Chronicles of the Shattered Veil

Orion lived a life of tranquil bliss within Aethel, the last bastion of human prosperity, shielded by an ethereal veil. Yet, whispers of a hidden truth, of the gruesome sacrifices demanded by the city's enigmatic Archons, began to penetrate his curated reality. When his younger sister is chosen for the 'Ascension Ceremony,' Orion stumbles upon a chilling secret: Aethel's utopia is built on a foundation of ritualistic blood magic. Armed with an innate ability to perceive the true energetic cost of all things, a gift he once dismissed as a mere 'sixth sense,' he must navigate a society that demands unquestioning conformity. Can he expose the dark heart of Aethel before his sister becomes another silent sacrifice, or will he be forced to choose between his family and the only world he's ever known?