
He folded his instrument away.
"I suppose this isn't a concert."
Sorion smiled.
"Stay close."
The group stepped through the Veil.
The Other Veyrath
The moment Sorion crossed the Gate...
the world changed.
The peaceful plaza disappeared behind him.
He stood in a massive city of metal, crystal, and light.
Technomagik transportation systems raced overhead.
Floating platforms moved between towers.
Weapons fired in the distance.
Citizens ran through the streets.
Some carried weapons.
Others carried equipment.
Nobody seemed surprised by the fighting.
It was normal.
That frightened Sorion more than the machines.
Lirion looked around.
"This city is years ahead of anything we've seen."
Dorion raised his weapon.
"And they're using all of it for war."
A massive construct landed nearby.
The ground shook.
Its armor opened.
Six weapons unfolded.
The Ironhide warriors formed a line.
"Here we go."
The Battle Through the Upper City
The expedition fought through the streets.
Technomagik weapons filled the air.
Lirion's constructs battled enemy machines.
Dorion fought a heavily armored warrior in a brutal duel.
The warrior's blade struck Dorion's shield.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Dorion's boots dug into the pavement.
The enemy activated his armor.
Energy surged through his body.
Dorion's golden-red power answered.
Their weapons collided.
The impact shattered the street beneath them.
The enemy swung downward.
Dorion caught the blade with both hands.
He pushed.
The warrior pushed back.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Then Dorion stepped aside.
The enemy lost balance.
Dorion struck the armor core.
CRACK!
The machine shut down.
The warrior collapsed.
Dorion lowered his weapon.
"Stay down."
The warrior stared at him.
"You could have killed me."
Dorion answered:
"We're trying to stop a war."
The Truth Beneath the War
Sorion finally reached the central district.
There he saw something unexpected.
The ancient Veyrath was not united.
The Gatebreakers were only one faction.
Others were fighting against them.
Some wanted the Gate opened.
Some wanted it destroyed.
Some wanted the peaceful city below conquered.
Others wanted nothing to do with it.
The city had become divided by its own memories.
Sorion whispered:
"Caelion was right."
Lirion looked at him.
"They're already fighting over what the Gate means."
Sorion looked toward the Veil.
"And if the people below remember all of this..."
"There won't be two sides."
Dorion understood.
"There will be hundreds."
The Hard Way
The Gatebreaker commander appeared before them.
His armor was damaged.
But he was still standing.
"You came here to stop us."
Sorion stepped forward.
"Yes."
"You don't understand what you are protecting."
Sorion looked around the chaotic city.
"I understand enough."
The commander raised his weapon.
"You are protecting ignorance."
Sorion shook his head.
"No."
"We are protecting people from becoming prisoners of their ancestors."
The commander attacked.
Sorion moved.
The battle became a duel.
Technomagik against Veilkeeper.
The commander's weapons changed forms continuously.
Blade.
Spear.
Cannon.
Shield.
Sorion moved between each attack.
He did not overpower him.
He waited.
The commander became faster.
Angrier.
More reckless.
Exactly like the city around them.
Finally, Sorion stepped inside his guard.
He struck the armor's control core.
The weapon systems shut down.
The commander fell to one knee.
Sorion stood before him.
"You wanted the people below to remember."
He looked toward the burning city.
"Look at what remembering without understanding has done to you."
The Choice
The commander slowly looked toward the Veil Gate.
Beyond it stood peaceful Veyrath.
Children.
Families.
Farmers.
Ordinary people.
The commander stared for a long time.
Then he whispered:
"They don't even know."
"No."
"And they are happy."
"Yes."
The commander lowered his weapon.
Behind him, the city continued fighting.
Explosions filled the sky.
Sirens screamed.
Technomagik machines marched through the streets.
The commander finally understood.
If the Gate remained open...
this chaos would cross over.
And the peaceful city would answer with everything it had.
The war would consume both Veyraths.
"Go back to the Gate." he said.
"I will take it from here, this war cannot be stopped by reasons alone."
The Commander sound the alarm of retreat.
The fighting stopped momentarily.
Lord of Veyrath
The three brothers stood before the Lord of Veyrath.
The meeting was brief.
No ceremony.
No long introductions.
Only the sound of distant explosions shaking the palace windows.
Lord Vaelric looked at Sorion.
"You understand why the Gate must remain closed?"
Sorion nodded.
"Yes. The people below cannot be allowed to inherit this war."
Vaelric looked toward Lirion.
"And you understand what Technomagik can become?"
Lirion glanced at the weapons firing across the distant skyline.
"I understand why knowledge without restraint becomes dangerous."
Vaelric turned to Dorion.
"And you?"
Dorion tightened his grip on his weapon.
"We protect the people."
Vaelric nodded.
"Then we agree."
BOOM!
The palace shook.
A Technomagister rushed into the chamber.
"My Lord! The western defense has fallen!"
Another explosion followed.
"The Gatebreakers are advancing toward the Veil Gate!"
Vaelric immediately drew his sword.
"How many?"
"Unknown. But their new commander has arrived."
Vaelric looked at the brothers.
"Then there is no more to discuss."
The New Commander
The group rushed through the palace.
Vaelric led the way.
Behind him came the three brothers, several Veyrath warriors, Technomagisters, and members of the expedition who had entered the upper city.
The streets had become a battlefield.
Technomagik weapons fired between buildings.
Mechanical guardians fought Gatebreaker constructs.
Airships circled overhead.
Lirion looked upward as one enormous machine flew between two towers.
"That's impressive."
Dorion blocked an incoming projectile.
"Admire it later."
"I was only looking."
"Look while fighting."
