The Cairo Veil was a desert of obsidian sand, its dunes shimmering under a bruised-purple sky streaked with gold. Haruaki's boots sank into the grains, each step a struggle against the ache in his aging body. His white hair clung to his sweat-soaked forehead, his wrinkled face a stark contrast to his seventeen years. The twin Gatekey in his left hand pulsed in sync with the original in his pocket, their combined warmth a burning reminder of the fractures he'd sealed, each one stealing years he couldn't spare. The amulet from Mira hung around his neck, its runes faintly glowing, slowing his decay but not stopping it. The entity's whisper—You belong to us—echoed in his mind, a cold weight that matched the desert's oppressive heat.
Rina led the way, her staff casting flickering flames across the dunes, her red-streaked hair whipping in the Veil's dry wind. Yumi stayed close to Haruaki, her dark eyes scanning his face, her runed dagger gleaming at her side. Her silence since the Shinjuku market was heavy with unspoken guilt, her revelations about his parents—Fractureborn, taken—still raw. Kael Draven followed, his crimson robes untouched by the sand, his silver staff glowing with a power that felt more threatening than protective. Kuro perched on Haruaki's shoulder, his golden eyes glinting, muttering about "desert traps and darker shadows."
Mira's transport—a sleek airship powered by runes—had dropped them at the edge of Cairo's Veil, where the space Gatekey was rumored to be hidden in a temple guarded by rogue mages. The journey from Tokyo had been tense, Kael's promises of resources clashing with Rina's distrust and Yumi's warnings about the entity. The elite—Varyn, Seris, and their ilk—were closing in, their wealth and power a suffocating force, but the entity was a deeper threat, its malice seeping through every fracture.
"This place feels wrong," Haruaki said, his voice rough, strained by the desert's dry air. The Veil's pulse was stronger here, jagged and chaotic, laced with the entity's cold presence. "Like it's watching us."
Rina's flames flickered, her eyes narrowing. "It's the temple. The space key's close, and it's messing with the Veil's fabric. Stay sharp, rookie."
Yumi's hand brushed his, her voice low. "You're pushing yourself too hard, Haruaki. The amulet's helping, but you're still fading. We need to be careful."
Kuro cawed, his claws digging into Haruaki's shoulder. "Careful's not gonna cut it, girl. The entity's got its claws in this place, and the elite aren't far behind. You feel it, kid? That itch in your bones?"
Haruaki nodded, the twin key burning in his hand. The desert stretched endlessly, its dunes shifting unnaturally, as if the Veil itself was breathing. Kael's voice broke the silence, smooth and edged. "The temple's ahead, hidden in a fracture zone. The rogue mages guard it fiercely, but they're no match for the elite—or the entity. We'll need your power, Fractureborn."
Rina snorted, her staff sparking. "Yeah, and kill him in the process? Find another way, rich boy."
Kael's jade eyes glinted, his smile thin. "There is no other way, fire-witch. The space key bends reality itself. Only a Fractureborn can breach its wards. Haruaki's the key—or the sacrifice."
Yumi's dagger flashed, her voice sharp. "He's not your pawn, Kael. You're here for your own gain, just like Varyn."
Kael's laugh was low, dangerous. "And you're here for sentiment, girl? The Veil doesn't care about your feelings. The keys are power, and power is survival. Choose your side, Fractureborn."
Haruaki's chest tightened, the amulet's warmth doing little to ease the pain of his last fracture. The elite's world—Kael's runes, Varyn's empire, Mira's market—was a game of wealth and blood he couldn't escape, but the entity was a threat beyond their schemes. "Enough," he said, his voice steady despite the ache. "Show me the temple."
The dunes parted, revealing a fracture zone—a shimmering expanse where the Veil's sky bled into reality, its gold veins pulsing wildly. The temple loomed at its center, a structure of black stone and glowing runes, its spires jagged against the sky. The air crackled with power, the space key's presence warping the desert, dunes folding into impossible shapes, time stuttering in brief, disorienting flashes.
As they approached, the ground shook, a low rumble that sent sand cascading. The Veil's pulse surged, cold and chaotic, and a fracture tore open before the temple, its edges pulsing with gold. Wraiths poured through, their green eyes glowing, joined by new creatures—sandwraiths, their forms shifting like dunes, their claws sharp as glass. The entity's presence surged, a shadow looming in the rift, its whisper chilling Haruaki's blood. Fractureborn. You cannot escape.
Rina's flames roared, incinerating a sandwraith mid-lunge. "Haruaki, seal it!" she shouted, her staff swinging.
Kael's silver light flared, a shield forming around them, while Yumi's dagger slashed through a wraith, her movements precise. "Don't push too hard!" she yelled, her eyes fixed on Haruaki. "The amulet can't save you if you go too far!"
Haruaki reached for the Veil's pulse, the pain igniting as he touched the current, slowing time. The wraiths froze, their claws hanging mid-air, the shadow's form flickering in the rift. The fracture was massive, its edges unraveling space itself, glimpses of Cairo's streets—buildings warped, people trapped—visible through the tear. The amulet burned against his chest, stabilizing the pain, but his body still aged—his skin tightening, his breath shallow, his vision blurring.
The entity's whisper grew louder, its shadow reaching through the rift, its touch like death. Give;EA The keys are ours. Haruaki screamed, pulling at the current, stitching the fracture closed. The shadow pressed forward, its malice crushing, but he held on, the twin key searing his hand, the original pulsing in his pocket.
Yumi's voice broke through, desperate. "Haruaki, stop! You're fading!"
He didn't listen, couldn't. The temple was their goal, the space key within reach. He pulled harder, the fracture shrinking, his body breaking—his hands skeletal, his hair whitening further. Rina's flames and Kael's light drove the wraiths back, the sandwraiths shattering, but the shadow's presence grew, its scream tearing at his mind.
The fracture snapped shut, the shadow vanishing, and Haruaki collapsed, Yumi catching him. His face was a map of wrinkles, his body frail, his breath a ragged gasp. "You're killing yourself," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Kael knelt beside him, his expression unreadable. "You're stronger than I thought, Fractureborn. But the space key's wards will demand more."
Rina's flames flickered out, her voice low. "He's right, rookie. You can't keep paying this price."
Kuro landed nearby, his eyes glinting. "Told you, kid. The entity's coming, and the elite are right behind. You've got two keys—three more. Better hope you've got enough life left."
Haruaki clutched the twin key, its warmth fading. The temple loomed, its runes pulsing, and he forced himself to stand, Yumi supporting him. The elite's wealth—Kael's power, Varyn's ambition—was a storm, but the entity was a tsunami. "The space key," he said, his voice weak but resolute. "We get it now."
Kael's smile was thin. "Brave, Fractureborn. The temple's wards are yours to break. Lead on."
As they entered the temple, the Veil's pulse lingered, a warning of the fractures to come. Haruaki's body was breaking, but the war for the keys was a fire he couldn't outrun.