Through the tear in reality, a shape emerged—massive, undulating, neither solid nor ethereal. It stretched like molten glass, stars and void visible through its translucent form. The creature descended in spirals toward the Institute grounds, its presence warping the air around it.
Rudra felt his bones vibrate, teeth aching with proximity to something so fundamentally wrong. Students scattered in panic, some freezing in abject terror. The Red Council woman's smile widened, her crimson eyes reflecting the dimensional horror above.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" she whispered. "The Veil-Walker. First of many. Your mother kept them from us for so long."
Rudra struggled against the invisible restraints. "My mother is dead."
The woman tilted her head, her laughter like breaking glass. "Is that what you were told? How convenient."
Across the courtyard, Aarav emerged from the main building, flanked by teachers wielding arcane implements. His eyes found Rudra, then widened at the sight of the Red Council member. "Yakshini," he spat, the name itself carrying venom.
The woman—Yakshini—acknowledged him with a mocking bow. "Professor. Your protection of the boy ends tonight. The Chakravyuh's secrets die with the dawn."
Aarav's hands moved in complex patterns, drawing glowing sigils in the air. "You've broken the ancient pact. The consequences—"
"Will be yours to suffer," Yakshini interrupted. "Unless the boy chooses to come willingly."
The Veil-Walker's descent accelerated, its form compressing as it neared the ground. Where it touched the Institute's protective barriers, the wards sizzled and warped like melting plastic.
Rudra's mind raced. Around him, chaos reigned—students running, teachers forming defensive circles, corrupted prowling beyond the gates. Bunty stood frozen, his eyes darting between Rudra and the nightmare unfolding above them.
"What do you want from me?" Rudra demanded, fighting the magical bonds.
Yakshini stroked his cheek with an ice-cold finger. "What every power in the hidden world wants, child. The key your blood carries. The doorway your mother sealed."
Roohi stepped forward, hands raised defensively. "Don't listen to her, Rudra. The Red Council broke away from the ancient orders because their practices were forbidden. They sacrifice mystics to gain power."
"Such childish simplifications," Yakshini sighed. "We seek balance—the natural order of things. Humans worship their false gods while creatures of true power hide in shadows. Your mother understood the old ways before they corrupted her."
The Veil-Walker screeched, a sound that bypassed ears and scraped directly against the mind. Several students collapsed, blood trickling from their noses. The barriers flickered dangerously.
Aarav completed his sigil-casting, unleashing a wave of golden energy that slammed into Yakshini. She staggered back, momentarily stunned. Rudra felt the invisible bonds weakening.
"Run!" Aarav shouted. "Find Jessica! She knows the contingency!"
Rudra broke free, lurching toward Bunty. "Come on!"
They sprinted across the courtyard, dodging panicked students and falling debris. The Institute's architecture was changing, walls rippling, windows elongating into screaming mouths. Reality itself was becoming unstable around the dimensional tear.
Jessica appeared from a side passage, her face grim. "This way!" she called, leading them toward what appeared to be a dead end. She pressed her palm against the stone wall, muttering an incantation. The wall dissolved, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness.
"What about the others?" Bunty demanded. "Roohi! Gauri!"
"Roohi can handle herself," Jessica replied, her voice tight with worry. "The healers took Gauri to the sanctuary. We have minutes before that thing breaks through completely."
They plunged down the stairs, Jessica conjuring a pale blue light that floated before them. The passage wound deeper beneath the Institute than should have been possible, the air growing thick with the scent of old books and metal.
"What did she mean about my mother?" Rudra asked, struggling to keep pace. "Everyone keeps talking about her like she was some kind of—"
"Guardian," Jessica supplied. "One of the most powerful. She was tasked with protecting certain boundaries between worlds. When she disappeared, the Council thought she'd defected. Now we know she was hiding you."
The staircase ended at a circular chamber lined with ancient texts and strange artifacts. In the center stood a pedestal bearing a small wooden box, intricately carved with symbols that seemed to shift when viewed directly.
Jessica locked the door behind them, activating a series of wards that hummed with protective energy. "This room is shielded against most detection. We have time, but not much."
Bunty slumped against a wall, exhaustion evident in every line of his body. "Someone better start explaining. What the hell is happening to our school? What's a Veil-Walker? And why does everyone want Rudra?"
Jessica's expression softened. "The Veil-Walker is an interdimensional entity that feeds on magical energy. They can't normally access our reality without help. The Red Council has been trying to break the seals for centuries."
"And I'm what—the final seal?" Rudra asked bitterly.
"No. You're the key that can remake them." Jessica opened the wooden box, revealing a small crystal pendant shaped like a crescent moon. "This belonged to your mother. She left it here for safekeeping, with instructions that it should be given to you when the time came."
Above them, the Institute shuddered. Dust rained from the ceiling.
"They're breaking through," Bunty murmured. "We can't just hide down here."
Jessica handed the pendant to Rudra. It felt warm against his palm, pulsing slightly as if alive. "Put it on," she instructed. "It will help control the abilities that are awakening in you."
Rudra hesitated. "What if I don't want these abilities? What if I just want my normal life back?"
Jessica's laugh was hollow. "Your life was never normal, Rudra. It was protected. There's a difference."
He slipped the pendant over his head. Immediately, warmth flooded his body, clarity sharpening his senses. The blue veins of light returned...