Isaac and Veyra walked through the ruins of Blackveil. Moving toward the broken archways that led to the outside world.

  The deeper, twisting corridors had faded behind them. The ancient stone pathways now bathed in pale, eerie light filtering through cracks above.

  And as they walked.

  The monsters watched.

  Not hiding. Not stalking.

  Simply… watching.

  Creatures that should have been tearing into them without hesitation instead froze in place, lurking in the shadows, eyes locked onto Veyra.

  The wolves with too many teeth whimpered, lowering their heads.

  The skeletal specters lurking between the pillars withdrew like retreating mist.

  The things that had no shape, no body, no name, things that should not have existed. Refused to move past the threshold of her presence.

  Isaac noticed.

  And, after a moment, casually remarked, “Well. That’s convenient.”

  Veyra’s expression didn’t change.

  “They do not see me.” she murmured. “They remember.”

  Isaac raised an eyebrow beneath his mask.

  “Remember what?”

  Veyra glanced at him, black void eyes gleaming.

  “Why they fear.”

  Isaac let that sink in.

  Then he gave a small, thoughtful nod.

  “…Alright then.”

  And that was the end of that conversation.

  The final stretch of crumbling ruins ended at an arched opening, where the world outside waited.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Isaac and Veyra stepped forward, leaving the shadows of Blackveil behind.

  And for the first time in centuries, Veyra stood under the open sky.

  The sun hung low, painting the land in a soft, golden glow. The breeze carried the scent of distant pine and damp earth, the ruins behind them falling into silent stillness.

  Isaac stretched, rolling his shoulders.

  “Alright.” he said, inhaling deeply. “Much better.”

  Veyra didn’t respond immediately.

  She simply stood there, unmoving, staring at the sky as if she were seeing it for the first time.

  Isaac waited.

  Then, after a long pause, she finally murmured.

  “It has changed.”

  Isaac glanced at her.

  “The sky?”

  She nodded, her tone unreadable. “It is different than I remember.”

  Isaac exhaled. “Well. That’s what happens when you’re locked away for a few hundred years.”

  Veyra said nothing.

  For a moment, she simply… existed.

  Then, as if nothing had happened. She turned back to him.

  “You require a favor.” she said.

  Isaac smirked beneath his mask.

  Right back to business.

  Isaac reached into his coat, pulling out the folded parchment.

  The one given to him by the thin, sharp-eyed man.

  The one that had led him straight to her.

  He flicked it open, holding it up lazily between two fingers.

  “Think you can use your magic or whatever to track this guy down?” he asked.

  Veyra reached out, her long, delicate fingers brushing the parchment.

  For a moment, she simply held it.

  Then, the air shifted.

  A whisper brushed the edges of reality.

  Not words. Not language.

  But a memory.

  Isaac watched as black strands of something not quite smoke, not quite mist curled around the parchment, sinking into the fibers.

  Veyra’s eyes narrowed slightly.

  Then she spoke.

  “He is not far.”

  Isaac leaned forward slightly. “Oh?”

  Veyra lifted her gaze, locking eyes with him.

  “He is in Eldermere.”

  Isaac grinned.

  “Perfect.”

  Isaac rolled his neck, stretching his legs, feeling the tension leave his muscles.

  If this guy was that close, then the real game was about to begin.

  He took a slow step forward, then paused.

  A thought crossed his mind.

  A simple, obvious thought.

  He turned back to Veyra.

  “…You can hide yourself, right?”

  She blinked once. “Hide?”

  “Yeah.” Isaac gestured vaguely. “Make yourself invisible. Turn into smoke. Do… whatever it is you do.”

  Veyra tilted her head slightly.

  “You do not wish him to see me?”

  Isaac smirked.

  “Oh, he’ll see you eventually.”

  He adjusted his gloves, rolling his shoulders.

  “But I’d rather he didn’t run before I could have a nice little chat.”

  Veyra studied him.

  Then, without a word, her form began to blur.

  Like ink dissolving into water.

  Like a shadow being pulled into something deeper.

  And then...

  She was gone.

  Isaac glanced down.

  His shadow had grown darker. Longer.

  Veyra’s voice whispered softly from it.

  “I will remain unseen.”

  Isaac exhaled, nodding to himself.

  “Good.”

  He crouched slightly.

  Lined up his stance.

  And then...

  He ran.

  The chase had begun.