All Chapters of SHADOWS OF THE VEIL: Chapter 151
- Chapter 160
235 chapters
Chapter 154 – The Sovereign’s Silent Message
The night winds over Emberfall were sharp, carrying the scent of ash and iron as if the world itself knew something dangerous had awakened. Ethan stood on a broken ledge overlooking the valley, the Star-Core Shard pulsing faintly beneath his skin. The light wasn’t bright, but it was aware—as if reacting to something approaching.Behind him, Mira tightened her cloak.“You feel it too,” she whispered.Ethan didn’t answer immediately. His eyes were fixed on the sky, where faint streaks of crimson mist curled like serpents.“That’s Sovereign-energy,” he finally said. “But… it’s not attacking. It’s signaling.”Mira’s brows furrowed. “A warning?”“No,” Ethan replied. “A message.”As if on cue, the mist solidified into a floating sigil—an ancient mark Ethan recognized instantly. It was the same sigil carved into the ruins he found on the day his family was taken. The mark of the Sovereign of Nine Veins.Kai stepped closer, gripping his weapon.“Tell me we’re not reading this thing.”“We don’
Chapter 155 – The Path of Burning Shadows
Dawn in Emberfall arrived without sunlight.Thick gray clouds swallowed the sky, and a faint rumble echoed across the land as if something inside the heavens was shifting. Ethan stood at the edge of the camp, fastening the straps of his gear while Mira and Kai prepared theirs.The air was different—charged, restless.Almost like the world was holding its breath.Kai kicked dirt over the dying campfire. “I swear, even the weather hates this mission.”Mira shot him a look. “The mountain is called Wraithpeak for a reason.”“Yeah,” Kai muttered, “and we’re idiots for climbing it.”Ethan said nothing. His eyes were fixed on the distant silhouette of the mountain—towering, jagged, and wrapped in a swirling fog as dark as night. Sparks of crimson lightning crackled within the clouds above it.The Star-Core inside him pulsed again, stronger than yesterday.Mira approached and placed a hand on his shoulder.“Ethan. Are you sure you're ready?”“No,” he said honestly. “But I don’t have a choice.
Chapter 156 – Echoes of the Lost Crown
The passage swallowed Ethan whole.Darkness pressed against him like a living thing, twisting and curling around his steps. The blue glow of the Star-Core illuminated only a few meters ahead—just enough to see the jagged stone walls and the swirling shadows moving like slow smoke.Each breath he took felt heavier than the last.The Sovereign’s presence was everywhere… ancient, cold, and powerful.As Ethan walked deeper, faint images flickered in the surrounding fog—shadows of moments he didn’t recognize.A boy crying.A burning house.A figure standing over a battlefield.None of these memories were his.Yet the mountain showed them to him anyway.He clenched his jaw and kept walking.Minutes—or maybe hours—passed before he reached a circular chamber carved directly into the mountain’s heart. The walls were covered with glowing symbols in a language far older than anything he’d ever seen.At the center stood a stone pedestal, cracked and worn by time.But what caught his attention… wa
Chapter 157 – The Trial of the Crown Fragment
Light swallowed everything.Ethan felt weightless—like his body, mind, and memories were being torn apart and scattered across an endless void.Then—A sharp snap echoed through the emptiness.Darkness fell away.Ethan opened his eyes…And found himself standing in the middle of Crystal City.But not the city he remembered.Everything was silent.Frozen.Motionless.Cars hovered mid-turn. Birds hung suspended in the air. People stood like statues—eyes blank, breaths paused in their throats.And at the end of the street…The sky burned red.Ethan’s pulse quickened. “This… this is the Fragment’s trial.”A voice echoed behind him.“Not quite. This is your mind.”Ethan spun.Rick stood there again—but this time, clearer. Solid. More alive than before. The shadows were gone.“You shouldn’t be here,” Ethan said. “The imprint should have faded.”Rick smiled faintly.“Seems the Fragment wants me to watch. Or maybe… you need me to.”Ethan didn’t deny it.Before he could speak again, the ground
Chapter 158 – The Sovereign’s Shadow
Ethan staggered to his feet, the glow of the Crown Fragment still pulsing on his arm like fresh fire.The mountain chamber was quiet again.Too quiet.Kai stared at him with wide eyes. Lira’s blades were half-drawn, her breathing sharp and uneven. Even Master Rowan—who rarely showed fear—looked like someone had just handed him a prophecy he didn’t want to read.The stone floor beneath Ethan’s boots vibrated softly, reacting to the Fragment bound to him.Rowan finally broke the silence.“Ethan… what did you see?”Ethan swallowed slowly.“Everything I needed to see.”He didn’t mention Rick—not yet. He couldn’t. Not until he understood what Rick’s final words meant.Kai stepped closer. “Bro, are you okay? You were frozen for like… minutes. The runes lit up so bright I thought your soul was about to explode.”Lira shot Kai a glare.“Be quiet. He’s clearly not okay.”Ethan lifted his head.“I’m fine,” he lied.Rowan’s eyes narrowed—he could tell Ethan was holding something back, but he did
Chapter 159 – The Judgment of the First Sigil
The wind tore across the mountain ridge as the Sovereign’s Shadow approached—each step a slow, echoing thud that made the ground vibrate under Ethan’s boots.He seemed to walk without touching the earth.More like he pulled the world closer to him with every stride.His cloak fluttered like smoke, but never fully opened, as if hiding shapes not meant for human eyes.Lira whispered behind Ethan, “Don’t get close to him. His presence alone can tear your soul apart.”Kai nodded furiously. “Yeah. And I like my soul exactly where it is.”Ethan didn’t answer.The Fragment hummed against his skin, responding to the Shadow’s aura—like two storms sensing each other.Master Rowan stepped beside him.His voice was quiet, but firm.“Ethan. This trial may not be winnable.”Ethan kept his eyes on the approaching figure.“Then I’ll survive it by being too stubborn to die.”Rowan exhaled. “…That sounds exactly like something your father once said.”Ethan’s heart jerked—but he didn’t break his focus.
