"Serassa came to me when she sensed Xeroth's return, his rot starting to spread across Ilvaria once more. Emeria… she and Serassa were close. Inseparable, really. And Emeria, well…" He paused, his eyes flicking over Liliana with a faint, wistful smile. "Emeria always looked up to you, Liliana. She wanted to be just like you: stubborn, determined, always striving to be stronger. Fiercely protective. When you left, she took that to heart. She thought she could fill that space."

His gaze darkened. "But Xeroth is not a threat easily fought. I knew that firsthand, from his last attempt to destroy the balance. I told Emeria she was not ready, that she had to stay out of it. I had begun training her, but her power, her knowledge, it wasn't enough. Not yet. Still, she didn't listen. She wanted a shortcut to strength, to find some way to fight without waiting to be ready. So she went beyond the veil."

"Beyond the Veil," Liliana said, realization dawning. "But that's..."

He nodded. "Time moves differently there, enough that she thought she could gain what she needed before it was too late. She ventured into Runom's Departure, seeking relics, artifacts wielded by the demonic lords, anything that might give her an edge against Xeroth's forces. But the power… it was too much, too fast."

Liliana's eyes grew distant. "It changed her?"

"More than that. The magic there is ancient, unyielding, as ruthless as those who wield it. Emeria was unprepared for what she unleashed. The power didn't just test her, it fought her, clawed at her, until it was all but consuming her. By the time we found her…" He paused, the memory seeming to draw him backward. "When we found her, we believed she'd been lost to it, that the magic itself had devoured her from within. Or worse, that Xeroth had already laid claim to her."

He hung his head, voice laced with regret. "We never considered that Lord Bloodthorn might have… that he would dare. He had Lifedrinker, yes, but we never imagined he would go so far. Perhaps… perhaps Emeria had tried to take it from him. Believing she could wield it, thinking it would be her way to save us all."

The weight of his words lingered in the room. The tragic choices, the unintended consequences, and the events Emeria had unknowingly set into motion.

Liliana swallowed. "She… she looked up to me. Wanted to be like me. And I left her to all of this…"

Her father looked at her, his expression softened. "You couldn't have known. Emeria was headstrong, ambitious, just like you. But I told her she wasn't ready, that this was a threat beyond her comprehension. And yet, her heart was set, just as yours is now." He straightened, the hardness returning to his features. "She went beyond the Veil, even though she'd been warned. And that decision… it changed everything."

"If she went beyond the Veil to gain power, to protect everyone, maybe… maybe that's where we need to go, too. If it's the only place we can find the strength to face Voss and Xeroth—" Kale said.

"No," the Lord said, slicing through Kale's hopes before they even had time to grow. "Emeria's fate should serve as a warning, not a guide. Runom's Departure is not some tool for gaining power. It is a boundary, a realm between life and death, and mortals have no business there."

Liliana glanced at her father, defiance flickering in her eyes. "But we can't ignore it either. Emeria found something there, something powerful enough to change her—"

"You don't understand," he cut in. "You go there, you're not just risking yourselves, you're tearing open the Veil, leaving it exposed until you return. Every second that gateway is open, we're inviting things in that don't belong here. Creatures and forces that make men like Voss look like children with sticks, things that would crack this world open like a skull and feast on whatever they find inside. We'd need our best soldiers, our strongest mages to hold the line, and even then…" His gaze held theirs, unwavering. "What lies beyond the Veil is the stuff of nightmares. If it gets through, it won't just come for us, it'll come for everything."

"It is the only chance we have!" Kale said. "If we don't do this… it would be like giving up on Rika, and I refuse to let her die without trying everything in our power to save her!"

Liliana stepped closer. "Father, we don't have any other choice. We've tried fighting, gathering allies, looking for answers, and every time we're a step behind. We've lost Rika, and Voss has Lifedrinker. If we don't do this…"

The Lord's face was a mix of frustration and reluctant understanding. He looked between Liliana and Kale. "If you're that determined, I won't stop you. But know this: once you step into Runom's Departure, there's no guarantee you'll return the same. Beyond the Veil, everything—your strength, your fear, even your soul—will be laid bare and tested. And every second that gate is open, my people will have to bleed to keep the things in there from spilling into this world. Xeroth's power is already moving against us, and every moment we leave the gateway open is a chance for darkness to slip through. So if you go, go knowing the cost, and prepare yourselves to face the unknown."

Kale held the Lord's gaze. "We're aware of the cost, but we're going."

The Lord studied him for a long moment, as though searching for cracks, some flicker of doubt. Then he nodded, slowly, before turning to Liliana. "Very well. Just remember Emeria… and try not to lose yourself in there."

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Liliana's eyes dropped briefly, then she straightened, her face hardening with resolve.

"Give me some time to make the necessary preparations," the Lord said. "Meet me at the Sanctum of the Veil."

With a final look, the Lord turned and left, leaving Liliana, Kale, and Sadek alone to ready themselves for what lay ahead.

***

In the sanctum's darkened hall, rows of Scarlet Veil warriors stood in silence, their faces shadowed yet resolved. Mages flanked them, hands resting on the hilts of enchanted blades or lightly touching amulets of bloodstone. These were the protectors, the ones who would stand guard, spill blood, and, if need be, die to keep the gateway closed to any horrors that might try to follow from beyond. They stood like statues, a wall of discipline and strength, each aware of the gravity of what was about to unfold.

