"In the deepest darkness, light is forged by sacrifice."
---
The unraveling of the Veil of Samsara sent ripples through Ashvattha. Souls once bound by cycles of rebirth found themselves suspended in a liminal space—a realm of shadows and silence.
Amidst this chaos, Asma-Ra understood that freedom was not a gift but a burden — one that demanded a price.
---
The Veilbreakers faced their greatest trial when Kālīka, goddess of destruction and renewal, appeared—her presence both terrifying and majestic.
> "To break the chains," she intoned, "one must offer what is most precious."
---
Asma-Ra looked at his comrades, his heart heavy. To sever the Veil completely, someone must become its anchor — a sacrifice to hold the shadows at bay and prevent the void from swallowing all.
Without hesitation, Mitra stepped forward, her eyes resolute.
> "I will be the shadow's vessel," she declared.
"So that others may walk in light."
---
The ritual was harrowing. As Mitra merged with the unraveling veil, her form flickered between existence and oblivion.
The sacrifice sealed the veil's tear, granting the world a fragile freedom — a chance to rebuild without eternal chains.
---
Yet, the shadows whispered warnings — the price of this sacrifice would echo through time, shaping destinies in ways none could foresee.
---
Asma-Ra's journey was far from over. The dawn was near, but the night's sacrifices would haunt the path ahead.
---
END OF CHAPTER XXVII
Next: Chapter XXVIII – "The Dawn of Reckoning"