Chapter 160 – The Truth Buried in the Flames
The moment Arin stepped into the ancient cavern beneath the Fallen Ridge, a strange heat brushed against his skin—not painful, but heavy, almost like a presence breathing against him. The walls glowed faintly with ember-like inscriptions, shifting and dimming as if alive.Rick and Zaya followed behind him cautiously. Even they, with all their strength, felt the oppressive energy seeping from the stone.“This place…” Rick whispered. “It wasn’t formed by nature.”Arin nodded. He could feel it too—an overwhelming residue of destruction, as if someone had once tried to erase this entire cavern from existence.At the center lay a circular platform, cracked from age. As Arin stepped closer, the ground trembled, and glowing symbols lit up beneath the dust.Zaya called out, “Wait—something is activating!”A ring of runes lit up in a fiery spiral, and a deep pulse echoed through the chamber. Before they could retreat, the platform erupted with golden flames. The flames twisted upward, merging,
Chapter 161 – The Unsealing of Arin
Warmth.Cold.Silence.Noise.Arin felt everything at once as he drifted inside the blinding storm of energy. It wasn’t like being consumed—more like being rewritten. His body felt weightless, as if every fragment of his existence was dissolving into fire and shadow.FWOOM—FWOOM—FWOOM.Waves of heat pulsed around him, but at the same time a chilling void wrapped around his thoughts. Two forces completely opposite… yet somehow harmonizing around him.A voice echoed in the storm.“Arin… don’t resist.”He recognized it—not the ancient spirit’s voice, but his father’s. Faint, like a memory carried by the flames.“Father…?”“This power is your inheritance. The Ember-Void was made for you.”Arin closed his eyes, letting the energy flow through him. His heartbeat synchronized with the pulsing core.Ba-dum… Ba-dum… Ba-dum—HUMMMMM—Then everything exploded.---Outside the CoreRick coughed as dust rained down from the collapsing ceiling. Zaya helped him stand, her hands shaking.“Where’s Arin
Chapter 162 – The Dominion’s Fear
The cavern’s echoes gradually faded, leaving only the soft hum of residual energy swirling around Arin. The air was still hot from the Ember-Void explosion, yet a cold undercurrent lingered beneath it—his new dual aura refusing to settle.Rick approached carefully, as if stepping too close might ignite something.“Arin… you good?” he asked.Arin nodded slowly. “I think so. The power isn’t overwhelming me anymore. But it’s… alive.”Zaya stepped forward next. “Alive?”Arin placed a hand on his chest. “It reacts to emotions. To danger. To instincts. It’s not just energy—it’s a will.”Rick groaned. “Fantastic. So now you’re sharing a body with magic that has its own opinions.”Arin didn’t deny it.Instead, he looked at the collapsed section of the cavern where he had erased the stone. The swirling rift faded gradually, leaving behind smooth, untouched emptiness.A void scar.Zaya followed his gaze. “If the Dominion reports what happened here, they’ll double their forces.”“They will,” Ari
Chapter 163 – The Herald of Silence
The forest held its breath.Mist curled around the trees as if trying to flee from the overwhelming aura spreading through the clearing. Birds went silent. Even the wind refused to move.The Herald of Silence stood calmly, obsidian spear angled downward, yet the pressure he emitted crushed the ground beneath his feet.Rick swallowed hard. “Arin… why does he feel stronger than everything we’ve fought combined?”Zaya’s face had gone pale. “Because he is. Heralds aren’t soldiers. They’re living calamities the Dominion only releases when a threat must be erased.”Rick blinked. “A calamity? Like a hurricane… but human?”Zaya nodded grimly. “And this one is worse.”The Herald’s cold eyes studied Arin.“Your aura is unstable. Early stage awakening… incomplete fusion. You’re dangerous—but unrefined.”Arin clenched his fists. Fire flickered along one arm; darkness swirled along the other.“I don’t know who you are,” he said, “but if you touch my friends—”“Oh?” The Herald smiled, a faint curve