The remnants of the Veil’s energy rippled through the air, creating an unnatural chill that seeped into Riven’s skin. The Hollow City stood ahead, its towering spires clawing at the overcast sky. Each structure glimmered faintly, fractured reflections scattered across their surfaces like frozen memories. The ground beneath Riven’s boots was uneven, veined with cracks that glowed faintly with the same sickly light that pulsed in the veins of the Void Corruption coursing through his arm.
Lyra floated beside him, her spectral form dim and unsteady. Her glow, which usually radiated a quiet strength, now flickered faintly, like a dying ember struggling against the suffocating darkness of the Veil.
“This city feels... heavier than the others,” Riven muttered, his voice breaking the oppressive silence. His hand instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword, its weight grounding him against the growing unease that gnawed at his resolve. “The Veil’s influence is everywhere. It’s like the city itself is alive.”
Lyra’s translucent form drifted closer, her face etched with a mixture of exhaustion and determination. “That’s because it is,” she said softly, her voice barely audible over the faint hum emanating from the fractured structures around them. “The Veil doesn’t just consume realms—it binds itself to them. The Hollow City isn’t just a victim of the Veil. It’s become an extension of it.”
Riven grimaced, his eyes scanning the empty streets ahead. Each shadow seemed to shift unnaturally, the reflections in the cracked glass of the buildings watching him with malicious intent. “And the people? Are they still here?”
Lyra hesitated, her glow flickering. “In a way. The Veil feeds on their despair. Their bodies might be gone, but their souls... their memories are trapped here, scattered and fragmented. Every shard of glass, every crack in the stone—it’s a piece of them.”
Riven’s jaw tightened. He could feel the weight of countless eyes on him, the ghosts of the city’s inhabitants pressing against the edges of his perception. The Void Corruption in his veins pulsed faintly, feeding on the lingering despair that clung to the air like a miasma.
“We can’t let this place consume us,” he said firmly, breaking the silence. “The core of the Veil is here, somewhere. We destroy it, and we set them free.”
Lyra nodded, though her expression remained cautious. “It won’t be easy. The Veil won’t let go of this place without a fight.”
Riven smirked faintly, though there was no humor in his eyes. “Nothing worth saving ever is.”
They moved deeper into the city, the oppressive weight of the Veil pressing against them with every step. The streets were eerily silent, their surfaces littered with broken glass and fragments of stone. Each shard reflected distorted images of Riven and Lyra, twisted and fractured, as though mocking their presence.
Riven’s gaze drifted to the shadows that lingered at the edges of the buildings, shifting and flickering like living things. His grip on his sword tightened. “The Veil’s watching us,” he muttered. “I can feel it.”
“It always is,” Lyra replied, her voice tinged with unease. “The closer we get to the core, the more it will try to break you.”
“Let it try,” Riven said, his tone sharp. “I’m not here to lose.”
Despite his words, the unease in his chest grew stronger as they approached a wide plaza at the heart of the city. In the center of the plaza stood a massive structure—a cathedral-like building with jagged spires that twisted unnaturally, as though reaching toward the fractured sky. Its windows were shattered, and its doors hung ajar, revealing only darkness within.
“That has to be it,” Riven said, nodding toward the structure. “The core of the Veil is in there.”
Lyra hesitated, her form flickering. “This place isn’t just a cathedral. It’s a nexus. The Veil has anchored itself here, and its influence will be strongest inside.”
Riven glanced at her, his expression hard. “Then we’ll cut it loose.”
As they stepped into the plaza, the air grew heavier, suffused with an unnatural energy that seemed to pulse in time with the faint hum of the Veil’s presence. The shadows around them began to move more deliberately, coalescing into vague shapes that flickered at the edges of Riven’s vision.
“Riven,” Lyra said suddenly, her voice sharp with warning. “We’re not alone.”
He turned sharply, his hand on his sword as the shadows solidified, forming into humanoid figures. Their bodies were jagged and angular, like broken sculptures given life, and their eyes glowed with a faint, sickly light that mirrored the veins of the Void Corruption in his arm.
The figures moved forward in unison, their steps eerily silent. Riven raised his blade, its surface glinting faintly in the dim light. “More puppets of the Veil,” he muttered. “I was starting to wonder when it’d send its welcoming committee.”
Lyra floated closer, her glow intensifying as she prepared to fight. “These aren’t just puppets,” she said, her voice low. “They’re fragments of the souls trapped here. The Veil’s using them to protect itself.”
Riven’s chest tightened at her words, but he forced the thought aside. There was no time for doubt—not now. “Then we’ll free them the only way we can.”
