Mist clung to the treetops, and the path ahead shimmered with dew. Their boots sank into wet leaves as silence stretched between them. Only when the fog thinned did Mira finally speak.
The fog around them seemed to deepen. Elira felt Lumeveil's glow dim against her hip, as though even the sword had grown uneasy.
The first growl came from the mist—low, guttural, and close.
Shapes stirred, then broke free of the fog: hulking creatures with bone masks and blackened veins, eyes burning like dying coals.
"Mistborn Beasts," Haco muttered, drawing his blade. "Ancient war remnants. Keep your stance steady."
"Radiant Slash!" Elira shouted, her sword bursting into light—only for it to sputter halfway through. The glow shattered; her strike barely grazed the creature's hide.
Her stomach dropped. It didn't obey me.
The beast lunged. Kael stepped in front, slamming his armored fist into the earth. "Thunder Step!" Lightning arced upward, forcing it back.
Mira thrust both hands out. "Fusion Steam!"
A swirl of flame and frost collided, erupting into scalding mist. The explosion tore two beasts aside.
Haco, barely moving, swept his blade once—three bodies hit the dirt. He turned sharply toward Elira, his tone like ice.
"You hesitate, you die!"
Even though the snare of his voice was terrifying, the effect was… pretty small—coming from someone with a fourteen-year-old face. Mira had to bite back a laugh even as she ducked another strike.
Elira inhaled sharply, gripping the sword tighter. "Radiant Slash!"
The light flickered again, unstable. Lumeveil's voice echoed inside her mind—cold, distant.
"Do you truly believe yourself worthy of me?
Your father begged for power too… and look where that path led."
Her blood froze. The sword's glow died, leaving her open.
The beast's claws descended—until Haco blurred past, his strike severing the creature's arm.
"You don't ask a blade to trust you," he snapped. "You make it."
Kael detonated a ring of earthen traps—Pulse Vault!—as Mira's steam burst slammed through the last wave. The clearing fell silent except for their ragged breathing.
Elira stared at her sword. "It… it didn't listen."
Mira stepped closer. "Spirits don't just ignore their wielders. Did you upset it or something?"
Kael frowned. "Unless it's choosing."
Haco's tone dropped, calm and sharp. "Spirits choose their masters—and sometimes they change their minds. If it doubts you can bear its light, it'll protect itself first."
Elira's throat tightened. "You mean… it could betray me?"
He didn't answer. His gaze lingered on her sword, golden eyes reflecting something like recognition—and sorrow.
Night fell heavy. The fire cracked softly while Mira hummed under her breath, Kael dozed, and Elira sat apart, staring at the faint shimmer along Lumeveil's blade.
"Why?" she whispered. "What are you afraid of?"
The blade pulsed, and the voice came again—cold, certain.
"Because you are walking the same road he did.
The one that ends in ruin."
Her vision blurred. "Then guide me," she begged. "Don't leave me."
No answer. Only silence.
Then, light.
A translucent panel flickered before her eyes—
[Axis Veil / System Alert]
• Elira – Sword Proficiency +17
• Void Skill Slot : Consencrate – Instability Detected
• Synchronization Level: lowing
⚠ Risk: Spirit–Host Dissociation
The crimson warning bathed the camp in harsh light. Mira jolted awake. "What's happening?!"
Kael's hand went to his weapon. "That's not a normal alert."
Haco's face hardened; his voice cut through the noise. "Turn it off. Now."
Elira willed the Veil shut. The red glow vanished. She looked up at him—and for the first time, she saw fear. Not of her, but for her.
"If even your spirit begins to doubt you," he said quietly, "you don't beg for its trust."
He sheathed his sword, eyes gleaming faintly in the firelight.
"You earn it."
Elira sat long after the others slept. The wind tugged at her hair; the firelight stretched across the dirt like a blade of gold and shadow.
Lumeveil rested beside her, its edge glimmering faintly—flickering between brilliance and darkness, as if deciding whether to fade or fight.