Eliona's War 2: Veiled Healer

Chapter 1

"What is an end but just another beginning?"

Those words stuck in Severance's mind, lingering long after the teleport deposited him in the courtyard of the Veiled clan's House. They were meant to be a hint of what was to come, but they sounded awfully ominous.

What was that supposed to mean? Surely the Veiled man who'd given him that 'hint' couldn't have been talking about Severance when he mentioned 'an end', right?

They already killed me once, and that didn't work.

As a player in Eliona, Severance would respawn indefinitely. So outright murder was off the table, though by now, he was reasonably sure the Veiled wouldn't try to do that to him again. Still, that didn't mean that they weren't up to something.

Severance folded his arms, his lavender eyes narrowing. Before him stood three Veiled men, their eyes glittering in a way that reminded him of a predator anticipating its next meal.

All three were similar in appearance: black hair, olive-toned skin, and the black clothing. Severance had the thought that his nickname for them—the men-in-black murderers—was very fitting.

"So, what's going on?" He broke the silence, uncomfortable with how the three of them were watching him without doing or saying anything. That was creepy behaviour, even for the Veiled.

"Just a moment," the one in the middle held up a hand. "Let the others join us first."

It was this man who had left Severance with that annoying, cryptic message in the first place. Olen was the shortest of the trio, with a slender build and a scholarly vibe. A blue stud glimmered in each of his ears, faintly glowing of their own accord. Olen was apparently in charge of 'administration' for the clan, though Severance doubted it was as simple as that.

Join us? For what, exactly?

Severance wanted to glare at the man but didn't dare. Olen seemed to be the most mild-mannered of the trio—actually, of all the clan members he'd met so far—yet there had to be a good reason why he comfortably stood at the clan Leader's side.

Speaking of clan Leaders, Severance's gaze shifted to the right, where the clan Leader himself stood. Agadhi seemed like a perfectly ordinary guy, lean and immaculate with features that only hinted at the age lurking within his sharp eyes. The thing that set him apart was how he carried himself. There was an absolute confidence to him, like he'd expect the ground itself to break apart if he so much as ordered it.

As if sensing the attention upon him, Agadhi's gaze shifted just a fraction, meeting Severance's in an instant. Forcing back an involuntary shiver, Severance immediately looked away. The guy was just a game person for crying out loud, yet he gave Severance the chills with a mere glance.

"Ah, here they come." The third member of the group smiled easily. This was Maun, with the cobalt eyes. He was perhaps the one Severance knew best out of all three.

Severance still didn't know if he wanted to run from Maun, punch him the face, or thank him. Because it was he who started it all. The one who'd gotten Severance killed, stalked, kidnapped, and then finally conscripted into the Veiled.

Now, Maun looked off to the side, prompting Severance to follow his gaze.

True to the man's statement, the rest of the Clan was filing out of the Clan House. There were only a couple dozen of them, but as they gathered around Severance and the rest, they seemed to fill the entire courtyard.

There were familiar faces, from the two young children who frequently played outside, to Chaaya, the motherly woman who looked after everyone beneath the Veiled roof. There was Dhin, the young warrior who was only a few years older than Severance, and his father, Rasin, whose kindness reminded Severance of his late Uncle Fenn.