The shadows lunged as one, their jagged limbs cutting through the air with unnatural speed. Riven met the first with a sharp swing of his sword, the blade slicing cleanly through its fragmented form. The creature let out a hollow scream as it dissolved into shards of light and shadow, but two more took its place, their movements faster and more erratic.
Lyra unleashed a burst of spectral energy, the attack rippling through the shadows and scattering their forms. “We can’t fight them all,” she called, her voice urgent. “The Veil will keep sending more until we’re overwhelmed.”
“Then we don’t give it the chance,” Riven replied, parrying another strike. His movements were precise, but he could feel the weight of the Void Corruption slowing him down, each strike costing him more effort than the last. “We push forward. Straight to the core.”
Lyra nodded, her energy flaring as she darted ahead, clearing a path through the shadows. Riven followed, his blade flashing as he cut down anything that moved to block their path. The plaza seemed to stretch endlessly, the cathedral always just out of reach, but Riven pressed on, his determination driving him forward.
The shadows grew thicker, their attacks more coordinated, but Riven didn’t falter. His strikes were fueled by desperation and resolve, each one carving a path closer to the cathedral’s looming entrance.
Finally, they reached the threshold. Riven skidded to a stop, his chest heaving as he turned to face the swarm of shadows that still lingered in the plaza. They hesitated, their glowing eyes fixed on him, but they didn’t advance.
“They’re waiting,” Lyra said, her voice tight. “The Veil knows we’re here. It’s preparing for us.”
Riven stepped into the cathedral, his grip tightening on his sword. “Then let’s not keep it waiting.”
The cathedral’s interior swallowed them whole, a vast, yawning darkness that seemed to breathe with a life of its own. Riven’s boots echoed sharply against the cracked stone floor, the sound vanishing into the oppressive void. The air here was colder, thicker, as though each breath was filtered through an unseen barrier. Above, faint beams of fractured light pierced through shattered stained-glass windows, casting fragmented colors that danced like specters across the walls.
Lyra floated beside him, her glow subdued but steady. “This place feels... wrong,” she said softly, her voice reverberating faintly. “The Veil’s corruption is strongest here. It’s saturating everything.”
Riven tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes scanning the room for movement. The jagged columns that lined the walls rose high into shadow, their surfaces shimmering faintly with an unnatural sheen. Between them, fragments of mirrors hung suspended in mid-air, each one reflecting warped images of Riven and Lyra—fractured and twisted, as though mocking their resolve.
“It’s like the whole place is a trap,” Riven muttered, his voice barely louder than a whisper. “Every step feels like it’s leading us into something worse.”
Lyra’s expression darkened. “That’s exactly what it’s doing. The Veil isn’t just waiting for us. It’s guiding us, drawing us deeper into its core.”
Riven glanced at her, his brow furrowed. “Why? If it wanted us dead, it could’ve thrown more at us in the plaza. What’s it waiting for?”
“Maybe it wants you alive,” Lyra replied, her tone grim. “It’s been watching you since we entered this realm. The Void Corruption in your veins... it’s like a beacon to it. The Veil might see you as more than a threat. It might see you as a prize.”
Riven clenched his jaw, his free hand tightening into a fist. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, but he forced it aside. “Then let it watch. I’m not here to be taken. I’m here to end this.”
They moved cautiously through the cathedral, the faint hum of the Veil’s energy growing louder with every step. The main hall stretched endlessly ahead, its walls lined with shattered mirrors and broken statues that loomed like silent sentinels. Each mirror reflected fragments of the world outside—the twisted spires of the Hollow City, the swirling shadows of the Veil—but none of the images matched the reality Riven had just left behind.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Lyra paused before one of the mirrors, her gaze fixed on its surface. “These aren’t reflections,” she said, her voice tinged with unease. “They’re memories. Pieces of the lives the Veil has consumed.”
Riven stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied the mirror’s flickering surface. Within, he saw fleeting images: a woman holding a child, her face etched with fear; a soldier kneeling on a battlefield, his hands covered in blood; a group of children laughing in a sunlit meadow, their joy turning to screams as shadow overtook them.
“This is what it’s taken,” Lyra continued, her tone heavy. “It doesn’t just devour realms. It devours moments. Lives. Everything.”
Riven’s chest tightened as the images shifted, the mirror now reflecting a scene he recognized. A battlefield shrouded in smoke and fire. Bodies strewn across the ground. And at the center of it, a man with a blade, his eyes filled with pain and regret.
“Is that... me?” Riven asked, his voice barely audible.
Lyra floated beside him, her gaze unreadable. “It’s a piece of you,” she said softly. “One the Veil is trying to use against you.”
