Chapter 38: The Veilwalker’s Revelation and TUNA Meaning

Chapter 38: The Veilwalker’s Revelation and TUNA Meaning Sleep claimed Eren despite his resistance. The strange energy of Thornvale Palace had seeped into his bones, lulling him into a deep slumber filled with fragmented visions—faces he didn’t recognize, battles he’d never fought, and powers he’d never wielded. A soft knock jolted him awake. Before he could respond, the stone door swung inward. Queen Elena herself stood in the doorway, her silver-laced gown catching the amber light. Commander Maria loomed behind her, ever vigilant. "I trust you rested well?" Elena asked, her voice carrying that same strange duality—warmth atop steel. Eren rose quickly, suddenly aware of how disheveled he must appear. "Well enough," he replied, brushing back his hair. Elena’s gaze traveled around the chamber, noting the untouched food tray. "You haven’t eaten." "I wasn’t hungry." A small smile played at the corner of her lips. "I suppose answers are more nourishing than bread." She extended her hand toward the door. "Come. I believe you’re ready, Veilwalker." "Yes," Eren replied simply, the title still foreign on his ears. They traversed corridors he hadn’t seen before. These passages seemed older, the stone worn smooth by countless hands over centuries. Commander Maria trailed behind them, her footsteps barely audible despite her heavy armor. Eventually, they reached a massive door unlike any in the palace. Ancient symbols were etched into its surface—swirling patterns that seemed to shift when he tried to focus on them. The language was unfamiliar, yet something deep within him stirred in recognition. "What does it say?" Eren asked, his fingers hovering over the markings. "It speaks of boundaries crossed and worlds united," Elena replied, studying his reaction carefully. "It is in the old tongue, from before the Sundering." She placed her palm against the center of the door. The symbols illuminated briefly before the massive stone slab began to slide open, revealing darkness beyond. "Commander," Elena said without turning, "wait outside." Maria’s hand tightened on her weapon. "Your Highness, are you certain that’s wise?" Elena turned, her expression suddenly severe. "This is not a request, Commander." Maria stiffened, then bowed deeply. "Yes, my Queen." As Elena stepped through the doorway, Eren followed, his heart hammering against his ribs. The door sealed behind them with a sound like the mountain exhaling. For a moment, pure darkness enveloped them. Then, slowly, lights flickered to life—cool blue luminescence that emanated from veins in the walls. The chamber was circular, with a ceiling lost in shadows above. Unlike the rest of the palace, this place felt truly ancient, as if it predated the mountain itself. The moment Eren’s foot touched the stone floor, he felt it—that same strange energy, but stronger here, almost overwhelming. It coursed through the ground beneath him, vibrating up through his bones, whispering wordlessly. He gasped, staggering slightly. "You feel it," Elena observed, watching him closely. "The ground speaks to you." Eren steadied himself, eyes wide. "How do you know what I’m experiencing?" "Old stories," Elena replied with an enigmatic smile. "Very old stories." She allowed him a moment to acclimate to the sensation, then gestured for him to follow deeper into the chamber. As they walked, the blue light in the veins of the walls intensified, as if responding to their presence—or perhaps to Eren specifically. At the far end of the chamber stood a solitary statue—a woman with proud features, her arm extended, wielding a magnificent sword that pointed downward. Below her, three female figures knelt, their stone faces twisted in expressions of terror and supplication, hands raised as if begging for mercy. "The First Queen," Elena said, following Eren’s gaze. "And beneath her, the Great Three." Eren approached the statue slowly. The craftsmanship was remarkable—each fold in the Queen’s garments, each strand of her flowing hair captured with impossible detail. Her expression was one of righteous judgment, merciless yet not cruel. "The Great Three?" he asked, studying the kneeling figures. Something about their twisted expressions sent a chill through him. Elena moved to a raised platform near the statue. She sat upon it, arranging her gown around her in a gesture that reminded Eren of a storyteller preparing for a long tale. "Once, long ago," she began, her voice taking on a rhythmic quality, "our world was whole. Seven kingdoms united, each stewarding a pair of elements: water and air, illusion and earth, fire and lightning, shadow and light, nature and sound, decay and space, blood and emotion." The blue light around them pulsed gently, as