Chapter 15: The Signal Tower
By the time they reached the ruins, Noah's legs felt like stone and his thoughts were tangled with questions. The closed breach behind them felt like a lifetime ago, even though it had only been hours.
Before them loomed a shattered stone spire, its top broken clean off, lying in pieces across the hillside. Vines had swallowed most of the structure, but strange glowing cables pulsed with silver-blue energy through the cracks, alive like veins. A faded metal plaque near the base read:
"Signal Relay—Veilwatch Post Seven."
Riven raised an eyebrow. "Never thought I'd see one still standing."
Noah stared. "What is this place?"
Lyra stepped past him, placing her palm against a glowing rune on the tower's wall. "This is how the first Veilwalkers stayed connected across the Netherveil. Signal towers like this one were built between realms—beacons powered by shard-energy. They're the only places you can send messages out… or get them in."
"So it's a radio tower? Magic edition?" Noah asked.
"More like a lighthouse in a storm," Riven said. "One that barely works."
The rune pulsed as Lyra pressed her hand deeper. After a moment, gears inside the wall groaned, and a hidden hatch cracked open at the tower's base.
Inside was a spiral staircase, half-collapsed, leading downward into the dark.
"Of course," Noah muttered. "Because the terrifying magical tower also has a creepy basement."
They descended.
The air grew colder, sharper. The deeper they went, the more distorted things became—like the tower itself had forgotten how to be real. Walls flickered. Runes changed shape when he wasn't looking at them. Noah gripped the Veil Coin tight.
At the base, they stepped into a circular chamber. A large, ancient machine stood in the center, surrounded by shattered glass panels and a ring of metal pylons, all humming faintly.
"Looks like the main console still has juice," Lyra said. She stepped up and activated the machine.
Holographic light flickered to life. An image appeared—blurry, broken. A woman with sharp features, glowing eyes, and a coat similar to Lyra's appeared. Her voice came through in fragments:
"...breach... spreading... the echoes are... not contained… if anyone is receiving this… the council has fallen… Veilwalker Noah Vale… must… reach the Core…"
The message cut off in static.
Noah stepped forward, stunned. "Did she just say my name?"
"Yup," Riven said, arms crossed. "Looks like someone's been watching you."
Lyra stared at the projection, pale. "That was Arin Vale. The last High Seer of the Council."
"Vale?" Noah echoed. "Wait—she has my last name."
"Maybe not a coincidence," Lyra said quietly. "You might be more connected to this place than any of us thought."
The machine pulsed again—and this time, showed a map. Fragmented zones of the Netherveil stretched across it, marked with glowing red cracks. One pulse shone brighter than the rest: a point labeled The Core.
Riven whistled low. "That's deep Veil. No paths, no support, no second chances."
Noah looked at the map. "Then that's where we're going."
Lyra hesitated. "It's a suicide run."
"Maybe," he said. "But if this Arin knew my name, and if she sent that message after the council fell—she was trying to reach me. And if I can fix what's broken here... I have to try."
Riven gave a half-smile. "Well, I was getting bored anyway."
Lyra nodded slowly. "Then we'll need allies. And the next shard. There's a hidden vault northeast of here. Dangerous terrain. Cursed sky."
Noah sighed. "Of course it's cursed."
They exited the tower as the sky above shifted again—streaks of blue fire tracing across the cracks like veins of lightning. Something was changing. The air felt more unstable than before.
As they moved out, a figure stepped into the trees ahead. Tall. Hooded. Alone.
Lyra reacted first, hand on her blade. "Identify yourself!"
The figure raised a hand. "Easy. I'm not an echo. I'm not your enemy."
Noah's pulse quickened. There was something familiar about the voice.
The hood dropped.
It was a boy. About his age. Pale, sharp-eyed. And holding a mirror—small, round, and glowing.
He looked directly at Noah. "I've been trying to find you. We're the same, you and I."
Noah stepped forward. "Who are you?"
The boy smiled.
"I'm the first Veilwalker. The real one."