The mirror’s surface shimmered, the image fading into darkness. Riven turned away, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. “Let’s keep moving. We’re not giving it what it wants.”
The hum of the Veil’s energy grew into a low, resonant vibration as they reached the end of the hall. Ahead, a massive set of double doors loomed, their surfaces carved with intricate patterns of spiraling shadows. The carvings seemed to move as Riven approached, the shapes shifting and writhing like living things.
“This is it,” Lyra said, her voice low. “The nexus. The core is just beyond these doors.”
Riven nodded, his heart pounding as he pushed the doors open. The weight of the Veil’s presence surged forward, pressing against him like a physical force. Inside, the chamber was vast and circular, its walls lined with more mirrors, each one reflecting fragments of twisted memories.
At the center of the room, suspended above a swirling pool of darkness, was the core of the Veil. It was a massive crystal, its surface jagged and irregular, pulsing with a dark, rhythmic light. Tendrils of shadow snaked from the pool below, feeding into the crystal like veins.
But the room wasn’t empty. A circle of figures surrounded the core, their forms hunched and obscured by cloaks of shadow. They moved in unison, their voices rising and falling in a discordant chant that filled the chamber with a haunting melody.
“The Veil’s protectors,” Lyra whispered. “They’re bound to it, just like the rest of this realm.”
Riven’s grip on his sword tightened. “Then we break them, too.”
One of the figures turned, its face hidden beneath a hood. Slowly, it stepped forward, its movements deliberate and unnatural. As it approached, its shadowy form shifted, revealing jagged limbs and glowing eyes that burned with malice.
“You dare to disturb the nexus,” the figure said, its voice layered with echoes. “You dare to challenge the will of the Veil.”
Riven stepped forward, his sword at the ready. “I’m not here to challenge it. I’m here to destroy it.”
The figure laughed, a sound that reverberated through the chamber like shattering glass. “You cannot destroy what is eternal, Custodian. The Veil is the end. The inevitable. You are but a fleeting spark in the shadow of its truth.”
The chanting of the other figures grew louder, the melody twisting into a deafening cacophony that pressed against Riven’s mind. The shadows in the room began to move, converging on the core as the protectors rose, their forms becoming more defined—humanoid but grotesque, their bodies fragmented like broken sculptures.
Lyra floated beside Riven, her energy flaring. “Riven, be careful. The Veil’s feeding off them. They’re stronger than anything we’ve faced before.”
Riven didn’t respond. His focus was on the core, its dark light pulsing in time with his own heartbeat. The Void Corruption in his veins surged, its whispers growing louder.
Let us in, the voice hissed. We’ll end this. Together.
Riven gritted his teeth, shoving the voice down as he raised his sword. “Let’s see how eternal they really are.”
The protectors lunged, their fragmented bodies moving with terrifying speed. Riven met the first strike with a sharp swing of his blade, the impact sending a shockwave through the chamber. The battle for the core had begun.
The clash of steel against shadow reverberated through the chamber as Riven met the first protector head-on. Its jagged limbs lashed out in a flurry of strikes, each one faster and more precise than the last. Riven parried, his sword sparking as it clashed against the creature’s fragmented form. The Void Corruption surged in his veins, its whispers tempting him with promises of power.
Give in, the voice hissed. You can’t win like this.
Riven snarled, forcing the corruption down as he drove his blade forward. The protector let out a hollow shriek as the sword pierced its chest, its body dissolving into shards of shadow that scattered across the floor. But no sooner had it fallen than another rose to take its place, stepping forward with the same eerie precision.
“They’re endless!” Riven growled, dodging a swipe from the new attacker. His muscles burned, exhaustion creeping into every movement.
“They’re feeding off the core!” Lyra shouted, her spectral form flaring as she unleashed a burst of energy at another protector. The attack struck true, the creature’s fragmented body shattering into pieces, but the victory was short-lived. More protectors emerged from the swirling shadows below the core, their forms dark and imposing.
Riven gritted his teeth, his gaze locking onto the crystal at the center of the chamber. Its light pulsed steadily, in sync with the movements of the protectors, as though controlling them. “Then we cut off their source,” he said, his voice hard. “We take out the core.”
Riven fought his way through the swarm, his blade flashing as he carved a path toward the core. Each strike took more effort than the last, the weight of the Void Corruption pressing heavier on his mind and body. The protectors seemed to sense his struggle, their movements growing more coordinated, their strikes more relentless.
“Riven, wait!” Lyra called, darting to his side. Her energy flared brightly, forming a shield that deflected a strike aimed at his back. “You can’t just charge in! The core is connected to the entire Veil. If you destroy it without severing those connections, the backlash could—”
“I know,” Riven interrupted, his voice sharp. He swung his sword, forcing another protector back. “But if we don’t do something now, this place will overwhelm us.”
