The plains gave way to rolling hills, their slopes dotted with gnarled trees that clawed at the sky. Four days out of Thornwick, the group moved under a bruised dusk, the air thick with the promise of rain.
Kael led the way, his eyes scanning the horizon for threats, the Veilkey's hum a constant murmur at his belt.
Mira walked beside Eryn, murmuring encouragements to the younger girl, whose steps were hesitant, her hands tucked into her sleeves to hide their faint glow.
Torren brought up the rear, his longsword a silent warning to anything that might follow. The road to the Crystal Vale felt longer with each step, and Kael's patience was wearing thin. Thornwick's chaos lingered in his mind. The breach, Eryn's magic, the villagers' fear, it was all tied to the Veilkey, a burden he hadn't asked for.
He glanced at Eryn, her auburn hair catching the fading light. She was a liability, her power unpredictable, but Mira insisted she was crucial.
Kael wasn't so sure.
He'd survived by trusting his instincts, and they told him the girl was trouble, just like the orb.
Mira broke the silence, her voice low. "We're close to Hollowfen. It's a small town, but they might have supplies. We're running low on food."
Torren's scar twitched as he glanced back. "Another town, another chance for your orb to stir up hell. You sure about this?"
"We don't have a choice," Mira said, adjusting her satchel. "We can't reach the Crystal Vale on empty stomachs. And Eryn needs rest."
Eryn's head snapped up, her voice sharp. "I'm fine. Stop treating me like I'm broken."
Kael raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The girl had spine, he'd give her that. Still, her magic had nearly torn Thornwick apart, and he wasn't eager for a repeat performance.
"Hollowfen's a risk," Torren said. "Small towns talk. The Shroud's got eyes everywhere."
Kael nodded. "We go in quiet, get what we need, and leave. No heroics."
Mira's lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't argue. They crested a hill, and Hollowfen came into view, a cluster of stone houses huddled around a central well. Smoke rose from chimneys, but the town was eerily still, no lanterns lit despite the gathering dark. Kael's gut tightened. "Something's wrong," he said, slowing.
Mira's eyes narrowed, scanning the town. "The air's heavy. Like Thornwick, but worse. The Veil's thinning again."
Eryn's hands glowed faintly, and she clenched them into fists. "I feel it too. It's like something's watching."
Torren drew his sword, his voice a growl. "Stay sharp. If it's a breach, we're not fighting another shadow beast."
Before they could decide, a figure appeared on the road ahead, stepping from the shadows of a twisted oak. He was tall, his form cloaked in dark fabric that seemed to shimmer, blending with the dusk. His face was hidden by a hood, but his eyes gleamed, pale and unblinking, like polished stone.
Kael's hand went to his dagger, instincts screaming danger.
"Travelers," the figure said, his voice smooth, almost melodic. "You carry a heavy burden. I can feel it from here."
Kael stepped forward, blocking Mira and Eryn. "Who are you? Speak fast."
The figure lowered his hood, revealing a face that wasn't quite human. His skin was pale, almost translucent, with faint veins of silver tracing his cheekbones. His ears tapered to delicate points, and his eyes held an ancient weight.
"I am Varn," he said. "A wanderer, like you, drawn to the Veil's song. That orb you carry, it calls to those who listen."
Mira's voice was cautious. "You know about the Veilkey?"
Varn's lips curved, not quite a smile. "More than you, scholar. It is a fragment of the Veil's heart, forged long ago to bind or break the worlds. Its power grows as the Veil weakens, and you are not equipped to wield it."
Torren's sword glinted as he shifted. "We don't need your riddles. What do you want?"
"To help," Varn said, his eyes fixed on the pouch at Kael's belt. "You seek the Crystal Vale, yes? The path is perilous, and the Shroud is closer than you think. I know the Veil's ways, its secrets. Let me guide you."
Kael didn't trust him. The man's words were too smooth, his presence too convenient. "And what's in it for you?" he asked.
Varn's gaze flickered, unreadable. "The Veil's collapse threatens all, myself included. I wish to see it preserved. But I will not lie. The Veilkey's power tempts many, and I am no saint."
Mira stepped forward, her voice firm. "If you know the Veil, you know we can't just hand it over. Why should we trust you?"
Varn tilted his head, studying her. "You should not. Trust is a luxury you cannot afford. But you need me, and I need you to succeed. The Veilkey must reach the Crystal Vale, or Hollowfen's fate will be Eryndor's."
Kael followed Varn's gaze to the town. The stillness was unnatural, the air pulsing with that same wrongness he'd felt in Thornwick. "What's wrong with Hollowfen?" he asked.
Varn's voice grew grave. "A breach, larger than the one you faced. The town is dying, its people trapped in a waking nightmare. The Veilkey could close it, but at a cost."
Mira's eyes widened. "What cost?"
Varn's gaze shifted to Eryn, who shrank back. "The girl's magic is bound to the Otherworld. Using the Veilkey through her could save the town, but it will draw the Shroud like moths to flame. Or you can pass by, preserve the Veilkey's secrecy, and let Hollowfen fall."
Kael's stomach twisted. "You're saying we either risk everything or let a town die?"
Varn nodded, his expression unreadable. "Choices are rarely kind. Decide quickly. The breach grows."
Torren's voice was low, angry. "This is a trap. He's pushing us to expose ourselves. We should keep moving."
Mira shook her head, her face torn. "We can't just abandon them. If the Veil's breaking, it's our responsibility. The Veilkey's part of this."
Eryn's voice was small, trembling. "I don't want to hurt anyone. But I'm scared. What if I can't control it?"
Kael looked at her, seeing the fear in her eyes, the same fear he'd felt years ago, running from a life he couldn't escape. He hated this, hated the weight of choices that weren't his to make. "Mira, can Eryn handle it?" he asked.