if in time with her words. "In those days, the seven royal councils worked in harmony," Elena continued. "But as with all things, there were those who sought more power than was their right to hold." She gestured toward the three kneeling figures in the statue. "Members of the royal councils across the kingdoms secretly sought power from an ancient source. They found a witch—the commander of what would become the Great Three. In their hunger for dominance, they invited a curse upon themselves." Eren settled himself on the stone floor, entranced by the cadence of her voice. This was not merely information being shared; it was history being woven around him. "Those afflicted transformed," Elena said, her voice dropping lower. "Their bodies and minds twisted by dark magic. They became what our histories call the Forbidden Elves, led by the Great Three who had ascended in power far beyond the others." She paused, letting the weight of the story settle. "What happened then?" Eren prompted, drawn into the tale despite himself. "But the Great Three had other plans," Elena continued, her eyes darkening with remembered lore. "They weren’t content to merely gain power—they sought to reshape our world entirely, to make it a realm where their twisted magic would flourish unchecked." The blue light seemed to grow colder as she spoke, casting eerie shadows across the walls. "On a night when the moon was hidden," Elena resumed, "they launched their attack. Simultaneously across all seven kingdoms, the Forbidden Elves struck at the heart of power. Many died in those first hours. The First Queen—" she nodded toward the statue, "—rallied those who remained. A terrible battle ensued." The blue light seemed to flicker, casting moving shadows that almost appeared to be fighting across the chamber walls. "The Great Three turned day into night for 50 days," Elena said. "Their combined might darkened the skies, banishing the sun itself." Eren frowned. "50 days without sunlight? How did anyone survive?" "It was a calculated strategy," Elena explained. "The Forbidden Elves abhor the sunset—it is their one vulnerability. Direct exposure to the dying rays of the sun turns them to ash, so they created eternal darkness to shield themselves as they fought." She rose from her seat, moving with deliberate slowness toward the statue of the First Queen. "As defeat seemed inevitable, as the last defenses were crumbling," her voice softened to almost a whisper, forcing Eren to lean forward to hear, "the Great Three performed their most devastating spell. They sealed each element’s ability to evolve." Eren frowned. "Evolve?" Elena turned to him, her eyes reflecting the blue light. "Yes, evolve. Did you know that water can evolve to become ice? Not merely frozen water, but true ice magic—stronger, purer." She traced patterns in the air with her fingers, and to Eren’s amazement, the blue light followed her movements, forming shimmering diagrams. "Earth can evolve to become metal. Fire can evolve to become plasma. Air can evolve to become storm." The diagrams showed each transformation. "Each element has an evolved state, more powerful than its base form." Elena’s hands fell to her sides. "The Great Three sealed these evolved forms away, weakening the seven kingdoms drastically. Our magic became lesser, diminished." She returned to her seat, continuing the tale. "But the First Queen, in her final, desperate act of defiance, gathered the remaining strength of all seven kingdoms. She confronted the Great Three here, in this very chamber." Elena gestured around them. "The battle that followed reshaped mountains. But in the end, though she could not destroy them, she managed to seal them away." "Where?" Eren asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "In the Abyss Crypts of Shadowfall," Elena replied gravely. "A place where reality itself is thin, where the boundaries between worlds can be felt like spider’s silk against the skin. The First Queen created three separate prisons, bound by magic so ancient that even its name has been lost to time." She paused, her eyes distant with remembered lore. "The First Queen never left this chamber alive. The effort of creating such powerful seals drained her life essence completely." A reverent silence fell between them. Eren found himself looking at the statue with new appreciation—not just art, but a memorial to a final stand. "And the kingdoms?" he finally asked. "Why did they separate after the victory?" Elena sighed deeply, the sound echoing in the vast space. "Fear and suspicion. In the aftermath of such devastation, trust was as scarce as hope. Some believed others had collaborated with the Forbidden Elves. Accusations flew. Old rivalries resurfaced." She rose again, moving slowly around the