Morning arrived without sunlight.
The sky above the Order remained drowned beneath layers of gray cloud, dim enough that dawn barely looked different from night. Cold air swept through the barracks.
Kael opened his eyes quietly, for a moment, he didn't move. The room was still half-dark, lined with narrow beds and sleeping recruits. Slow breathing filled the silence.
Then his gaze shifted sideways.
Dain was still asleep. One arm rested across his chest while the other hung loosely off the bed. His dark hair fell across his eyes, expression softer now that consciousness wasn't sharpening it into something challenging.
Kael stared a second too long, something inside his chest stirred.
Not the thing beneath his ribs; Something infinitely warmer.
He looked away immediately, like the sight could burn.
The pressure under his skin pulsed once. A low whisper brushed against his thoughts.
Mine.
Kael's fingers tightened around the blanket.
"Stop."
The voice vanished.
The mattress beside him creaked.
"You always wake up angry?"
Kael glanced sideways. Dain hadn't opened his eyes yet.
"You're awake."
"Unfortunately."
His voice sounded rough with sleep.
Dain finally opened one eye, studying him lazily before sitting up. The blanket slipped from his shoulders as he stretched slightly.
Then his expression sharpened.
"You look terrible."
"Good morning to you too."
Dain snorted softly.
"So you can talk normally."
Kael ignored him and reached for his uniform.
The moment the fabric touched his skin, pain struck beneath his ribs.
Sharp unobstructed pain. A pulsing Violence.
His breath caught in his throat.
Darkness flickered across his vision for half a second.
A pulse from beneath his rib echoed through him, then another. Like something massive shifting in its sleep.
Kael steadied himself against the bedframe.
Dain noticed instantly, his expression changing.
"Kael."
"I'm fine."
"That answer's getting repetitive."
Kael adjusted the straps around his wrists carefully.
The pain faded slowly with it.
Before Dain could press further, the dormitory doors slammed open hard enough to rattle the walls.
Every recruit jolted awake lightly cursing.
Commander Rhys stood at the entrance. Silence spread immediately. The man was tall, broad-shouldered, dressed entirely in black combat gear marked with silver threading along the collar. A scar stretched across his throat like something had once tried to tear his voice out entirely.
His cold, detached eyes swept across the room. His thoughts, as usual, unreadable.
"Training yard," he said. "Now."
Nobody argued. They had already learnt to sleep in their gear.
Outside, the morning air bit hard.
The surviving recruits gathered quickly beneath the towering stone walls of the Order.
Only Twenty remained from the multitude. The number felt smaller every morning.
Kael stood near the back beside Dain as Commander Rhys walked slowly before them.
"You've spent the past week learning how to survive each other," Rhys said evenly.
His boots crunched against the slightly damp dirt.
"Today you'll learn how to survive the Veil.... practically"
An Uneasy ripple moved through the recruits but no one dared to voice their thoughts.
Kael felt Dain straighten slightly beside him.
Rhys continued.
"A scouting unit disappeared three nights ago near Blackwater Ridge."
The silence deepened to oppressive levels.
Everyone knew what existed beyond the walls of every city.
The Veil swallowed villages, Patrols, Entire bloodlines.
Most times nothing returned but other times.... something did.
"We've confirmed signs of corruption in the area," Rhys said. "Your assignment is simple. Investigate. Recover survivors if possible."
"And if not?" someone asked quietly.
Rhys looked at the recruit without emotion.
"Then recover what's left."
No one spoke after that.
The wind howled faintly against the walls above them.
Rhys began assigning teams.
"Unit One. Lena, Matthias, Corvin."
Names continued one after another.
Then, "Unit Three. Kael Viremont. Dain Arclight."
Dain glanced sideways instantly, a small grin tugged at his mouth.
Kael ignored it.... mostly.
"Departure in ten minutes," Rhys ordered.
The recruits dispersed quickly.
As Kael turned to leave, he felt a deep stare boring his back.
His eyes lifted.
Commander Rhys stood motionless near the center of the yard, watching him carefully.
Like he was trying to look beneath skin.
The pressure under Kael's ribs shifted again.... Hungry and Interested.
Kael looked away first.
The gates of the Order opened slowly.
Massive iron doors groaned as thick fog rolled through the gap beyond.
The Veil awaited their visit.
Silent forests stretched endlessly beneath pale mist, their twisted trees bending at unnatural angles. The further the eye traveled, the darker the world became..., No birds, No insects.
The recruits stepped through carefully.
The gates shut behind them with a thunderous sound. 'They couldn't help but wonder why they moved closer to veil'
For the first time since arriving at the Order
Kael felt exposed.
Dain walked beside him, spear resting across his shoulder.
"You've been out here before?" he asked quietly.
Kael nodded once.
"When I was younger."
Dain glanced at him.
"And?"
Kael's gaze stayed forward.
"The woods weren't this quiet."
That answer lingered unpleasantly.
Unit Three moved deeper into the forest, four recruits total.
Kael, Dain, A silver-haired girl named Mira, and a broad-shouldered recruit called Fen.
Unlike Dain, the other two kept their distance from Kael.
He noticed but he simply didn't care.
Branches cracked beneath their boots as fog thickened around them.
The deeper they walked, the colder the air became.
Then,
Kael stopped immediately.
Dain noticed first.
"What is it?"
Kael didn't answer but his eyes narrowed slightly.
The forest had gone completely still.. Unnaturally still.
A rotten smell drifted through the fog alongside the smell of wet earth and blood.
Fen cursed under his breath.
"There."
Mira pointed ahead.
Shapes hung between the trees. cold and human.
The bodies of Order scouts; Or what remained of them.
Their corpses dangled from blackened branches wrapped in thick strands of dark flesh that pulsed faintly like veins.
Fen recoiled instantly. bile rising up his throat.
"What the hell is that—"
The flesh moved causing everyone to freeze.
A low clicking sound echoed from deeper within the fog.
Kael's expression darkened immediately.
Dain saw it.
"Kael?"
"Get back."
The words came fast but a little too late. Something dropped from the trees.
A creature slammed into Fen before anyone could react. Screams tore through the forest.
The thing moved impossibly fast across the ground, all twisted limbs and pale skin stretched too tightly over its body.
Its jaw split open vertically, rows of black teeth clicked together hungrily.
Fen barely managed to draw his blade before the creature ripped into his shoulder, Blood sprayed across the fog.
Mira shouted and activated her Mark instantly.
Silver light exploded across her arm.
Dain moved at the same time.
His spear crashed against the creature's side hard enough to launch it backward into a tree.
The impact shook the forest.
But the creature laughed, a raw maniacal laugh.
Kael felt the thing inside him stir violently. A deep rumbling hunger tore through him.
The monster slowly rose again, joints cracking backward into place.
Then its eyes landed on Kael and everything held its breath.
Its smile widened unnaturally.
"Well," it whispered.
Its voice sounded wet and spine chilling.
"Why is he here?"
Dain stepped forward immediately standing between the creature and Kael.
The creature tilted its head.
"You smell ancient," it hissed softly toward Kael.
The pressure beneath Kael's ribs exploded, pain shot through his body.
Darkness curled briefly around his fingertips.
Dain noticed first again.
His voice lowered.
"Kael."
The creature smiled wider.
"Ah," it whispered.
"You don't know either."