The skies above Moonshine cleared for the first time in days, but it wasn't peace that followed—only a heavy silence.
Tara, Jasmine, and Neha stood in the ruined palace throne room, the pieces of the shattered Lumen Core still glowing faintly at their feet.
"She escaped," Jasmine whispered, fists clenched. "And now she's heading to the Veiled Cavern."
Tara turned to her. "What's in the Veiled Cavern?"
Neha answered, voice low. "That's where Velora was imprisoned a thousand years ago. It's also where the *Veilstone* lies. If she reaches it… she can rewrite reality itself."
A Dangerous Descent
They had no time to waste.
The path to the Veiled Cavern lay beneath the palace, deep underground, where ancient magic guarded the tomb of the forgotten queen.
The trio descended through winding catacombs lit only by bioluminescent moss and old spirit-flames that flickered as if alive.
Whispers followed them—literal whispers, brushing past their ears.
"She remembers you…"
"They left her there… forgotten…"
"Now you'll feel her sorrow…"
Neha shivered. "This place *remembers.* It's alive."
They came upon a massive stone gate marked with a sigil—Velora's true crest, erased from the history books. Jasmine pressed her palm against it. It burned red, then opened slowly with a groan like a wounded beast.
The Forgotten Throne
Inside was a vast underground chamber, carved from white crystal and obsidian. And at its center was a throne, covered in cobwebs, broken swords, and black vines.
Velora stood before it, her back turned, staring at a mirror made of solid moonlight.
"I was supposed to rule beside her," she said softly. "But they feared me. My power. My hunger."
She turned slowly. "I never wanted destruction. Only remembrance. You made me a monster because you needed one."
Tara stepped forward. "You *chose* this path, Velora. But it's not too late. Let us help you."
Velora laughed, bitter and hollow. "Help me? No. But you *can* witness what comes next."
She held up a dark gem—the Veilstone. It pulsed once, and time around them began to slow.
A Fracture in Reality
The chamber cracked open like glass. Tara suddenly saw three versions of herself—one crying in her old Earth bedroom, one lost in the forest of Moonshine, and one standing before Velora, blade in hand.
"She's shattering the boundaries between worlds," Neha gasped. "She's pulling timelines together."
Reality trembled. Jasmine dropped to her knees, her memories shifting in and out—sometimes she was queen, sometimes a fugitive, sometimes nothing at all.
Velora stepped into the center of the chaos, growing larger, more ancient. "I *will* be remembered. I *will* return. Not as queen... but as GODDESS."
Tara clenched her fists.
No more running. No more fear.
She stepped forward into the storm of fractured time, slicing through phantom realities with every step.
And in the center, she grabbed the Veilstone with both hands.
Light and shadow exploded around them.
Tara's Mind
She was somewhere else now—alone, in a black void.
Velora stood across from her, younger, vulnerable.
"I didn't want to be forgotten," she whispered.
Tara nodded. "I know. But hurting the world won't bring you peace."
A long silence. And then, slowly, Velora lowered her hand.
"I… I don't remember who I was."
Tara reached out. "Then let's remember together."
And with that, the Veilstone dissolved between them.
The Aftermath
Back in the cavern, light returned. Velora lay unconscious, her powers gone. The throne room crumbled into dust, the Veiled Cavern sealing behind them.
Tara, Jasmine, and Neha emerged into a morning sky.
For now, the world was safe.
But the cost had been great.