Snow fell softly as Jun Mo Xie stared at the ancient map laid out on the stone table within the monastery. Its edges were frayed, and the ink was faded in places, but the route was clear: to reach the Celestial Ember, they would have to pass through the Shattered Veil.
It was a land that even the most fearless cultivators avoided. A place where the laws of the world unraveled, where time lost meaning, and where ghosts walked with the living.
"Shattered Veil," Mei Yun muttered. "Even the Cloudfall Archives marked it as a forbidden zone."
Fei Yan ran her fingers over a corner of the map. "It's not a place. It's a wound."
Lan Xue clutched her robe tighter. "Do we really need the Ember?"
Jun Mo Xie nodded. "The Crimson General cannot be harmed by normal means. The Celestial Ember is the only thing mentioned in every scroll that speaks of his defeat."
Yue Ling crossed her arms. "Then let's stop talking and start walking."
---
They left the monastery at first light. The monks offered prayers and rations, but no escorts. "We've sent too many into that fog," one said, "and none returned."
The road northeast twisted through narrow canyons and frozen streams. On the second night, they encountered a caravan that had been torn apart—wagons overturned, blood staining the snow.
Fei Yan examined the wounds. "Clawed. Not blades. No signs of burial or offerings."
Lan Xue said a prayer. "We're getting close."
---
By the fourth day, they reached the edge of the Veil.
It was not a wall or mountain. It was a tear in reality itself.
A wall of shifting fog rose before them, tinged with violet and deep blue. Lightning sparked silently within it. The trees nearest the fog were twisted and petrified. The air buzzed with distortion.
Jun Mo Xie took a deep breath. "Stay close. Don't lose sight of one another."
They stepped through.
---
Immediately, sound disappeared.
The world turned grey. Not dark—just colorless. Their footsteps made no noise. Even the wind was silent. Only the pulsing beat of their hearts reminded them they were still alive.
Jun Mo Xie felt as though he were being watched by a thousand eyes, yet saw nothing.
Lan Xue reached for his hand without speaking.
Yue Ling's form flickered for a moment—one step behind, then one ahead. She blinked. "The fog… it distorts time."
Mei Yun produced a rope and tied it around their waists. "Stay tethered."
They moved slowly through the shifting mists. Occasionally, shadows passed them—too tall, too thin, too quiet. One reached for Fei Yan, who sliced through it. It dissipated with a silent scream.
"Not ghosts," she said. "Reflections."
"Of what?" Lan Xue asked.
"Our fears," Jun Mo Xie replied.
---
Hours—or days—later, they stumbled into a clearing where the fog parted.
In the center stood a small shrine, crumbling but intact. Upon its altar burned a flame that did not consume, held within a crystal orb suspended in air.
"The Ember," Mei Yun said.
Jun Mo Xie stepped forward—but a voice echoed in the silence.
**"You seek that which cannot be owned."**
The mist condensed into a form—neither man nor beast, cloaked in shifting robes, face obscured.
**"This flame tests the soul. Only one may carry it. The rest must remain."**
Fei Yan stepped forward. "Then test me."
The entity tilted its head. **"You kill too easily."**
Mei Yun said, "Let me try."
**"You hide behind duty. Your soul is chained."**
Lan Xue tried. **"You are too kind. The fire would consume you."**
Yue Ling faced the being, chin raised.
**"You have walked through darkness, but you still seek vengeance, not balance."**
Finally, Jun Mo Xie stepped forward. The mist swirled.
**"You do not belong to this world."**
He didn't reply.
**"You are a fracture in fate, a paradox. The flame calls to you because you are not bound."**
The orb descended slowly, hovering before him. He reached out—and fire coursed through his veins. Pain like molten glass. Visions flooded his mind: cities burning, skies torn asunder, a throne of black fire.
He screamed—but did not let go.
The flame dimmed. The orb settled in his hand.
It was done.
---
The fog shuddered.
Cracks formed in the air.
"They know," Fei Yan whispered. "Something knows we have it."
Yue Ling turned. "We need to leave. Now."
But the Veil would not let them go easily.
The ground twisted. The path behind them was gone. In its place stood a creature—a behemoth formed of bones and shadows, with antlers like trees and eyes that wept fire.
It roared silently.
Lan Xue activated a protection seal. "It's a Veil Guardian!"
Jun Mo Xie gripped the orb. "I'll distract it. The rest of you—"
"No," Mei Yun said. "We do this together."
They attacked as one.
Fei Yan moved first, daggers targeting the creature's joints. Yue Ling circled behind, carving sigils into the snow. Mei Yun struck with wind chi, driving the beast back.
Lan Xue supported from the rear, keeping shields up and eyes open.
Jun Mo Xie raised the Ember. The flame responded, forming a sword of light in his hand.
He charged.
The blade cut true. Not against flesh, but against the energy that bound the creature. It shrieked, unraveling. Shadows peeled away, exposing a pulsing core.
"Now!" he shouted.
All four women struck at once. Chi, blades, fire, and will converged.
The creature exploded into ash and light.
Silence returned.
---
Hours later, they found themselves beyond the Veil. The fog did not follow. The Ember pulsed quietly in Jun Mo Xie's pack.
They sat in the grass, breathing hard. Snowflakes fell, warm this time.
No one spoke. Words were unnecessary.
They had passed through death, madness, and illusion—and returned.
And now, with the Ember in hand, they had hope.
But far away, beyond mountains and ruins, the Crimson General stood atop a burning hill, gazing north.
He smiled.
"T
he Monarch plays boldly. Good. Let him come."
He turned to his legion of masked warriors.
"Prepare the Gate. The world will burn anew."
---
*To be continued...*