Iris and the Veilkeepers

“Earth to Iris!”

Selene’s voice cut through the evening air, pulling me back from the delicate dance of light and shadow on the Seine. I blinked, realizing I’d been staring blankly, my sketchpad open to a page of half-finished drawings. The café terrace around us hummed with life—the soft clink of glasses, the gentle murmur of conversation, and the sweet scent of pastries mixing with the crisp smell of the river.

I looked up, catching Selene’s smirk. Her storm-gray eyes sparkled with amusement, her raven-black hair twisted into a loose braid. Silver charms woven into the strands shimmered in the fading light, like stars scattered through a night sky. “Lost in your own world again?” she teased.

A familiar warmth crept up my neck, and I tugged at the collar of my jacket, more out of habit than necessity. “Sorry,” I mumbled, brushing a strand of hair—longer than it used to be, but not quite long enough to make me feel fully at ease—behind my ear. “I guess I zoned out.”

“Must be quite a world,” she said, leaning back in her chair, her gaze curious. “Care to share?”

I glanced down at my sketchpad, where smudged charcoal lines suggested shapes that never quite formed the way I wanted them to. Recently, my art felt like a reflection of something just out of reach—something I was still learning how to be. “Just trying to capture the light on the water,” I said, snapping the pad shut. “It’s... harder than I thought.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you need a new perspective. How about a walk? Paris has more than a few places even you haven’t sketched yet.”

I chuckled softly. “You’ve lived here your whole life. I’ve only been here six months. You know all the spots I don’t.”

“Exactly,” she said, standing and smoothing the folds of her jacket. “Let me show you my Paris, Iris. Live a little.”

I hesitated, my fingers running over the smooth cover of my sketchpad. It wasn’t just unfamiliar streets that unsettled me. But Selene had a way of pulling me out of my head—out of that quiet, uncertain part of myself that was still getting used to being seen. “Alright,” I said, standing. “Lead the way.”

The sun dipped below the horizon as we left the café, the sky turning a soft purple, streaked with gold. At night, Paris became something else—its hidden corners alive with shadows, its lights hinting at stories just out of sight. We wandered along the Seine, the water shimmering beneath the glow of street lamps and the distant twinkle of the Eiffel Tower.

“So, how’s the night shift treating you?” I asked, glancing sideways at Selene. She often disappeared after dark, never revealing much about her mysterious “night job.” Despite my curiosity, she always deflected my questions with a teasing smile.

She shrugged, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Same old. Keeps me busy.”

“Still not gonna tell me what it is?” I pressed, though by now, I knew better.

“And spoil the surprise? No way.”

I rolled my eyes. “One day, I’m going to figure you out.”

“Good luck with that,” she laughed, her eyes flicking toward the alleyways ahead. “But tonight’s not about me. I want to show you something special.”

We veered off the main streets, our steps echoing through narrow, winding paths that twisted between ancient buildings. The hum of the city faded, replaced by the distant murmur of traffic and the soft rustling of leaves in the night breeze. Here, Paris felt older, its stones worn and heavy with memory.

“Where are we going?” I asked, feeling a familiar flutter of nerves. Uncertainty and new spaces were still a challenge I hadn’t entirely conquered.

“You’ll see,” she replied, a secretive smile playing on her lips. “It’s a place that inspires me. I think it might do the same for you.”

We rounded a corner and entered a narrow alleyway, the walls on either side covered in vibrant murals—fantastical creatures, swirling galaxies, and symbols I couldn’t quite place. The art seemed to move in the shifting light, alive in a way I didn’t fully understand.

“Wow,” I breathed, stepping closer to a mural of a phoenix rising from golden ashes. The colors pulsed with life, as though the bird might take flight at any moment. “How did you find this place?”

Selene’s gaze lingered on the walls. “Just stumbled on it one night. It’s called Rue des Mirages.”

I reached out, my fingers brushing the cool surface of the wall, tracing the fiery wings of the phoenix. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Most people don’t,” she said softly. There was an edge to her voice—something wistful, or perhaps... protective.

I turned to her. “What do you mean?”

Before she could answer, her attention snapped to the far end of the alley. Her posture changed instantly—rigid, alert. “We should go,” she said sharply.

I followed her gaze. A figure stood in the shadows, tall and bulky, swaying slightly in an oversized trench coat and fedora. Their face was hidden, but something about the way they moved made my skin crawl.

“Do you know him?” I whispered, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling growing in my chest.

“No,” she said, her voice tight. “Stay close to me.”

A shiver ran down my spine. “Maybe we should head back.”

The figure stumbled forward, their coat bulging in strange, unnatural ways. The way they moved—jerky, disjointed—set my heart racing. When they stepped into the light of a flickering streetlamp, I saw something metallic glinting beneath the coat.

“Excuse me,” I called out, my voice more uncertain than I intended. “Are you alright?”

The figure stopped, swaying for a moment. Then, a voice rasped from beneath the fedora. “Just a normal human... doing normal human things.”

A tight knot formed in my stomach. “Selene, we should go.”

Before we could move, the figure’s trench coat snagged on a nail jutting out from a nearby crate. The fabric tore with a loud rip, and three small creatures tumbled out.

I gasped, stumbling backward. They were no taller than my waist, their leathery skin shimmering green and gray in the dim light. Their faces were sharp, almost reptilian, with slitted eyes and jagged teeth.

“What the hell are those?” I whispered, my heart pounding.

“Goblins,” Selene said quietly, stepping in front of me. “Stay behind me.”

“Goblins?” I echoed, my mind racing. That couldn’t be possible. Could it?

The tallest goblin sneered. “Well, well... a Veilkeeper and an outsider. Out for a little stroll, are we?”

