Void Veins: The Forbidden Ascension

Chapter 34: The Forbidden Isle and a New Beginning

Three days of journeying through the wilderness, avoiding roads and people, finally brought them to the shore of Mirror Lake. The water was so perfectly still, without a single ripple, as though its entire surface had been coated in flawlessly polished glass. The grey sky reflected there so clearly it was hard to tell where the heavens ended and the waters began. In the midst of that vast expanse, hidden behind a curtain of ever-thick mist, lay the faint outline of a small isle—the place no one dared approach. The Forbidden Isle.

There was no boat. No bridge. The lake was guarded by a terrifying belief: whoever crossed it would never return.

Shen Kui stood beside him, still panting, his face pale with unhealed wounds. He shook his head gently as he looked toward the water. "I cannot fly such a distance. My body is not yet strong enough."

Lin Ye nodded. He felt another presence within his consciousness—waiting, watching.

"Grant me control for a moment," Valerius’s voice sounded calm. "I can fashion a way across. But remember—this is assistance, not a gift. The debt remains."

Lin Ye consented. Cold violet energy flowed down his arm, solidifying in mid-air into a broad, sturdy slab of ice—large enough to carry them both. Its surface glowed faintly, radiating biting chill.

They stood upon it, and the ice glided smoothly across the water toward the mist wall enshrouding the isle. The closer they drew, the heavier the air felt. The mist was not merely vapour—it clung cold and damp to their skin like a slimy film, carrying faint whispers that crept into their ears. The voices called their names, speaking in tones of those long lost, pleading for them to draw near, to stay.

"Do not listen," Valerius warned firmly. "These are not ghosts. They are remnants of consciousness trapped here—failed experiments, ensnared souls. They seek new vessels. Do not let them in."

Lin Ye set his jaw, closing his mind, and kept his gaze fixed forward. The whispers grew louder, yet he did not turn. When they finally touched the black, rocky shore, the voices faded, left behind in the mist.

The beach was silent, overgrown with dry grass and pale bluish moss. Ancient ruins dotted the isle—cracked concrete walls, rusted metal frameworks, the remains of laboratories forcibly shut down decades ago. Everything appeared abandoned in haste, as if the inhabitants had fled in terror before finishing what they were doing.

At the isle’s centre stood one building unlike the rest—a sturdy red-brick tower, its walls still intact beneath moss and creeping vines. It was the only place offering shelter.

They entered the tower. The air inside was cool and thick with dust; sunlight filtered through broken windows in thin shafts. Stone floors lay buried under heavy dust, yet between the cracks wild green plants had begun to grow, nature slowly reclaiming the place. Shen Kui sat in a sheltered corner, closing his eyes, beginning a long meditation to heal his body’s wounds.

Lin Ye walked to the window overlooking the lake. He was alone—or at least, alone with two minds sharing one head.

"So," Valerius’s voice broke the silence, echoing softly in his thoughts. "This is our new home. Bleak. Lonely. Cold. Perfect for a fugitive… and my guest."

"We shall not remain here forever," Lin Ye replied quietly, watching mist drift across the water.

Valerius chuckled. "Oh? You have another plan already? To defeat me? To be rid of me?"

"I shall learn everything there is to know about Void energy," Lin Ye stated firmly. "I will understand how this bond was formed, how your spirit clings to mine. And one day… I shall find a way to separate us without killing myself. When that moment comes… I will end you."

Valerius’s laughter swelled, filling the space within his mind. "A commendable resolve, Lin Ye. By all means, try. I shall even help you study it—for I too wish to know how unbreakable this bond truly is. But until that day arrives… we are partners. And good partners ensure one another remain alive."

Instantly, a warm stream of energy coursed through Lin Ye’s meridians—no longer sharp and cold, but soothing, knitting his wounds faster than nature alone could. Aches and pain receded. Yet Lin Ye was not deceived. Valerius did not do this out of kindness—he did it because he needed a vessel that was strong, healthy, and enduring.

The sun sank slowly, painting sky and lake in deep purplish-red hues. The light faded, replaced by darkness that fell faster than usual. Mist thickened around the tower, and the agreed-upon hour arrived.

Lin Ye felt a shift within him—his consciousness gently pushed aside, confined to a darker corner. His brown eyes transformed, glowing deep violet in the faint starlight. His lips curved into a smile that was not his.

"Goodnight, Lin Ye," Valerius whispered into the stillness. "Rest. Now it is my turn to play."

The body turned slowly, stepping past Shen Kui who remained deep in meditation, and walked out into the isle’s darkness. The footsteps were light, soundless, heading toward the deepest, most forbidden part of the isle—the very place even the first researchers had dared not approach.

What did Valerius seek there? And when dawn broke, would Lin Ye regain command of his own body?