The Veil Between Lies

burned to

ed plume curling into nothing with a hiss. Outside, New Argenta still slept beneath v

In her blood

enants

bruise bloomed at his jawline-a remnant of the Council's interrogat

olitical surviv

e her. Real coffee

ng too loud,"

smile. "I

in-bound cover no longer pulsing, but watchful. Her mother's letter sat bes

at the parc

who you are... bu

the Blood Archi

ned slightly.

eal

li

ified information in that vault. If my mother was part of R

gical, legal. It's not part of the general judiciary system.

im. "I am direc

Then a

open that door, there's no more hiding. N

ucked it into her jacket,

the city remem

Later – Minist

chive wasn't

s a w

le floors and pristine suits, down through rusted service elevators and bi

Council ID to byp

lm opened

d requir

dn't h

he knife. A

open with a soun

her first.

ered on. No enc

place meant t

a gra

rimson-bound volumes and sealed memory vials. Each labeled not by name, but by n

inside. Her

e start?" s

on. "Tier Four. Section 17. That'

r in silence, boots

ched the tier

ed faintly in

001-VA

ther's

s. "There were only eig

e's the

han the rest, wrapped in chains etched with null-metal

her palm t

hains

rams, classified reports,

his... this isn't just a crimina

r w

They weren't just watching your

ages. They read like a horr

EVENANT –

l lineage suggests natural resistance to sigil degradat

o extraction and magical cloning p

didn't just kill her... t

a hand-drawn sigil. Sh

r her shoulder. "I'

he

Spellbearer Act. It's not a ward-it's a key. A b

hit her like a pu

into a vessel," she said.

moved

he died. I don't remember most of it. I thought the Purg

"It wasn't random. They

lightly. She leaned

troy magic," she whispered.

rystal bli

the reader mounted on

deo flicker

, wrapped in a threadbare cloak.

cked in

mo

rding began. "And if you're wa

ian

think they've already moved to Stage II. They want to resurrect the mages from the Firs

anded sigil marred her skin

st containment. It worked-for three

d, smiling

vessel. You are not their puppet. You are the storm they were t

reen c

left behind

didn

shoulders square

w," she sa

e gently. "A

said. "But

r – Council

aced in front of

ve," a technician reported. "Her blood

d woman ente

lan muttered. "She's

g her inherita

hat of

ade his choice. N

em on the table-a copy

team," she said. "It's

– Rooftop of

pressed to her chest. New Argenta sprawled

Cassian. "I saw my mot

ded. "She w

Elira said. "An

ut not too close. "S

he city see what the Council's hiding. Project Reven

. "That would mak

"That would ma

ind h

s of District Twelve, t

evenant ste

ar for ma

tarted benea

transport overhead. But then the concrete rooftop vibrated, glass

the skyline. "That's coming from t

s clenched aro

the mask duplic

ght they were

d. "Where they

another word. Cassian

lve – Abandone

d into the old tunnel system. The scent of rot and magic burned in Elira's n

t beyond a rusted door m

sion and desperation. Candles had been arranged in concentric spi

center of

bo

body. No

mov

somethi

ng rememberi

eve

ead should be, wrapped in ash-colored cloth. Its

ira was what lay on

d's br

ard, weapon drawn. "

of invisible pressure rippled outward,

, voice cracking

ira

e. "It k

an muttered. "It was calle

n-jerky, like its limbs

en it

half-spoken ward, her fingertips searing with heat as she exten

ed. "You're not m

second. It cocked its head, as i

hed in a burs

o

rsed under

She only looked do

up and turned

carved into

r mother had burn

They're not just bringing back war ma

darkened.

id, standing

Elira's

mirror, the sigil from the bracelet no

ouch it. She

wall behind her, arms cro

. "The people d

live, the Council won't stop with surveillance. They'

she wh

ed old prosecutors. One of them works with a pirate fee

a tu

id. "I'm goi

ned. "What d

mask from the d

she didn't stop

oker. The gloves

, something had changed. She wa

weapon

live on the

tched. "You'll be m

replied. "It's time the

el camera in a forgotten Sanctum hideout. The Codex Umbra pulsed at her side. Her mother's letter hu

My mother was Ilyra Vale

forward, ey

t here

o burn the