Mira hesitated, then nodded. "With the Veilkey, yes. But Varn's right. It'll paint a target on us."
Torren's scar twitched. "We're already hunted. This just makes it worse."
Kael turned to Varn. "You're coming with us. If this goes wrong, you're not walking away clean."
Varn's lips curved again. "Fair. Lead on, thief."
They descended toward Hollowfen, the air growing heavier with each step. The town's streets were empty, doors ajar, windows dark.
The well at the center shimmered, its water reflecting a sky that wasn't there, all green light and spiraling clouds. A low moan echoed, not from any one source but from the town itself, as if the stones were weeping.
Mira clutched her satchel, her voice a whisper. "The breach is centered here. The well's the focal point."
Eryn's hands glowed brighter, and she winced. "It's pulling at me. Like it wants something."
Varn's voice was calm, almost soothing. "It wants the Veilkey. Its power can seal the breach, but only through you, girl."
Kael drew his dagger, scanning the shadows. "Let's make this quick."
They approached the well, the air crackling with energy. The moan grew louder, and shapes flickered at the edges of Kael's vision, not quite solid. Mira pulled the Veilkey from Kael's pouch, its silver light pulsing in time with Eryn's glow. "Eryn, focus on the orb," Mira said. "Feel its rhythm, like in Thornwick."
Eryn nodded, her face pale but determined. She took the Veilkey, her hands trembling. The light flared, and the well's shimmer intensified, revealing a tear in the air, jagged and pulsing.
Shadows moved within, humanoid but wrong, their limbs too long, their faces blank.
Torren raised his sword. "We've got company."
The shadows lunged, silent but swift.
Kael dodged a claw-like hand, slashing with his dagger. The blade passed through, the shadow rippling but not falling. Torren fared better, his sword cutting deep, but the shadows kept coming, more spilling from the breach. "We can't hold them forever!" he shouted.
Mira guided Eryn's hands, her voice steady. "Focus, Eryn. Push the Veilkey's power into the breach. Imagine it closing."
Eryn's glow surged, and the Veilkey's light burned brighter, casting stark shadows across the square. The breach pulsed, shrinking slightly, but Eryn cried out, her knees buckling. "It's too much!" she gasped.
Kael fought off a shadow, his shoulder aching from the strain. "Keep going, Eryn! We've got you!"
Varn moved with unnatural grace, his hands weaving patterns in the air that shimmered like liquid silver. The shadows recoiled from him, giving the group breathing room. "Hurry," he said, his voice tight. "The breach is fighting back."
Eryn's glow stabilized, and the breach shrank further, the shadows within howling. The air trembled, and the well's water boiled, steam rising in thick clouds.
With a final pulse, the breach snapped shut, the light fading. Eryn collapsed, the Veilkey rolling from her hands. Kael caught it, shoving it back into the pouch.
The square was silent, the moan gone, the air lighter. But the victory felt hollow. Eryn was pale, her breathing shallow. Mira knelt beside her, checking her pulse. "She's alive, but she's drained."
Torren wiped his sword, his eyes on Varn. "You didn't fight. You just danced around. What's your game?"
Varn's gaze was cool. "I did what was needed. The girl closed the breach. Be grateful."
Kael's temper flared. "You knew this would happen. You pushed us into this."
Varn's expression didn't change. "You chose to act. Choices have costs."
Before Kael could retort, a new sound broke the silence: boots on stone, too many to count.
Crimson cloaks appeared at the square's edges, the Order of the Shroud, their swords glowing. A tall figure stepped forward, his face hidden by a mask etched with runes. "The Veilkey," he said, his voice cold. "Hand it over, or Hollowfen burns."
Kael's heart sank.
Varn had been right. Using the Veilkey had drawn them, and now they were surrounded. "Mira, get Eryn up," he said, drawing his dagger. "Torren, any ideas?"
Torren's grin was grim. "Fight or run. Your call."
Mira lifted Eryn, her face set. "We can't fight them all. We need to break through."
Varn's voice was calm. "There's a path through the fen, behind the mill. It's narrow, but it leads to the hills. I can lead you."
Kael didn't trust him, but they had no choice. "Go," he said, shoving Mira toward the mill.
Torren took point, cutting down a Shroud member who got too close. Kael stayed close to Eryn, his dagger flashing as they ran. Varn moved like a shadow, guiding them to a muddy path that snaked into the fen.
The Shroud pursued, their shouts echoing through the mist. The fen was a maze of reeds and shallow pools, the air thick with the stench of decay.
Kael's boots sank into the mud, slowing him, but he pushed on, Eryn's weight half on his shoulder. "Keep moving!" he shouted.
They reached a rise, the hills looming ahead. Varn stopped, his eyes scanning the fen. "They're close, but we can lose them in the hills. Follow me."
Torren grabbed Varn's arm. "If this is a trap, you're dead."
Varn's gaze was unyielding. "If I wanted you dead, warrior, you would be."
Kael didn't have time for their standoff. "Move!" he barked, pulling Eryn forward.
The Shroud's glow faded behind them, their pursuit slowed by the fen's terrain. As they climbed into the hills, the Veilkey's hum settled, but Kael's unease didn't. Varn had saved them, but his motives were murky, and Hollowfen's cost weighed heavy.
Mira's voice broke his thoughts. "We did the right thing, saving the town. But the Shroud's closer now."
Kael glanced at Eryn, still pale but awake. "Was it worth it?" he asked.
Eryn met his gaze, her voice soft but firm. "I don't know. But I couldn't let them die."
Kael nodded, understanding more than he wanted to. The Veilkey was changing them all, and he wasn't sure he liked what they were becoming. As they followed Varn into the night, the Crystal Vale felt farther than ever.
End of Chapter 4.