Chapter 16: Into the Abyss
The day after Aric's confrontation with the Veil, the citadel seemed unusually quiet. A haze hung over the training grounds as dawn broke, casting long, distorted shadows across the stone. Despite the stillness, Aric couldn't shake the feeling of being on the edge of something—something both exhilarating and terrifying. The Veil had been more cooperative than he expected, but the weight of its power still pressed heavily on him.
He had spent the night wrestling with his thoughts, the constant hum of the Veil now more present than ever. It was as though it was aware of the boundaries he had tried to set, aware that the struggle was far from over. Aric had gained control, but he knew the real challenge lay ahead—the real test would be facing the consequences of the power he'd barely begun to understand.
Kael had left the citadel that morning, leaving Aric alone with his thoughts. The usual distractions—the noise of the training grounds, the conversations in the halls—felt distant now. There was nothing left but the quiet ticking of time, the ticking of a clock that Aric was beginning to fear might soon run out.
The sounds of footsteps approaching broke his reverie. Aric turned to see Selene, her sharp gaze always focused, cutting through the distance between them. Her expression was unreadable as usual, but there was an edge to her presence. Something was different.
"I need to talk to you," Selene said, stopping a few paces away from him.
Aric raised an eyebrow, feeling a flicker of wariness deep within him. "About what?"
She didn't answer immediately, her eyes flicking over him in a way that made Aric feel suddenly vulnerable. It wasn't a look of judgment, but one of calculation. Her eyes narrowed. "There's something off about you. I can feel it."
He sighed, trying to keep his expression neutral. "I've been through a lot, Selene. And the Veil's been... difficult to control."
"I know." She stepped closer, her voice lowering. "I've been watching. The power—it's more than just a burden to you now, isn't it? It's pulling at you. It's changing you."
Aric stiffened. He didn't like the way she phrased that. The words hung between them, unspoken truths in the air. He knew the Veil was more than a tool, more than a weapon. But hearing Selene say it out loud somehow made the weight of it feel heavier, more suffocating.
"I'm managing it," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
"You don't even believe that, do you?" Selene's voice softened, but her gaze remained piercing. "You've always had a way of convincing everyone around you that everything's fine. But I know better."
Aric didn't respond at first. What could he say? The truth? That the Veil felt like it was becoming part of him—was it already too late? He looked at Selene, wondering if she saw through the walls he'd put up. He wondered if anyone had.
"I'm not asking for your sympathy," he said at last, his voice low. "I'm doing what I can to control it. That's all I can do."
Selene studied him for a long moment, her lips pressed together in thought. Finally, she exhaled. "You're right. You're doing everything you can." She glanced toward the horizon where the sun was just beginning to rise, casting a faint light over the land. "But you need to understand one thing, Aric. The Veil... it's not just a force. It's not just power. It's something alive. And the longer you hold it in, the harder it will be to keep it under control."
His throat tightened at her words, and the air around them seemed to grow heavier. The Veil alive? The idea unsettled him more than he was willing to admit. Was it truly something he could control, or was it something that would one day break free of its own accord?
"Why are you telling me this now?" Aric asked, his voice barely a whisper. He hadn't expected Selene to approach him about something so personal, something so dangerous.
Selene met his gaze, her eyes unreadable. "Because I don't think you realize the danger you're walking into. You're not just fighting against an enemy. You're fighting against yourself. And the longer you ignore that, the harder it will be to pull yourself back."
Aric swallowed, the weight of her words sinking in like a stone in his chest. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe that something as simple as control could be the key to saving or destroying him. But something in her voice, in the way she said it, made him doubt everything he'd believed about the Veil until now.
"You're not the only one carrying a burden," Selene added, her voice hardening. "None of us are. But if you want to protect everyone around you, you need to stop hiding. You need to face what's inside you."
The wind picked up then, swirling around them like an omen. Aric felt a chill run through him, but it wasn't the wind—it was the weight of Selene's words, of the truth she had forced him to face.
"I understand," he said, his voice firm despite the storm swirling within him. "But I can't face it alone. Not like this."
Selene gave a brief nod, her expression softening just a fraction. "You're not alone, Aric. None of us are."
Her words, although simple, lingered in the air long after she had turned and walked away. Aric stood there for a moment, alone once more, but with the echo of her voice still ringing in his mind.
He wasn't alone.
But he didn't know if that made the weight of the Veil any lighter.
As Aric continued to stand there, his gaze fixated on the horizon, the first rays of light began to stretch across the sky. He felt as if they were drawing him in, beckoning him forward toward a future he wasn't entirely ready to face. The world was changing, and with it, so was he.
A small part of him wanted to run, to escape the growing pressure inside him, to push away the feeling that the Veil was a ticking time bomb. But he couldn't. Not now. Not when the stakes were so high. Not when there was no turning back.
He needed answers. He needed to understand what this power truly was—and what it could make him become.
And so, with a final glance at the rising sun, Aric made his decision. He would face whatever came next, no matter the cost.