Kael’s orange eyes locked onto Elara’s sharp green ones, her hand still gripping his. The black sands stretched around them, the Living Veil Sea’s waves hissing with red embers in the distance. Above, the Great Veil pulsed, its ghostly faces silent for now, their hollow eyes fixed on the pair. The single star still shone, a faint beacon through the fractured sky. Kael’s embered veins glowed faintly, his phoenix flames simmering after the fight, but exhaustion weighed on him. His tattered red scarf fluttered in the wind, matching the wild grin spreading across his face.
“Brave or stupid, huh?” Kael said, his voice hoarse but defiant. “I’m the guy who’s gonna burn that Veil to the ground. You tell me.” He pulled his hand back, brushing sand off his sleeveless shirt, the phoenix scar on his chest glowing faintly through the fabric.
Elara raised an eyebrow, her tousled brown hair catching the stormy light. Her leather coat was patched with scholarly symbols, her satchel heavy with books and relics. She held up the obsidian shard she’d used to kill the Veilspawn, its fiery runes pulsing orange—the same glow Kael had chased. “Big words for a kid who nearly got himself eaten,” she said, her tone sharp but curious. “Those flames of yours… they’re not normal. What are you?”
Kael’s grin faltered, Mira’s hollow eyes flashing in his mind. “I’m Kael,” he said, clenching his fist, flames flickering along his arm. “And these flames are gonna fix everything the Veil broke. Starting with my friend.” His voice cracked, but his orange eyes burned with resolve.
Elara’s gaze softened, but only for a moment. She tucked the shard into her satchel, her green eyes flicking to the Veil. “The Veil doesn’t break things—it devours them. And your flames? They’re drawing it closer.” She pointed at his arm, where the embered veins pulsed brighter. “Every time you burn, it feeds. You’re lucky I showed up when I did.”
Kael scowled, the Veil’s whispers echoing in his memory—Burn, and we’ll feast… “Then why’d you help me?” he shot back, stepping closer. “What’s your deal?”
Elara hesitated, her hand brushing the satchel. “I’m a scholar,” she said finally. “I study the Veil—its history, its curses. That shard? It’s a relic from an ancient fire that once challenged the Veil. I’ve been tracking its energy… and it led me to you.” She pulled out a worn journal, flipping to a page with a sketch of a phoenix, its wings blazing. “Your flames match the legends. But if you keep using them like that, you’ll end up like the last guy who tried to fight the Veil—consumed.”
Kael’s heart raced, the phoenix scar on his chest flaring with heat. “I don’t care about legends,” he said, his voice low. “I care about saving Mira. And if that star up there—” he pointed to the white speck piercing the Veil—“leads me to answers, I’m going. You in or out?”
Elara studied him, then closed her journal with a snap. “In,” she said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “But we do this my way. No reckless burning. Deal?”
Kael’s grin returned, wild and fierce. “Deal. But I’m still burning that Veil down.” He turned toward the star, Elara falling into step beside him. The sands stretched ahead, the Veil watching silently, but with Elara’s knowledge and Kael’s fire, the fight felt a little less lonely.
Comments (0)
See all