Only after Rudhran accepted it of his own will did he finally make the decision to travel to that place—the mysterious world known as Velmora Veil.
He turned toward the sage and asked, "How do we enter this hidden world?"
The old sage remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Velmora Veil is not an ordinary place. No one can enter it easily. There are no maps that lead to it, and its portal does not remain open forever. To reach that world, three conditions must be fulfilled."
His eyes darkened as he continued.
The First Condition — The Moonless Eclipse
"A rare eclipse will occur," the sage said. "On that night, the moon itself will disappear. Every shadow in the world will fall silent, and even celestial powers will weaken."
"At that exact moment… a gateway shall appear."
The atmosphere around them turned heavy.
The Second Condition — The Forgotten Gate
"Beneath an abandoned kingdom lies an ancient gate," the sage continued. "It cannot be opened with blood, nor can it be broken with magic."
"But…"
His gaze fell directly on Rudhran.
"The gate will react only to someone who belongs neither to the light nor to the darkness."
Silence swallowed the cave.
The Third Condition — The River of Lost Memories
"Once the gate opens, an endless black river will appear."
The sage's voice grew colder.
"When you attempt to cross it, your most painful memories will come alive before your eyes. Your fears will drag at your soul. Many lose their minds there and remain trapped forever."
"Only those who accept their past completely can cross the River of Lost Memories."
The fire beside them flickered violently.
"And after crossing all of that… the fog will clear, and the city of Velmora Veil shall reveal itself."
The sage paused before giving one final warning.
"None who enter return the same."
Rudhran narrowed his eyes.
The sage continued.
"Velmora Veil does not judge your powers… it judges your soul."
"And if you truly manage to reach that city, you may find a terrifying weapon hidden within it."
"A spear capable of destroying shadows with a single touch."
"A weapon that can seal souls and erase darkness itself."
He spoke its name carefully.
"Solcryx."
"The Sun Eater."
"The moment it touches a shadow creature, their darkness burns away completely. It absorbs dark energy entirely… even immortal shadows can be erased permanently by it."
Everyone in the cave fell silent.
"But the spear carries a curse."
"The one who wields Solcryx will slowly lose their emotions."
Rudhran's expression hardened.
"That weapon was not created merely to destroy shadows," the sage said. "It was forged to preserve the balance of the universe itself."
"When the shadows once tried to swallow the entire universe, no one could stop them. That was when the Veilborn forged these weapons."
The sage then revealed another secret.
"There is also one final hidden weapon."
His voice trembled slightly for the first time.
"No… calling it a weapon would be incorrect."
"It is a living core."
"The Umbraheart."
"If it awakens, shadows themselves may disappear forever…"
"Or the entire universe may drown in eternal darkness."
"That is why its location remains unknown to everyone."
The sage looked directly at them.
"The path ahead of you will be far more dangerous than you can imagine. Remember that."
After a moment, Rudhran finally asked,
"You said the gate lies beneath an abandoned kingdom. Where is this kingdom?"
The sage answered immediately.
"Eryondor."
"The kingdom buried beneath silence."
"It was once a neutral kingdom that stood between the Celestials and the Shadows. A kingdom that protected ancient knowledge and powerful seals."
"They say even those who witness it forget where it exists."
"And if either a Celestial or a Shadow approaches its borders, terrifying warning cries echo through the land itself."
"It was protected for a reason."
The sage slowly stood up.
"You must first find Eryondor."
"As for the path leading there…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"You must discover it yourselves."
Soon after, everyone stepped out of the cave, their minds drowning in confusion.
While the others discussed what to do next, Rudhran remained deep in thought.
Then suddenly, he spoke.
"Prepare yourselves."
Everyone turned toward him immediately.
"What? You already found the way to Eryondor?" one of them asked in shock.
Rudhran gave no direct answer.
"You all go ahead and get ready. I'll return soon."
The moment he finished speaking, he dashed away at incredible speed.
Only then did the others realize where he was heading.
The abandoned well.
Rudhran leaped directly into the dry pit without hesitation, disappearing into the darkness below.
After falling deep inside, he discovered a narrow passage hidden within the walls of the well. At the end of it lay an ancient cave.
The deeper he walked, the colder the air became.
Suddenly—
A massive crocodile-like beast lunged toward him from the darkness.
Rudhran reacted instantly and barely avoided its jaws before forcing his way past the creature.
Step by step, he continued deeper into the cave until he finally reached a giant stone door.
But the entrance was blocked by an enormous boulder.
Rudhran clenched his fist.
With a single strike, he shattered the massive rock into countless pieces.
The sealed door slowly revealed itself.
The moment he stepped through—
A blinding light exploded before his eyes.
The brightness was so intense that he could not even open them properly.
Then suddenly…
The light vanished.
Everything turned black.
When Rudhran finally adjusted his vision, he froze.
Before him stood two gigantic mountains made entirely of darkness itself.
Behind them rose colossal walls that stretched far beyond the mountains.
Rudhran slowly climbed across the black rocky terrain with immense difficulty. And when he finally reached the top and looked ahead—
His eyes widened in absolute disbelief.
Before him stood the enormous outer walls of the forgotten kingdom…
Eryondor.