Lirion grinned.
"Fair."
They continued toward the Gate.
Then a voice echoed through the streets.
"Veyrath!"
Everything stopped for a moment.
A new figure appeared on the roof of a nearby tower.
The armor was larger than that of the previous Gatebreakers.
Dark Technomagik energy flowed across its body.
A mechanical cloak moved behind the warrior like wings.
The new commander raised a weapon.
"I am Commander Rhaevon, and I have come to use the Gate."
Vaelric looked up.
"You will not."
Rhaevon laughed.
"Then I will take it from you."
The battle erupted.
The Lord's Promise
Vaelric turned toward Sorion.
"Go."
Sorion hesitated.
"What about you?"
Vaelric pointed toward the Gate.
"I promised the people below that no army would cross."
He stepped forward.
"I intend to keep that promise."
Lirion looked at the Lord.
"But if you enter the Gate—"
Vaelric shook his head.
"I will never cross it."
He looked through the shimmering Veil.
"Not while I live."
Dorion frowned.
"That sounds like a difficult promise."
Vaelric smiled.
"It is simple."
He looked toward the peaceful city beyond the Gate.
"They must never see our war."
Sorion understood.
"And you intend to guard it forever."
Vaelric nodded.
"Forever."
Lirion looked confused.
"Forever?"
Vaelric's expression remained calm.
"We do not age."
The brothers stared.
"Our Restoration Technomagik technology repaired the damage that once destroyed our bodies."
He looked at his warriors.
"We heal from wounds that would kill ordinary people."
"We do not grow old."
"We do not die from battle."
Dorion looked toward the fighting warriors.
"So you can guard this place forever."
Vaelric raised his sword.
"That is why we are Veyrath ."
Veyrath of Eternal War!
Back to the Gate
The group reached the plaza.
The Veil Gate continued glowing.
Gatebreakers were already fighting around it.
The remaining warriors from the expedition joined the battle.
Dorion charged first.
His weapon collided with a Gatebreaker's shield.
CLANG!
The enemy fired a point-blank Technomagik blast.
Dorion turned his shield.
The blast deflected into the street.
He stepped forward and struck.
The Gatebreaker's armor cracked.
Lirion released his mechanical construct.
"Go!"
The machine charged into a group of enemy drones.
Its arms transformed into rotating energy blades.
The drones surrounded it.
One attacked from behind.
The construct turned instantly.
CRASH!
Two machines collided.
Lirion laughed.
"Now that's better."
Sorion and the Remaining Gatebreakers
Sorion moved through the battlefield like a shadow.
A Gatebreaker fired.
Sorion disappeared.
Another swung a Technomagik blade.
He slipped beneath it.
A third tried to trap him with an energy field.
Sorion touched the Veil.
For a brief moment, he saw the memory inside the Gate.
He moved.
The field missed him.
He struck the machine's control point.
The warrior fell.
Sorion looked toward the remaining enemies.
"Stop."
Several Gatebreakers hesitated.
The battle around them continued.
"You already know what happens if you cross."
One warrior looked toward the peaceful Veyrath beyond the Gate.
Another lowered his weapon.
Then Dorion charged through the opening.
The remaining Gatebreakers were overwhelmed.
One by one...
they surrendered.
The Gate Remains
The battle ended.
Smoke drifted through the plaza.
Damaged machines were being repaired.
Wounded warriors were already being restored by Veyrath's Technomagik healers.
Lirion watched in amazement.
"They really can repair almost anything."
A Veyrath engineer smiled.
"Almost."
Lirion looked toward him.
"What can't you repair?"
The engineer pointed toward the distant mountains.
"Memory."
Lirion became quiet.
Meanwhile — Aurion Citadel
Far away...
the great gates of Aurion Citadel opened.
A convoy entered.
Strange banners flew above unfamiliar vehicles.
Their machines were unlike anything the guards had seen.
People stepped down from the convoy wearing elaborate Technomagik clothing.
They were travelers.
Diplomats.
Engineers.
Explorers.
A delegation from another distant city.
Thomarion stood at the entrance to the Citadel.
Orinthal Vael stood nearby.
The visitors looked toward the towering walls.
Their leader stepped forward.
"We received your signal."
Thomarion frowned.
"What signal?"
"The activation of your Technomagik Core."
Silence.
The delegation exchanged confused looks.
One of their engineers spoke.
"The pulse traveled across the ancient network."
"We followed it."
Another stepped forward.
"We demand to see your Core."
Thomarion's expression hardened.
"No."
The visitor stared at him.
"You don't understand."
"We know what that signal means."
"We need to verify it ourselves."
Orinthal Vael stepped forward.
"You are guests in Aurion."
The visitor looked toward him.
"And you refuse us?"
Thomarion answered calmly.
"We refuse anyone access to the Machine Core without knowing who they are."
The delegation became uneasy.
Their leader looked toward the Citadel.
"Then prove that it exists."
Thomarion did not move.
"It exists."
"Then show us."
"No."
The visitor's expression changed.
"Why?"
Thomarion looked toward the ancient heart of Aurion.
"Because we have only recently learned that the Core is something more than a machine."
The visitors exchanged glances.
One whispered:
"Then they truly don't know."
Another answered:
"They activated something they don't understand."
The delegation leader looked back toward Thomarion.
"Then perhaps..."
He paused.
"...we have arrived at the right city."
Behind them, the distant Machine Core pulsed once.
THUM.
Every Technomagik instrument carried by the visitors activated simultaneously.
Their eyes widened.
Aurion Citadel had just become the center of attention for cities far beyond its borders.
And the expedition was still far away.
End of Episode 64