Lyra hesitated, her spectral form flickering. “There’s another way,” she said, her voice quiet but firm. “The Archive. If you channel its power, you can sever the Veil’s connections without destroying the core outright. It’s risky, but it might work.”
Riven froze, his grip tightening on his sword. “The Archive,” he repeated, his voice filled with doubt. “You know what happened the last time I used it. The Void Corruption nearly took me.”
“I know,” Lyra said, her gaze steady. “But the Archive chose you for a reason. You have to trust it—and yourself.”
Riven’s jaw tightened. The thought of using the Archive’s power again sent a wave of fear through him, but Lyra’s words echoed in his mind. Trust yourself. He didn’t feel like he deserved that trust, not after everything he’d failed to do, but he didn’t have a choice. Not now.
“Fine,” he said, his voice low. “But if this goes wrong, it’s on you.”
Lyra managed a faint smile. “When has anything we’ve done gone right?”
Riven took a deep breath, centering himself as he focused on the core. The protectors closed in around him, but Lyra darted forward, her energy forming a barrier that held them at bay. “Hurry!” she called, her voice strained. “I can’t hold them off forever!”
Closing his eyes, Riven reached for the Shattered Archive. The connection was always there, a distant hum at the edge of his consciousness, but now it surged forward, raw and overwhelming. The power of countless lost realms flooded his mind, a chaotic swirl of memories, stories, and lives that threatened to drown him.
For a moment, he faltered, the weight of the Archive pressing down on him. The Void Corruption in his veins flared, its whispers growing louder. This is too much. You’re too weak. Let us take control.
“No,” Riven growled, his voice filled with defiance. “Not this time.”
He forced the corruption back, focusing instead on the Archive’s light. It was faint, buried beneath layers of pain and loss, but it was there—a steady glow that cut through the darkness. Drawing on that light, Riven extended his hand toward the core.
The air around him crackled with energy as the power of the Archive surged outward, forming tendrils of light that snaked toward the crystal. The core shuddered, its dark light flickering as the tendrils wrapped around it, severing its connections to the protectors.
The creatures let out deafening screams as their bodies dissolved, their fragmented forms collapsing into pools of shadow. The crystal pulsed wildly, its light growing unstable as the Veil’s grip on the Hollow City began to falter.
The chamber trembled as the core’s energy spiraled out of control, tendrils of shadow and light twisting violently around it. Riven staggered, the strain of channeling the Archive’s power taking its toll. His vision blurred, his legs threatening to give out beneath him.
“Riven, hold on!” Lyra shouted, darting to his side. Her glow was faint, her energy nearly spent, but her presence steadied him. “Just a little longer!”
Gritting his teeth, Riven pushed forward, drawing on the last reserves of his strength. With one final surge of energy, the Archive’s light enveloped the core, severing its remaining connections. The crystal let out a piercing wail before shattering, fragments of dark light scattering across the chamber.
The room fell silent. The oppressive weight of the Veil lifted, replaced by a stillness that felt almost unreal. The mirrors lining the walls cracked and splintered, their reflections fading into nothingness. The swirling shadows in the pool below vanished, leaving only empty darkness.
Riven dropped to his knees, his chest heaving as he released the Archive’s power. His arm burned with the lingering touch of the Void Corruption, but he forced himself to ignore it. It was over. The Veil’s grip on the Hollow City was broken.
Lyra floated beside him, her glow faint but steady. “You did it,” she said softly, her voice filled with quiet relief.
Riven let out a shaky breath, his grip on his sword loosening. “For now,” he muttered, his tone weary. “The Veil’s still out there. This was just one piece.”
Lyra nodded, her expression somber. “But it’s a start. You’ve given these souls a chance to rest.”
As the words left her lips, a faint light appeared in the center of the chamber—a shard, glowing softly. Riven reached out, his fingers brushing against its surface. The warmth of the light spread through him, a brief reprieve from the cold darkness that had consumed the city.
[Quest Complete: The Cracks in the Veil.]
[Void Corruption Reduced: 15%.]
The screen flickered out, and Riven pushed himself to his feet. His body ached, his mind felt fractured, but he stood tall. “One realm down,” he said, his voice firm. “How many more to go?”
Lyra smiled faintly, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. “As many as it takes.”
Riven nodded, his gaze shifting toward the exit. The Hollow City had been freed, but the journey was far from over. He tightened his grip on the shard, its light flickering softly in his hand.
“Let’s move,” he said. “There’s more work to do.”
Together, they stepped out of the cathedral and into the uncertain light of the fractured world beyond.