Veil of the Lost

Prologue - Sacrifice

In the crumbling remains of Elirea, my life unfolded in shadows and whispers. The city, once a bustling hub of innovation and culture, had been abandoned and left to decay. My father had mysteriously died when I was only six, leaving me with nothing but vague memories and a fierce determination to uncover the truth behind his death.

My world was one of perpetual twilight. The sun rarely broke through the toxic clouds that hung over the city, the air was thick with the stench of decay and industrial waste, making every breath a challenge. But the pandemic that had swept through the city years ago had left a strange legacy. Those who survived were left with heightened senses. Leia, my best friend, was a beacon of light in the darkness of Elirea. She had a way of making even the bleakest days seem brighter. She was fearless, and her loyalty to me was unwavering. We had been through everything together, from scavenging for food to escaping dangerous gangs that roamed the city.

One evening, as we sat on the roof of an abandoned building, Leia turned to me with a grin. "I heard there's an old factory on the east side of the city that's still intact. People say it was used for some kind of secret experiments before everything went to hell."

That piqued my interest. "What kind of experiments?"

"Nobody knows," Leia replied, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "But I've got a feeling we might find some answers there about the pandemic."

The thought of discovering the truth about the pandemic—and perhaps even my father's death—was too tempting to resist. The next morning, we set off for the factory, navigating the treacherous streets of Elirea with practised ease.

Marked by shattered windows and walls covered with graffiti and grime, the abandoned factory loomed ahead, an ominous silhouette against the dark sky. A chill ran down my spine as we surreptitiously approached the building, keeping to the shadows so as not to be seen by the security patrol bots that roamed the city skies, seeking lawbreakers. Something about this place felt) wrong, almost as if there were secrets inside that were best left uncovered.

A door that looked as if it had been battered by something large and unrelenting before gave us access to the building. Inside, the air was thick with dust and the acrid scent of chemicals. The silence was deafening, emphasising our need to move cautiously with our senses alert for any sign of danger.

It was not long before the caution used was justified. "Do you hear that?" Leia whispered, her voice barely audible.

I nodded. Faint footsteps echoed through the factory, growing fainter with each passing second. We weren't alone.

We followed the sound, weaving through the maze of machinery and debris. In the dim light, we saw a figure darting between the shadows, moving with unnatural speed and grace. Questions ran through our minds as Leia and I exchanged a look. With adrenaline surging through our veins, we followed the person.

The figure led us deeper into the factory, past rooms filled with strange, abandoned equipment. They then entered a large laboratory, and moving quietly, we followed and ducked behind the nearest work station. "Are you going to hide there all night?" the figure asked, turning to face us. It was a man, with dark hair, pale skin and combat clothes, his eyes glowing amber with a strange, otherworldly light.

"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at my insides.

The man smirked, his gaze cold and calculating. "You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice echoing through the lab. "This place holds secrets that are best left buried."

Before we could react, the man raised his hand, reaching up and grasping a support beam from the low ceiling and pulling it clean off. The building groaned and creaked as the walls began to collapse. With a sickening crunch, the ceiling started to cave in.

We sprinted through the factory, dodging falling debris and trying to outrun the destruction. All around us the ceiling was crumbling, the walls were collapsing.

Leia's hand slipped from mine as she lost her balance and fell. "Leia!" I looked up only to see a huge chunk of ceiling above us begin to crumble. I stumbled back. "Go! Run, Kaelin!" Leia screamed.

"I can't leave without you!"

"GO!"

I ran. As I sprinted towards the exit, the deafening roar of collapsing debris filled my ears. My heart pounded in my chest as I glanced back, just in time to see the massive chunk of ceiling break free, hurtling down toward Leia. Time seemed to stretch, each second an eternity as the shadow of the falling debris loomed over her. Our eyes met, her gaze filled with a desperate plea, and then—darkness engulfed her, the sickening sound of the debris meeting its mark echoing through the crumbling factory.