The Fallen Veil

Kaida's chest heaved, every breath tearing through her lungs like jagged glass. The frantic, high-speed sprint from the distant Crown Villa had pushed her physical endurance to its breaking point. Her thighs burned from gripping the saddle, and her dark, form-fitting combat gear clung to her skin, heavy with dried sweat and dust from the open road. She leaned her weight against the heavy oak doors