The air was dense with whispers. The Mirror Gate stood before them, its surface rippling like water, yet hard as steel. Kai Hitari, with the Tenrai sword slung across his back, stared at the portal that separated their world from the long-forgotten realm—The Crimson Veil.
Herin Rai stood beside him, her eyes reflecting both awe and fear. Rekha Hitari, arms crossed, watched silently, her mind replaying the story her father had told her—about the ancient war, about Kai's father and his fall beyond the veil.
"I've always known this moment would come," Kai whispered. "But I never thought I'd have people standing with me."
Rekha raised an eyebrow. "You think we'd let you walk into that hellhole alone?"
Herin smiled gently. "You may carry the sword, Kai... but the burden isn't yours alone anymore."
Kai took a deep breath and stepped through the portal.
---
The Crimson Veil world was breathtaking and terrifying at once. Blood-red skies loomed overhead, and vast stretches of cracked earth glowed with eerie luminescence. In the distance, black towers floated in midair, pulsing with ancient energy.
A sudden roar shattered the silence. A four-legged beast, its body stitched together with metal and bone, lunged from the shadows. Kai moved instinctively—his sword shimmered as it met the creature's claws, the impact sending sparks in every direction.
Rekha conjured a defensive barrier, shielding Herin as she moved to support Kai. Herin, despite not being a fighter, pulled out a glowing orb—an ancient relic from her family's archives. She whispered an incantation, and light burst forth, weakening the creature.
With a final swing, Kai cleaved the beast in half. Steam rose from the corpse.
"Was that... a scout?" Rekha asked, breathing heavily.
Kai nodded grimly. "They know we're here."
---
They pressed forward, encountering ruinous temples and twisted forests. As they walked, Herin spoke of a legend passed down in her family.
"They say the Crimson Veil was born from one man's grief. Your grandfather, Kai. He created it as a sanctuary for warriors... but it became something else—something cursed."
Kai frowned. "My grandfather never spoke of that... Only that the sword Tenrai was meant to protect, not destroy."
Rekha looked ahead. "And yet, it's been used for both."
---
They eventually reached the Fallen Spire, a massive tower leaning sideways over a chasm. At its base lay the remains of the 100 warriors who once followed Kai's father. Their armor was rusted, swords broken, but their spirits lingered.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in Kai's mind.
"My son... is that you?"
He turned sharply. There, in ghostly form, stood his father—battle-worn, eyes full of pride and pain.
"Father... I thought you were gone."
"I fought till my last breath, Kai. But the sword, it chose you. You are its true bearer. But beware—within the Crimson Throne lies the heart of this world. Destroy it, or it will consume everything."
Kai stepped forward. "Then show me the path."
His father raised a spectral hand. A crimson road unfolded before them, leading toward the floating palace in the sky.
"The Crimson Path," Rekha whispered. "No one's walked it in decades."
Herin gripped Kai's hand. "We'll walk it together."
---
The path tested them—illusions of failure, enemies they once feared, and betrayals they hadn't expected. Kai saw visions of his childhood—his father leaving, his mother's death, his own helplessness. Rekha saw her father crushed under a collapsing gate. Herin saw herself writing Kai's story, only to watch him die before she could finish it.
But they pushed forward. One step at a time.
Finally, they reached the Crimson Throne. A dark entity sat upon it, cloaked in shadows—its face ever-shifting.
"I am the grief of your lineage," it said. "I am the betrayal, the loss, the anger. And you have brought the sword to me."
Kai unsheathed Tenrai, which now glowed with a warmth it never had before. "You are nothing but a remnant of our pain. You don't own this world anymore."
A fierce battle erupted. The throne room shook with their clash. The entity conjured illusions, twisted clones, and cursed flames. Rekha used her barriers to shield Kai. Herin invoked ancient chants to suppress the entity's power.
And Kai... Kai finally embraced his role—not just as a warrior, but as a protector.
With a final cry, he drove Tenrai into the heart of the shadow. The palace cracked. The sky began to fall.
---
They ran. The Crimson world was crumbling.
As they reached the Mirror Gate, the world behind them began to collapse, drawing in the darkness and the monsters with it. The gate pulsed once—twice—and then shattered into a thousand shards, sealing the Crimson Veil forever.
The trio fell onto solid ground—back in their world. Bruised, exhausted, but alive.
Kai looked at the shattered pieces of the gate and whispered, "It's over."
Rekha placed a hand on his shoulder. "No, Kai. It's just beginning."
Herin, notebook in hand, smiled. "And I'll write every word of it."
---
To be continued…