The blue wave of light crashed against him, both in body and spirit. His vision blurred as he gasped for air. The particles of light he inhaled refreshed his strength even if only a little. Tightly grasping the hilt of his blade with both hands, he lifted his head.

Silhouettes of inhuman beings flooded the forest. Some were small, some were as tall as a house. Some looked like snakes with wings while others were humanoid, but with the antlers of a moose.

They soon vanished from his sight, leaving behind the light-filled forest. The tear in the Veil continued to grow ever so slightly. He could see the slow spread of damage across the fabric of reality. A bright blue light had begun to pass through the tear, and with it the wisps of light entered their world.

With gritted teeth he braced himself for the second wave of blue light. “Lillia?” He shot a glance over his shoulder.

“I’m ok,” her voice was but a frightened whisper. He could feel her fingers digging into his shoulders. She was trembling but didn’t seem affected by the blue wave of otherworldly power.

He turned his gaze towards the tear once again. Fear mixed with despair threatened to drown the sensible part of his mind. He fought against the rising panic. Panic meant death. He bit his lip, then took a deep breath as the tear in the veil began to pulsate again.

A wave of blue light spread from it, slowly washing over the earth. He summoned what strength he had left, steadied himself as best he could, and waited.

Something flew from behind, grazing his shoulder, and struck the ground before him. It was a silver coloured blade, a two handed claymore. Seven gems were embedded at the middle of the blade, all as large as his closed fists. It’s hilt and guard were made of a black metal. The blade itself was almost as tall as Lillia, and too heavy for any normal person to lift.

His eyes widened as realisation hit him. He turned around and embraced Lillia. “Close your eyes!”

The golden light was so bright it nearly blinded him despite turning his back to the sword. The air grew unbearably hot for a split second. His lungs burned, he felt like he was on fire, then the heat was replaced with frigid cold. It spread like a wave, chilling the whole area.

As Midhir opened his eyes, he saw a thin layer of frost cover the forest. He let go of Lillia, whose limp body collapsed on the frosty ground. She had lost consciousness but seemed to be alright otherwise.

“Took you long enough,” His voice cut through the silence. He lifted his gaze to look at the woman walking towards him.

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She was tall, with long, white hair cascading over her back and shoulders. Her green eyes glimmered as her lips curled up with a smile. Her gaze first turned towards Lillia, then to him. Her smile vanished almost instantly as she noticed his wound, and the blood seeping through the makeshift bandages he had tied.

“Indeed,” she spoke with a frown. She pursed her lips as she stood before him. “Allow me to aid you.”

Midhir sat back, and watched as she placed her hand on the wound. She wore a ring embedded with a tiny golden crystal. As soon as her hand touched his leg, the ring emitted a soft, warm glow.

The pain nearly knocked him out. He keeled over, clenching his fists and taking deep breaths to try and stay conscious. It felt as if it lasted for hours, but the wound closed within seconds, stemming the blood flow.

“I won’t heal anymore,” she decided, and pulled her hand away. “Someone more skilled than I should heal the muscles – lest the damage become permanent. Besides,” she looked at him straight in the eye. “You don’t look like you can take anymore punishment.”

Midhir let out a sigh. “You think?” he grimaced.

The sword she had somehow thrown from such a distance emitted a golden glow as soon as she touched its hilt. “What happened?” she asked, glancing at the unconscious Lillia, and then at the tear in the veil.

“They’ve been passing through, probably since last night.” He pressed his palm against his aching eye. “We tried to stop the mist from covering Lohssa, but I don’t think Arwen and the others were able to stop it.” He lifted his gaze and glared at her. “Are they alive, Moira?”

Headmistress Moira nodded. “Of course they are. Don’t underestimate the heir of the Orleins. Or that girl,” she added with a scowl as the tear in the veil released yet another circle of blue light. She tilted her head and watched as the wave of blue light crashed against the golden light spreading from her sword.

She didn’t seem even slightly bothered by the clash. “Soraya made a mistake. She shouldn’t have sent you four here,” she shot a sharp glance at Midhir. “And your sister made a mistake too,” she added.

“She won’t hear the end of it, believe me,” he smiled wryly. “Can you heal the tear?”

The woman’s eyes lit up with a fire. Her lips curled up with an almost mocking smirk as she pulled her sword out of the ground. “I have not lost my edge yet, boy.”

Resting her blade’s flat surface against her shoulder, she walked towards the tear without hesitation. Her stride filled with confidence, she passed by the wisps of blue light, finally stopping right in front of the veil.

She held her blade with both hands, in front of her chest, the blade looking up.

“In the name of the Emperor, I offer my blood to protect these lands,” Her voice was but a whisper, carried to him with the frigid wind. The seven crystals embedded into her sword lit up as she ran her palm along the sharp edge the blade.

Red blood tainted the beautiful silver blade. She took a single step back, pointing her sword towards the tear in the veil. The blood on her blade suddenly started to gather towards the tip of her blade as she prepared the resonance needed to repair the veil.

A single drop of her blood flew towards the tear in the veil. As soon as it touched the whirling, blue tear in reality, it suddenly shifted and changed. For a split second, it seemed like the tear fought against her power, but then in an instant it collapsed.

Headmistress Moira stumbled back a single step. “Your sister didn’t make a mistake,” she said with a cold voice as her gaze lingered in the air where the tear was just a moment ago. “Something tore the veil apart here, after she healed it.”

Her words sent a shiver down his spine.