The first sign of the Veil's thinning came with the screams.

  Selene Vael was in the middle of her nightly patrol when she heard them—not the usual cries of night creatures or the howl of the wind through the trees, but something else. Something that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and her violet-veined hands tremble around her staff.

  The forest around her was still, too still. Even the insects had fallen silent. The only sound was the whisper of leaves in a wind that shouldn't have been there, carrying voices that spoke in languages no human throat should have been able to form.

  She moved through the undergrowth, her boots making no sound on the damp earth. The Veil's power thrummed through her veins, a constant reminder of her duty. For generations, her family had served as guardians, watching over the barrier between worlds, ensuring the safety of their kingdom.

  But something was wrong.

  The whispers grew louder as she approached the ancient oak at the heart of the forest. Its trunk was split down the middle, the bark blackened and twisted. Through the crack, she could see stars that shouldn't have been there, constellations that moved in patterns that hurt her eyes to follow.

  And then she saw it.

  A figure emerged from the crack, its form shifting between solid and liquid, between real and unreal. It was humanoid, but wrong—too tall, too thin, its limbs bending in ways that defied anatomy. Its skin was covered in a thin layer of void dust that seemed to move of its own accord, rising in swirling patterns that formed faces, then dissolving back into formless powder.

  The creature turned its head toward her, and Selene felt its gaze like a physical weight. Her violet veins pulsed with power, her staff glowing with the light of the Veil. But before she could react, the creature moved.

  It was faster than anything she had ever seen. One moment it was standing by the tree, the next it was right in front of her, its void-dust-covered hand reaching for her throat. Selene barely had time to raise her staff, the Veil's power surging through her veins.

  The impact sent her flying backward, her back slamming against a tree. Pain exploded through her body, but she forced herself to her feet. The creature was still coming, its form shifting and changing with each step, its void dust swirling in patterns that made her head spin.

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  She had to act fast. The Veil's power was strong in her blood, but she was still learning to control it. She focused, drawing on the power that flowed through her veins, feeling it build in her staff. The violet light grew brighter, pushing back against the darkness that surrounded the creature.

  It hesitated, its form becoming more solid, more real. For a moment, Selene thought she had it. But then the creature smiled, its mouth stretching too wide, revealing teeth that were too sharp, too many.

  "Child of the Veil," it said, its voice coming from multiple throats at once. "How interesting."

  The words hit her like a physical blow, carrying power that made her head spin. She stumbled, her staff's light flickering. The creature took another step forward, its void dust swirling faster, its form becoming more unstable.

  Selene knew she couldn't fight it, not like this. The Veil's power was strong, but she was still just a guardian in training. She had to get back to the sanctuary, had to warn the others. The Veil was thinning, and if this creature had found a way through, others would follow.

  She turned and ran, her boots pounding against the earth, her heart racing in her chest. Behind her, she could hear the creature following, its form shifting and changing, its void dust swirling in patterns that made her head spin.

  The sanctuary was close, just beyond the next rise. She could see its walls, its towers reaching toward the smoke-filled sky. The Veil's power was stronger here, the barrier between worlds more solid, more real.

  But as she reached the gates, she heard something that made her blood run cold. The whispers were growing louder, coming from all around her. The Veil was thinning, and the things beyond it were waking up.

  The story of the Guardians of the Veil was just beginning.