The mists of the Shattered Veil rolled back as Velistra stepped forward. Every inch of her shimmered with magic—not just as a cloak or aura, but as if she was magic itself. Her form wavered, solid and fluid, elegant yet untamed.
Steven stared, his instincts on edge. She felt ancient. Dangerous.
Alive.
> "You were real this whole time?" Steven asked.
Velistra's smile was weary. "Real? Not quite. I am a memory preserved in the Codex's forbidden pages. A piece of what I once was. But for you… I've awakened."
Steven glanced at Cal'dor, who had finally reappeared, gripping his ribs.
> "She's not just a spellcaster," Cal'dor muttered. "She's a living spell."
> "He speaks true," Velistra said. "I transcended form long ago. But enough mysticism. You didn't cross the Veil for riddles. You came for truth."
Steven nodded, stepping forward. "You're one of the Forgotten. You knew the Codex before it was shattered. Before Pain."
At the mention of that name, Velistra's smile faded.
> "Pain… The one who broke the heavens. The one we trusted."
She turned, waving her hand. The air shimmered.
Behind her, a vision formed.
---
An ancient memory.
Seven cloaked figures stood before a burning star. Among them—Cal'dor in his youth. Velistra. Others with unreadable faces. And at their center, a tall man with silver hair, burning eyes, and celestial tattoos glowing on his skin.
> "Is that…?"
> "Yes," Velistra answered coldly. "That was Pain. Before he became what he is."
The vision shifted—Pain screaming, ripping open the sky, shattering a throne made of constellations. A sword of living light in his hands. And behind him—realms crumbling.
> "He sought to balance the universe. But the scales… they broke him."
Steven clenched his fists. "I've fought gods, monsters, keepers of time. But Pain… he's different."
Velistra stepped close, her presence pressing against his soul.
> "Then listen well, Starcaster. You cannot defeat him as you are. The Codex is incomplete. The power within it—fractured. But if you can reunite the Forgotten... you can rewrite its laws."
Steven's heart skipped. "Then where are the others?"
Velistra hesitated. "Scattered. Lost. Some are trapped in timelines. Others… corrupted."
> "And you?" he asked.
She stared deep into his eyes.
> "I will follow you… if you survive one final test."
Steven raised a brow. "Test? I just passed a thousand screaming masks and punched myself in the face."
Velistra smirked.
> "Cute. But this isn't about illusions anymore. This is about your soul."
She raised both hands. Magic spiraled around them—pure, unfiltered starlight. The Veil trembled.
> "Let us see if your essence can survive truth itself."
---
Suddenly, pain.
Steven was torn from the realm.
He was back in his old room.
London.
His mother was alive.
His father reading the paper.
> "No…" Steven whispered. "No, this isn't real."
> "Stevie," his mother said softly. "You've been gone so long. Come home."
His knees buckled. "Stop this. Please."
> "You don't need magic. Or war. You don't have to suffer," she whispered, brushing his face. "Just stay. Stay with us."
Tears welled in his eyes. His heart screamed to stay.
But he knew the truth.
> "This is the trap," he breathed. "The lie I want most."
He looked at his mother—at the illusion.
And said:
> "Goodbye."
He raised his hand and fired a single starbolt.
The world shattered.
---
He collapsed back in the Veil, gasping, eyes wide. Velistra stood above him, her expression unreadable.
> "You passed."
Steven coughed. "Barely."
> "You chose pain over comfort. That's what makes a Starcaster."
She extended her hand.
> "I am yours to command. But know this—when you face Pain, there will be no illusions. Only annihilation."
Steven stood, wiping his eyes, gripping her hand.
> "Then we'd better rewrite reality first."
Far away, across collapsing dimensions, Pain opened his eyes.
He smiled.
> "So… he found her."
(To be continued)