The torches flickered wildly, their flames struggling against the suffocating darkness that loomed over the chamber. Evelyne's breath came in sharp, uneven gasps as she tried to process what she had just seen. The vision had struck her like a hammer, sinking deep into her consciousness, leaving a ghostly imprint she couldn't shake.
Kael stood beside her, his sword still drawn, his gaze locked onto the shifting shadows around them. He had seen many things in his cursed existence—many horrors, many betrayals—but something in his stance told her that this was different. This was something even he wasn't prepared for.
"The Cursed Veil…" Kael murmured, the words barely above a whisper.
Evelyne turned to him, still gripping the dagger tightly, its cold hilt pressing into her palm. "You know what it is."
Kael exhaled, his emerald eyes dark and unreadable. "I've heard whispers of it before. Legends, myths passed down through the remnants of this castle's past. They say that beyond the veil lies the truth of the curse. But no one who has ever sought it has returned."
Evelyne clenched her jaw. "Because they didn't know what they were looking for."
Kael looked at her sharply. "And you do?"
She hesitated for only a moment. "No. But I know one thing—they've been trying to keep me from it."
The air thickened around them, the unseen force that had haunted this chamber stirring once more. The whispers returned, but this time, they weren't just murmurs of the past.
"Turn back… Turn back… The veil must not fall… The truth must not be seen…"
Evelyne shuddered, but she refused to let fear take hold. She had already come this far. Turning back was no longer an option.
"Where is it?" she asked, her voice steady despite the unease crawling up her spine.
Kael's gaze flickered with something unreadable. "The eastern wing. A hall that has been sealed for centuries."
Evelyne nodded. "Then that's where we go."
Kael didn't move. "You don't understand," he said, voice low. "The eastern wing isn't like the rest of the palace. The spirits there are not bound by the same rules. They don't just whisper—they consume. The moment we step through that threshold, we become prey."
Evelyne swallowed hard. The warning should have terrified her. And yet…
"If that's where the truth is, then I don't care." She met his gaze, unwavering. "If we don't end this now, how many more will die? How many more brides will be sacrificed?"
Kael's jaw tightened. He studied her for a long moment, as if weighing her words against something unseen. Then, finally, he sighed.
"You're stubborn," he muttered.
Evelyne arched an eyebrow. "Only when it matters."
A small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. But it vanished just as quickly as it appeared. "Then let's not waste time."
TheEasternWing
The corridor leading to the eastern wing was unlike the rest of the palace. The walls here were lined with old, crumbling tapestries, their once-vibrant colors faded into dull shades of gray and brown. Dust clung to the air, thick and heavy, as if centuries of silence had settled here, untouched by time.
But the most unnerving part was the emptiness.
There were no flickering torches here, no statues watching from the corners. No remnants of life. Only the endless stretch of stone and shadow.
Evelyne tightened her grip on the dagger. Every step she took echoed unnaturally loud against the floor.
Kael walked beside her, his movements eerily silent. His presence was the only thing anchoring her sanity in this forsaken place.
"How do we find the mirror?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kael didn't look at her. "We don't. It finds us."
A chill ran down her spine. "That's not reassuring."
He smirked slightly. "It wasn't meant to be."
Before she could respond, a sound cut through the silence—soft at first, then growing louder.
Footsteps.
But not just one pair.
Many.
Evelyne froze. The sound was coming from ahead… and from behind.
"We're not alone," she whispered.
Kael's expression darkened. "We never were."
The air around them shifted, and suddenly, figures began to emerge from the darkness.
Women.
Dozens of them.
Their faces were pale, their eyes hollow voids of blackness. Their bodies were wrapped in decayed wedding gowns, veils draped over their faces like funeral shrouds.
And they were walking toward her.
Evelyne's blood ran cold.
"Kael…"
His sword was already drawn, his stance tense. "Don't let them touch you."
Before she could ask why, the nearest bride lunged.
Evelyne barely had time to react. She twisted, dodging the ghostly figure as its fingers clawed at the air where she had just stood. The bride let out a hollow, echoing wail, a sound that sent ice through Evelyne's veins.
Another one lunged. Then another.
Evelyne ducked, barely avoiding the skeletal hands reaching for her. "What do they want?" she gasped.
Kael slashed at one of them, his blade cutting through the ghostly form. The bride let out a scream and **vanished into dust.**
"They want you," he said grimly. "You're the next bride. They want you to join them."
Evelyne's stomach twisted. "Not happening."
She turned just in time to see another figure standing perfectly still at the end of the corridor.
Unlike the others, this one wasn't lunging.
She was simply waiting.
Her veil was different—longer, heavier, embroidered with golden patterns that glowed faintly in the dim light.
And then, she lifted her hand and pointed.
At Evelyne.
The floor beneath them trembled. The walls groaned as if the palace itself was waking up.
Then, the corridor collapsed.
Evelyne let out a strangled gasp as the floor gave way beneath her. She felt herself falling, the darkness swallowing her whole.
Kael's voice echoed through the chaos. "Evelyne!"
She reached for him, but the shadows pulled her down.
And then—
She was somewhere else.
TheVeilofTruth
The air was cold. Almost unbearably so.
Evelyne opened her eyes and found herself standing in front of the mirror.
It was massive—towering over her like an unholy monolith, its surface cracked, but still reflecting an image.
Her own image.
But something was wrong.
The reflection wasn't her.
The woman staring back at her had her face, but her eyes were black. Her lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.
"You wanted the truth," the reflection whispered.
Evelyne's breath caught.
"Then see it."
The mirror shattered.
Visions flooded her mind—
A bride, standing at the altar, her veil hiding her face.
A dagger, glinting under candlelight.
Blood. So much blood.
And then—Kael.
Kael, standing over a body.
A woman's body.
Evelyne gasped, her knees buckling. The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.
Kael wasn't just cursed.
He was the reason the curse existed.
The truth had finally been revealed.
And it changed everything.
---
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