chamber as she spoke. "Within a year of the Great Three’s sealing, the unified kingdom had fractured into seven isolated realms, each hoarding their remaining elemental power, fearful of losing what little remained." She stopped, turning to face him directly. "And with the elemental evolution sealed, our magic has been stunted ever since. The elemental pairs became unbalanced, unable to reach their true potential. Water separated from air, shadow from light... natural partners forced apart." "But what about the Forbidden Elves?" Eren asked, his brow furrowed. "Do they still exist?" Elena’s expression shifted, a mixture of pity and contempt crossing her features. "They are scattered now, leaderless. Without the Great Three to guide them, they fell into disarray. Some isolated themselves in remote regions, clinging to twisted rituals. Others, in their desperation, even take their own lives, believing it will somehow hasten their masters’ return." She shook her head. "They are hardly a unified threat anymore—just scattered remnants of a broken covenant." She lowered her voice. "There are rumors that small factions gather in shadow, performing dark rituals to maintain their immortality. But without true leadership, their efforts are disjointed, ineffective." Eren stood, the full weight of the history settling on his shoulders. "And I’m supposed to fix this? How?" "The prophecy speaks of one who comes from beyond our world," Elena replied. "The Veilwalker—one who dies in one realm and awakens in ours." Eren’s breath caught. He wanted to pretend ignorance, to deny it, but something in Elena’s gaze told him she already knew the truth. "How did you know?" he asked quietly. "The signs were there from the beginning," she said simply. "Your connection to elements that should be foreign to you. The way you move through our world—familiar yet distant, like one trying to recall a dance only half-remembered." Eren didn’t deny it. "And what does the prophecy say I’m to do?" "It speaks of a ritual," Elena replied. "One that requires a male to unlock the seal of each Queen and her Commander." She watched his reaction carefully. "The combined power of all seven kingdoms, channeled through one who is untouched by our world’s limitations." "Commander?" Eren echoed. "Like Maria?" "Each Queen has one," Elena confirmed. "Our most sacred partnership, bound by TUNA." "What is TUNA?" Eren asked, the strange word unfamiliar on his tongue. Elena’s expression shifted subtly. "Come. The prophecy says: ’If the Veilwalker sees the statue, he shall know himself.’" She led him deeper into the chamber, past the First Queen’s statue, into a shadowed alcove hidden from immediate view. Another statue stood there, illuminated by a single beam of light from above. This sculpture depicted two figures—one lying atop the other. The craftsmanship was exquisite, capturing an intimate moment frozen in stone. Elena moved to the bottom of the statue and gestured for Eren to approach. As he drew closer, the details became clear. The figures were locked in an act of physical union—a queen and what appeared to be a male figure, their bodies joined in passionate embrace. Eren’s breath caught as understanding dawned. He looked at Elena, who watched him with an unreadable expression. "Through sex," he said quietly, the words hanging in the air between them. "Is that what you call it?" Elena replied, her voice neither judging nor amused, merely curious. "TUNA is much more—a sacred communion through which elemental powers can be unlocked and shared." She placed her hand on the statue, tracing the curves of the stone figures with reverent fingers. "As you perform the TUNA ritual with each Queen and her Commander, you will not only unlock the seals but also acquire each kingdom’s element." Her eyes met his, intense and unwavering. "Each time you complete the ritual, that element will become part of you, flowing through your veins, adding to your power. Water, air, illusion, earth, fire, lightning, shadow, light, nature, sound, decay, space, blood, and emotion—all fourteen elements must become yours if you are to succeed." The chamber suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier. Eren stared at the statue, countless implications racing through his mind. ’In my past life I died while having sex,’ he thought with grim amusement, ’now I have to use sex to unite kingdoms and collect elements like some bizarre game. What a twist of fate.’ Eren turned back to Elena, his brow furrowed. "If the Great Three are sealed away, then what is my purpose in fighting or uniting the kingdoms? What threat am I meant to face?" Elena’s eyes gleamed in the blue light, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "That," she said, "is a very good question, Veilwalker."