Back in the city's hidden sanctuary, tension simmered beneath the surface. The victory over the ancient entity had brought no respite; instead, it revealed fractures within their own ranks.
Kaelis convened a council of Ascendants, warriors and scholars who had survived the fallout of the divine collapse. Faces worn by battle and doubt filled the dim chamber, their voices hushed but urgent.
"We face threats not only from beyond the veil but from within," Kaelis warned. "Some among us grow restless, tempted by the evolving divine radiation's power."
Aloysius listened carefully, his gaze sharp. "The very energy we fight to control is a double-edged sword. Corruption festers where power is unchecked."
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward Liora, an Ascendant whose radiant power had begun to flicker unpredictably. "We need unity," she urged, "or we will fall to the darkness from both outside and within."
The room murmured in agreement, but Aloysius sensed the underlying fear the fear that the greatest danger might come from those meant to protect the Radiant Veil.
As alliances strained and old wounds threatened to reopen, Aloysius realized the battle for survival extended beyond the eldritch horrors it was a fight for the soul of their order.
With the veil thinning and enemies multiplying, the fragile peace was poised on the edge of collapse.