The Veil

Prologue

      The sun dances with her golden hair. Her eyes filled with empathy, with concern.
     "We can't risk you."
Her mouth poised to speak.
      A whimper escapes me and my legs thunder beneath my weight, working on their own.
"You don't trust me!"

      We sprint through the labyrinthine streets, heads low to block out the figures perched high on the walls.   
     Almost losing my footing, we round a bend and I catch sight of home as it comes into view.
      Swallowing the sound that creeps up my throat, I lock eyes with my mother. 

     "Scarlet! My gods, Kean!" Her voice trembles as we meet halfway, and I scan her to reassure myself before collapsing into her arms. 
      "We need to leave, now." I pull away from her embrace.
      "Tell me what happened." Mom's eyes flicker behind me, where Terran stands drenched in crimson. 
      I shake my head, doing my best to ignore the weight of reality.
"We don't have any time, we need to leave right now." 

     The town bell tolls in the distance. It's then that I realize the absence of sound, everyone has fled the area.
     "We must leave a note. Anything." The look in her eyes has my lips forming a hard line, my eyes jumping from the house to her.
     "Please, for Renil." her hands shake as she raises a hand to her cheek.
     My father will know where to find us regardless of a note, but I nod, urging her forward. 
     "Quickly. Please." We follow her to the fence.

      Turning to Kean, I freeze at the sight of his vacant expression.
     Unable to find the right words, I place a hand against his cheek, but he pulls away.
     He looks down at me, but somehow it feels like he can't see me, and all I want to do is plead with him to talk to me.
     To find a way to somehow explain all of this.

     A crack powers through the air, the sound pierces my ears–accompanied by a searing flash akin to lightning striking the earth.
     We instinctively duck, covering our ears. Swinging around, I reach for Kean, but his gaze remains fixed behind me.

     I pivot in time to witness fractured light and swirling smoke tearing through the atmosphere.
      A chill courses through my veins.

     A figure draped in a black cloak strides down the street, the fabric billowing behind them as they turn toward the gate in front of the house. 
     I catapult to my feet.
"Stop, please!" I can't restrain my scream.

     Swirling tendrils of black mist ascend into the air, spiraling and billowing just beyond sight, while the sound of claws rending stone heralds the ascent of a massive creature scaling the walls of the house.
     My entire body stalls.
Its jaws are lined with grey jagged teeth reminiscent of spears, while the hollows of its eyes seem to stretch into infinite darkness, glistening with moisture.
     With each hiss and gurgle, thick slime drips from its jowls, leaving a viscous trail in its wake.
     Its leathery hide is taut and marked with pulsing veins.
The front door creaks open.
     "I'm coming, I'm com-" Claws seize either side of her head, her eyes widening in horror.
     Mom's silent, her jaw falling open. Veins bulge up her neck and onto her soft cheeks. Blood pools under her eyes before trailing down her face, more bubbling up and out of her mouth. 
     I'm unable to make a sound as I helplessly watch. The creature releases her, her body falling down the steps with creaking thuds.
      I fall back into the fence and quickly reach to feel for the gates opening. The figure slithers down to all fours, reaching for her chest as its spindly fingers imbed into her.

     My body stills, energy rippling against my skin as the figure tears out her heart, splattering the front door.

     The cloaked figure unsheathes something from their leg, aiming it toward the creature as they close the distance between it.
      A loud crack sounds, light flaring with it, and the creature drops.

     Conscious thought abandons me and I fling myself away from the gate, no longer able to feel my body as it propels me away from home... Home. 

      I never check if Kean follows, but I can hear his steps trailing behind me. We don't stop running until we reach the first Patrol gate, passing abandoned houses, doors ajar with belongings sprawled across the lawns of some. 
     People are lined up outside the post, a group of them yelling and throwing themselves against a barricade of    Knights from the Dawn Regiment.
     I stare behind us, my entire body trembling as my eyes scan the streets. I look toward Kean before sweeping over everyone else. 
     Kids. Are we all that made it out? Everyone here has to be at least 20, some younger. 
      I follow Keans gaze and it's locked on Walen's tall and stout frame, clad in a shirt drenched in blood and hands smeared with the same. As my eyes trail up Walen's body, I quickly avert them when I see that he's watching me. 
     There's Penn, her eyes hollow and  skin a sickly shade of white.
     The group forcefully breaks through the Knights, surging through the gate. Knights struggle to reform their barricade, their attempt interrupted, 
     "Let them through! Gods damn it all, let them through now." A tall woman in worn black leathers strides forward. A Commander?
     The officers yield, allowing the group to pass.
        Definitely their Commander.

