The battle looms ever closer! Let's continue the saga of *The Shattered Veil*.
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**Chapter Sixteen: The Gathering Storm**
The mist surrounding the Forbidden Realm churned, pulsing with unseen energy. Lirien could feel it—the weight of fate pressing against her chest, the whispers of the veil trembling in anticipation.
The army of Veil Keepers stood ready, warriors cloaked in magic, their weapons infused with ancient power. The stranger stood beside her, his golden eyes fixed beyond the mist where *Vael'Korin* waited.
"They won't strike first," he murmured. "They'll wait for hesitation."
Lirien exhaled, steadying herself. "Then we give them none."
She stepped forward, lifting her palm. The mark on her wrist blazed like a star, its golden light cutting through the mist, revealing the battlefield beyond.
There—waiting—stood Vael'Korin's forces.
The traitor's warriors held their ground, their eyes glowing with magic tainted by broken oaths. At their center, shrouded in darkness, stood *Vael'Korin* themselves—a figure cloaked in shadows, watching with an expression unreadable.
Lirien met their gaze.
And the skies split apart.
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The final battle is upon us! Shall we step into war, or uncover an unexpected revelation? The fate of Eldoria hangs in the balance.