“Veilkeeper?” I glanced at Selene, confusion swirling with fear. “What’s he talking about?”

Selene’s jaw clenched. “Not now, Iris. Stay close.”

The goblins lunged, and chaos erupted.

The goblins lunged, their movements too fast, too sharp for my mind to fully process. Selene reacted instantly, pulling a slender baton from her jacket. She pressed a button, and with a crackle, violet energy pulsed through the weapon, forming a blade that hummed with dangerous light.

Before I could fully register what was happening, the first goblin leapt at Selene, its jagged claws outstretched. She swung the baton with precision, striking the creature in midair. It let out a shriek as the energy pulsed through its body, sending it tumbling into a stack of nearby crates.

The second goblin darted toward me, its slitted eyes gleaming with malicious intent. My breath caught in my throat. Panic surged, freezing my legs in place. The creature was on me in an instant, its claws slashing through the air, and I barely managed to lift my sketchpad in time. The impact sent me stumbling back, the sharp scrape of its claws tearing through the sleeve of my jacket.

Pain seared through my arm—a hot, raw sensation that made my vision blur. “Stay back!” I shouted, but my voice trembled, betraying the fear rising inside me.

Selene spun around, her baton a blur of violet light as she struck the goblin attacking me. The creature howled in pain, its body convulsing as the energy coursed through it. In an instant, it crumpled to the ground, smoke rising from its singed skin.

I barely had time to catch my breath before the third goblin, faster and more agile than the others, lunged at Selene. Its claws aimed straight for her throat, but it was too quick—even for her. With a wild screech, it latched onto her arm, its teeth snapping inches from her face.

“Selene!” I cried, the panic in my voice sharp. She grunted, struggling to shake the creature off, but it clung to her with feral strength.

“Run, Iris!” she shouted, her voice strained. “Get out of here!”

But I couldn’t move. My feet were rooted to the ground, frozen by fear and confusion. I watched helplessly as the goblin’s eyes flicked toward me, its gaze dark and knowing, as if it could see right through me—through everything I was trying to become, to who I really was beneath the surface.

And then, something inside me shifted. A heat I didn’t recognize, a pressure building in my chest, rising fast. I didn’t think. I couldn’t. I just reacted. I threw my hands out, a desperate gesture, and in that moment, something exploded from deep within me.

Light. Blinding, searing light burst from my skin, flooding the alley in brilliant white. The goblins shrieked in agony, recoiling as the light burned their leathery flesh. The one on Selene was thrown back, its body flung through the air before slamming into the wall with a sickening crunch.

I stood there, breathless, trembling, my hands still outstretched. The light faded, leaving the alley bathed in shadows once more. I stared at my palms, my mind spinning. What the hell had I just done?

Selene pushed herself to her feet, her face pale but her eyes sharp with concern. “Iris,” she said, her voice softer now, almost cautious. “Are you alright?”

“I...” My voice faltered. My arm throbbed from the goblin’s attack, but that wasn’t what was making my head spin. “What just happened? What was that light?”

Selene didn’t answer right away. Her eyes flicked to the goblins, still writhing on the ground, their skin smoldering from the light I had somehow conjured. She reached into her jacket again, this time pulling out a small metallic device etched with strange symbols I didn’t recognize. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it toward the goblins.

The device hit the ground and expanded instantly, forming a shimmering barrier around the creatures—a glowing dome of light and energy that trapped them inside. The goblins clawed at it, snarling in frustration, but the barrier held.

“They won’t be getting out of that anytime soon,” Selene muttered under her breath.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even think straight. Everything felt unreal—goblins, magic, light exploding from my hands like I was some kind of weapon. I took a shaky step backward, my legs barely holding me up. “Selene,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “What’s going on? What just happened to me?”

Her expression softened, but there was a weight behind her eyes—a heaviness that made my chest tighten. “Iris, we need to get out of here. This place isn’t safe.”

“But—”

“Please,” she said, her tone more urgent now. “More could be coming. We can’t stay here.”

I wanted answers. I wanted to demand an explanation for everything—what I’d just seen, what I’d just done. But the exhaustion pressing down on me, the adrenaline ebbing from my body, made it hard to argue. I nodded, numb, and followed her as she led me away from the alley, my steps shaky and uncertain.

We walked in silence, the narrow streets of Paris closing in around us. My thoughts were a mess—a jumble of fear, confusion, and something else I couldn’t quite name. The burning light from earlier still tingled beneath my skin, a strange warmth that both terrified and intrigued me.

Selene slowed as we reached a quieter street, the sound of the city fading into the background. The buildings here were older, their windows dark, their walls worn with age.

“Where are we going?” I asked, my voice shaky but steadier than before.

“Somewhere safe,” Selene replied, her grip on my arm firm yet gentle. She led me toward a small, unassuming door tucked between a shuttered bookstore and a closed patisserie. Above the door hung a faded wooden sign with elegant, curling script that read La Tasse Enchantée.

“A tearoom?” I asked, frowning.

“It’s more than that,” she said, her gaze sweeping the empty street before she opened the door. A soft chime echoed, the sound oddly soothing against the backdrop of the night.

“Selene,” I whispered, stepping through the doorway after her. “I need answers.”

Her expression softened again, and for the first time that night, she looked at me with something like sympathy. “And you’ll get them,” she promised. “I swear. But right now, we need to stay safe.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the exhaustion hit me all at once—the weight of everything that had happened, of everything I still didn’t understand. I swallowed the rest of my words and nodded.

“Alright,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “No more secrets after this.”

“No more secrets,” Selene agreed, though her eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite read. She pushed the door open wider, guiding me inside, the warm glow of the tearoom spilling out into the cold, quiet street.