Behind them, chained and trembling, a line of prisoners knelt in the torchlight, faces pale with terror. They glanced around, desperate, as if some miracle might save them from what was to come. They were sacrifices, souls offered up to fuel the dark, forbidden ritual that lay ahead. And from the way the warriors watched them, it was clear their fates were already sealed.

At the sanctum's center, the Lord of the Scarlet Veil awaited. By his side, an attendant held a set of armor that shimmered even in the dim light, its pristine white and crimson tones accentuated by faint streaks of lightning etched along the edges, a set crafted specifically for Sadek. The attendant stepped forward, presenting it to him with a respectful nod, lowering his gaze as he extended the gleaming armor.

"A gift," the Lord said, "for the journey ahead, and for protecting my daughter."

Sadek accepted the armor with a short bow, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes as the attendant continued. "This is the armor of the Scarlet Veil, crafted specifically for a Stormbrand. It will amplify your natural abilities, your control over lightning."

Kale's brow furrowed. "Stormbrand?"

The attendant nodded. "It's a class that channels the raw force of storms, honing the energy into weaponry. Sadek's power allows him to control lightning, adding its might to his strikes." The attendant then held out a spear, finely crafted and adorned with carvings that sparked faintly in Sadek's hands. "This spear is enchanted, a conduit to strengthen your abilities further. Your lightning will find its mark more true, more deadly."

Sadek gave the weapon a testing twirl, his stance solid, a small hint of satisfaction settling on his face. "I'll put it to good use."

Another attendant stepped forward, holding out two bands. "Lightning doesn't discriminate," he said to Kale and Liliana, "and a Stormbrand's power is as merciless as any storm, wild, unpredictable. These bands will blunt some of that fury. With these, the Stormbrand can fight without restraint, without… collateral damage."

Kale turned the band over in his hands. "And if we didn't have these?"

The attendant looked at him with a grave expression. "Without these, standing beside a true Stormbrand could be as fatal as facing him. The bands will ground some of his power, dull the charge, but don't mistake them for full protection. If you're caught in his path, even these won't save you. "

Kale glanced at Sadek with newfound respect. "Held back, huh? Good thing we've got these."

Sadek gave a small, dry shrug. "You'll need them."

The Lord cast a sharp look between them. "Remember, once you're inside, move with purpose. Every moment you spend in there costs lives out here. My warriors and mages will hold the gateway open for as long as you need, but they will bleed to keep whatever lurks within Runom's Departure from crossing over. Each minute, each heartbeat, raises that cost."

Liliana nodded, determination in her eyes. "We understand, Father."

Kale took a steadying breath, gripping the band around his wrist. Sadek, spear at the ready, gave the Lord a brief nod.

"It is time then." The Lord said. He glanced at one of the prisoners bound nearby, and with a cold nod, his attendant brought the captive forward.

The Lord of the Scarlet Veil stood before him, his face hard and resolute. With a swift motion, he gestured to his attendants, who forced the captive to his knees. The prisoner struggled, but the Lord reached forward, gripping his shoulder firmly.

The Lord pressed his palm over the prisoner's chest. Power surged through his fingers, and the man convulsed, his eyes wide with panic as blood began to trickle, then pour from his skin in a hundred tiny streams. It wasn't a clean draw, more like his veins were being shredded from the inside out, the blood ripping free in jagged bursts, crawling up the Lord's arm in dark, twisting coils.

The prisoner's face contorted, a mix of agony and helplessness, his fingers scrabbling at the empty air as if he could claw his way free. The streams of blood quickened, a relentless pull that ignored his desperate, weakening struggles. Each agonized gasp was weaker than the last, the blood forming a writhing, pulsing sphere in the Lord's grip, beating like a stolen heart.

With a final, choked cry, the prisoner's body went still, his flesh turning ashen and sunken as his life drained away. The room filled with the metallic scent of blood as the last bit of strength ebbed from the hollow, lifeless shell left behind.

The Lord stepped back, lifting the sphere of blood, then flung it forward. It hit the air and burst outward, stretching into a widening crimson circle, a portal that pulsed with dark energy, rippling outward like waves from a stone cast into deep water. Through the portal, an eerie twilight realm unfurled, wavering between light and shadow as though trapped in endless dusk. Figures flickered at its edges, distant and spectral, like faded memories caught in some eternal dance. From within, faint whispers slithered forth, beckoning with a cold, ancient malice that suggested once you entered, this realm would claim you, and any attempt to leave would cost more than mere strength.

As the portal's dark energy pulsed, a shadow peeled away from the twilight beyond and jumped forward. It slipped free of the portal, a creature with shifting, half-formed limbs and eyes that gleamed with feral hunger, its presence radiating a deathly chill. The Lord's hand shot out, catching it by the throat. The creature writhed, clawing at him with twisted, vaporous limbs that shifted and flickered. With a dismissive clench of his fist, the Lord crushed it, the form dissolving into a wisp of black mist, sucked back into the portal as though it had never been.

"Go," he said. "Find the strength you need, and remember, every second matters."

Without hesitation, Kale stepped forward, leading the way, with Liliana and Sadek close on his heels. They passed through, leaving the familiar world behind as the shadows of Runom's Departure swallowed them whole.

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