Chapter 13: The Forgotten Secrets
The Veil of Thorns was aptly named. A colossal wall of living bramble and vines loomed before them, pulsing with a strange, rhythmic energy. It stretched so high that even the sky seemed choked beneath its shadow. The thorns glistened with dew—or perhaps something more sinister—and whispered in tongues no mortal should understand.
Kaito stared at it, arms crossed. "So... how do we get through that?"
Calia stepped forward, her hand grazing the brambles. The vines recoiled. "It reacts to divine blood. It won't hurt me, but you..." she looked over her shoulder at him, "you're something different now. It might let you pass, or it might tear you apart."
"Encouraging," he muttered. "Let's test our luck."
Together, they stepped into the wall. The vines parted at the last moment, forming a narrow tunnel just large enough for them to walk single file. Inside, the air was humid and smelled of rain and rot. Bioluminescent moss lit their path with an eerie blue-green glow.
Hours passed. The path twisted and spiraled downward until it opened into a subterranean glade unlike anything either had seen. The ground sparkled with mineral dust, and in the center stood a pedestal carved with celestial runes. Resting atop it: a crystal orb glowing faintly with
The Forgotten Secrets
The Veil of Thorns was aptly named. A colossal wall of living bramble and vines loomed before them, pulsing with a strange, rhythmic energy. It stretched so high that even the sky seemed choked beneath its shadow. The thorns glistened with dew—or perhaps something more sinister—and whispered in tongues no mortal should understand.
Kaito stared at it, arms crossed. "So... how do we get through that?"
Calia stepped forward, her hand grazing the brambles. The vines recoiled. "It reacts to divine blood. It won't hurt me, but you..." she looked over her shoulder at him, "you're something different now. It might let you pass, or it might tear you apart."
"Encouraging," he muttered. "Let's test our luck."
Together, they stepped into the wall. The vines parted at the last moment, forming a narrow tunnel just large enough for them to walk single file. Inside, the air was humid and smelled of rain and rot. Bioluminescent moss lit their path with an eerie blue-green glow.
Hours passed. The path twisted and spiraled downward until it opened into a subterranean glade unlike anything either had seen. The ground sparkled with mineral dust, and in the center stood a pedestal carved with celestial runes. Resting atop it: a crystal orb glowing faintly with golden light.
Calia gasped. "That's a Memory Sphere. The Goddess used to trap truths in these. This one must be ancient."
Kaito approached. The moment he touched it, the world vanished.
He was falling—plunging through the past.
He saw himself as a boy, laughing with a younger sister he could barely remember. His mother's gentle hands brushing back his hair. Then the screams. The fire. The Goddess, with her cruel smile, whispering promises into his ears. Her lips brushing his neck like a lover's before she dropped him into the Abyss.
The vision shifted.
He saw Calia in chains, her divine light dimmed, her screams echoing in a cold temple. Her wings torn by fanatics who worshipped the Goddess. Kaito reached for her, but the vision scattered like dust.
When he awoke, Calia was beside him, holding his hand.
"You saw it, didn't you?" she said.
He nodded, voice raw. "She didn't just use me. She broke me. And you... you've suffered so much more than I knew."
Calia gave him a sad smile. "That's why we have to stop her."
As they stood, the crystal shattered, releasing a wave of energy that surged into Kaito's chest. The mark on his skin flared.
A new power stirred within him—ancient, righteous, burning.
Suddenly, the vines writhed and opened the far side of the glade. A chorus of voices echoed: not malevolent, but reverent.
"They know you now," Calia whispered. "The old spirits. They recognize your blood. You were meant for more than being her toy."
As they moved forward, Kaito gripped her hand tightly. "If I fall—"
"You won't," she said firmly. "Because I'm not letting go."
Behind them, the Veil sealed shut. Ahead, the path opened to a valley of shattered temples and long-buried secrets—one step closer to the Goddess.
And this time, Kaito wasn't afraid.
He was ready to break her world.
The valley ahead was unlike anything either had imagined. Broken statues towered crookedly, some half-sunk in the moss-covered ground. Others still stood tall but bore scars of ancient battles—claw marks, burn trails, shattered stone.
"This place," Calia murmured, "was once a sanctuary for the gods that defied her."
Kaito walked slowly between the ruins, his fingers brushing over broken murals and inscriptions. One showed a winged boy wrapped in golden flames. Another showed a goddess in agony, her body pierced by light.
"What is this?"
Calia's voice was soft. "Prophecy. And resistance."
The ground trembled faintly. A pool of water at the valley's center rippled unnaturally.
Without warning, a figure emerged—clad in white and gold, but faceless, its form shifting like smoke.
"Kaito," it intoned. "Your blood sings of vengeance. Your soul screams for justice. But will you become what you fight?"
Kaito stared into the void where the face should've been. "I don't want to become her. But I won't stop until she's finished."
The figure bowed, then vanished into dust.
Calia touched his arm. "Even the echoes believe in you now."
He looked to the horizon. The storm clouds were gathering again. And with them—destiny.