The wind screamed.
Not just through the trees, but through the soul of the city itself.
Graveton — once a quiet human settlement nestled between hills and rivers — now trembled beneath skies torn by shadow.
The rift in the clouds glowed black. Figures moved within it. And from the eastern wall, Adelwin watched the end of peace unfold.
---
The Gate Shatters
The first blow wasn't from a battering ram, but from a sound — a shriek that pierced through stone and blood. The gate cracked, warped, and exploded inward.
Through the dust came them:
Shadowspawn, beasts formed of nightmare and ash
Veiled Warbinders, faces hidden, hands glowing with cursed runes
And at the center… her — the girl with the veil and chains.
She didn't walk.
She hovered.
Each step never touched the ground, but the earth cracked beneath her anyway.
"Deliver the Lightbearer," she said softly. "Or drown in the dark."
---
Adelwin's Stand
Adelwin stood firm on the gatehouse, blade in hand, his coat tattered, his heart steady.
> "You'll find no surrender here."
He turned to the defenders behind him — old hunters, young farmers, rebel scouts, and a few of the Hollow's exiles.
"Today, we protect more than a city," he said. "We protect meaning. We protect the ones who still hope."
The warhorn blew.
And Graveton fought.
---
Jayden Arrives
Just as the black flame reached the heart of the city, a blaze of golden light tore through the sky — and descended.
Jayden landed on the shattered clocktower, his cloak trailing energy, his eyes glowing — not with rage, but purpose.
"Back off," he said to the Veiled girl, "or you'll wish you stayed in your shadows."
She looked up, curiosity flaring beneath her veil. "So the Echo awakens."
"I'm not your Echo," Jayden growled. "I'm your end."
---
The Clash
Jayden leapt, blades in both hands, striking through the first wave of enemies. They twisted and screamed, dissolving in the light.
Veyna followed, covering the flanks with speed and cold precision.
Caziel appeared in the chaos, smirking. "Told you the Hollow was only half the game."
Jayden spun. "Glad you're here. Help the north barricade. I've got this."
"This?" Caziel laughed, nodding at the Veiled girl. "Brother, this is a problem."
---
Unmasking the Veiled One
Jayden and the Veiled girl clashed midair, her chains against his flames. The impact cracked the skies.
But in a sudden flare of light, he knocked her veil loose.
She gasped — and Jayden froze.
Her face was young. Familiar.
Too familiar.
> "I know you…" he whispered.
She did not deny it.
"I was supposed to be forgotten," she said. "But the gods of the shadows remember us both."
And then, before he could speak — she vanished in a burst of void flame.
---
The Ashes Settle
By dusk, the battle was over.
The rift had closed. The enemies retreated, not defeated — but paused.
Graveton stood.
Barely.
But it stood.
Jayden dropped to his knees in the center of the city square, hands bloody, mind racing.
> Who was she?
Why did she look like someone he'd once seen… in his visions?
And what did the gods of the shadows still want from him?