     Leaning forward, I brace my hands on my thighs as nausea suddenly rears its head, releasing a deep breath.   
     Tears threaten to spill, and I dry heave. 
Kean's hand claps against my back, pulling me from myself.  With a shake of my head, we move forward, walking in tandem and resisting the urge to meet the Commander's gaze.
     I keep my eyes on the ground, inhaling deeply through my nose. 
   We pass a table with abandoned cards laid out, the remnants of a game left unfinished. My eyes trail up to the passage in the wall.
     The tunnels within the walls lead upwards and through to the Dawn barracks and storage rooms. Dad's friendships within the Dawn Regiment granted us a tour of the maze-like border a few years ago. 

     This part of town mirrors the chaos from the section behind us. More children join our group as we wind through the streets.
     "Where are we going?" 
"It's not like we can leave. Are they taking us outside?" 
      Hushed conversations hum around us.
Veil Regiment Knights mark our path, armed with the same object the one had at- my eyes squeeze shut as my stomach roils. 
     The lingering feeling of unease persists as flashes of recent events recite themselves through my mind.
     I shake my head, blocking all of it out again. 

      We arrive at the center of town, the grandiose fountain at the heart of the square released a delicate mist that blanketed the area.
     Across from us, five of the Veil are donned in black leathers, mirroring the commanders, stand with an air of indifference.
     One casually picks at her nails. All of them bored but with demeanours that exude intimidation.
     All of them with Veil Regiment emblems on their arms, and another with 'III' stitched into it.
     Two stand with their arms crossed, they almost look like brothers but the subtle differences are there.
    
     My breath catches in my throat as our eyes meet, tall, with untamed waves of ebony hair framing his forehead.   
     His shoulders squared and arms crossed, fingers gripping his biceps.
     A scar traces its way up from his jaw, under his bottom lip, across to the other side of his face and up to his ear.   
     His head turns slightly, dark eyes narrowing when our gaze lingers.
     When I don't look away.

     The commander's voice silences the crowd, 
"Each of you will go in groups of three. Line up!" Her tight braid of warm russet hair sweeps over her arm as she gestures in front of her. 
     Murmurs erupt among the crowd, heads swivelling to one another. 
      "Atlas?" I whisper.
I realize I've grabbed Keans hand when he gently squeezes mine, and I look up to find he's been watching me.
     His bloodshot eyes trace themselves to where I was looking.
      I force myself to swallow.

     "The Veil will splice you. Try not to throw up."
Murmurs evolve into a loud conversation as everyone gazes up at the distant blur in the sky. 

     Pairs form, and I place a hand on the shoulder of someone without a group before my mind begins to spiral.
     He looks at me with gratitude.
"It's alright," I assure him with a slight smile. 
He nods.
"Micah," he introduces himself, glancing at me and then at Kean.
"Scarlet. This is Kean," I reply as Kean  remains focused ahead.
     I ignore the nagging ache begging to release my emotions.
     We line up, and a short, slender woman with braided strawberry-blonde hair smiles at us. The first group steps forward, and the officer places her hand on one of the kids' shoulders. She winks at them before a loud crack echoes through the air. Gasps fill the space as smoke swirls, and they're gone. 
     Splicing, a technique involving small orbs Lumen Stone, allows Knights to traverse space. I've only ever heard Dad tell stories about it, but even knowing what it is doesn't stop the shock from sending shivers through me. 

     Each group shuffles forward, Knights reappearing with loud cracks to transport one group after the other. Small gasps persist throughout the crowd with each return. 

        The tall dark-haired male comes into view through the smoke to my left. He places a hand on Penns shoulder, and their group of four vanish with a snap. 
     We step forward to the small woman; she firmly grasps my shoulder.
"I'm Amity." She bows, giving us a wicked smile,
"Hold on!"
     My ears ring as we're hurtled through sudden darkness. I fucking swear my heart stops and a rattled breath leaves me, feeling as if the air has been ripped from my lungs.

     My eyes open as I tumble onto a vast open field and the wind whips around us. I wipe the tears that have streamed across my cheeks. 
     The world spins, and nausea builds in my stomach. Amity is the only one of us four still standing with a huge smile on her face. Kean sits up on his knees. Micah groans as he rolls onto his back with his hands plastered to his face. 

     "Holy shit," I wince.
The woman laughs, smacking a hand on my back.
     "Never gets old."

     I risk looking up, my stomach lurching. A colossal stone castle stands mere metres ahead of us, and the clouds are below us. 
     "Welcome to Atlas, cadets!"