The sun had barely crested the horizon when Lior, Mira, Rhéa, and Soren stood at the edge of Ravin, the ancient village that had been their home and battleground. Before them stretched a shimmering veil — a translucent curtain of shifting light and shadow that pulsed with an ethereal hum.
"This is the gateway," Soren said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "The Twilight Veil. It separates our world from the realms beyond — the forgotten lands where the shards are scattered."
Mira tightened her grip on her daggers, her eyes scanning the veil warily. "It looks… alive."
"It is," Soren confirmed. "The veil responds to the dreamers who approach. Only those with the shard's light can pass through safely."
Lior held the black shard in his palm. Its glow had strengthened over the last days, as if attuned to the approaching journey.
He stepped forward, feeling the veil's surface ripple like water beneath his fingertips. A cool breeze brushed past him, carrying whispers in a language both ancient and strange.
---
As they crossed the threshold, the world twisted and folded around them. Colors shifted — blues turning to purples, purples melting into shimmering golds. The sky stretched wide above, painted with twin moons that hung low and cold, their pale light casting long shadows over a landscape both beautiful and alien.
They had entered the realm of the Dreamgate's forgotten shards.
---
The ground beneath their feet was soft, like moss woven from threads of light. Towering trees arched overhead, their leaves translucent and glowing faintly like stained glass. Strange flowers bloomed in iridescent hues, petals shimmering as if made of crystal.
But the beauty was laced with an undercurrent of unease.
---
Rhéa raised her staff, sending a ripple of protective light over the group.
"We are not alone here," she warned.
From the shadows between the trees, shapes moved — fleeting and indistinct, like smoke caught in a breeze.
Suddenly, a figure stepped forward, cloaked in tattered robes that seemed woven from twilight itself. Eyes like burning embers glowed beneath a hood.
"Travelers," the figure's voice was soft but carried an edge of power. "You seek the shards."
Lior stepped forward, hand still glowing with the shard's light.
"We do. To protect the Dreamgate."
The figure nodded slowly. "Then you must prove your worth. The realm will test your resolve — and your heart."
---
Before they could react, the ground trembled. A rift tore open, revealing a swirling vortex of shadow and light.
From it emerged creatures born of nightmare and dream — fierce and strange, their forms shifting unpredictably. Some had wings of mist, others eyes that flickered like stars.
The battle erupted swiftly. Mira's daggers flashed, cutting through the spectral beasts with deadly precision. Rhéa's staff sent arcs of energy, weaving shields and blasts of pure light. Soren moved with practiced grace, his crystal orb glowing as it pulsed with power.
Lior wielded the shard like a blade, its light searing through shadow and fear alike.
---
As the last creature fell, silence returned. The figure in twilight robes approached, a faint smile on their lips.
"You have passed the first trial," they said. "But the true test lies ahead — in the heart of the Veil, where the shards sleep and the greatest darkness waits."
The figure extended a hand, revealing a small shard — a fragment glowing with pale blue light.
"Take this. It will guide you deeper, but beware: the Dreamgate's secrets are not easily revealed."
---
With the shard added to their burden, the group ventured deeper into the realm, each step drawing them further from home and closer to the fate waiting beyond the veil.
The dream was alive.
And so were the shadows.