WHAT LIVES BENEATH THE VEIL
Spin-Off: The Sin's Birth
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CONTENT WARNING: This series contains explicit sexual violence, human sacrifice, psychological torture, murder of innocent characters (including children and family members), ritualistic killing, and extreme horror. No character is safe. Read at your own risk.
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Prologue: The Jealous God
The Age of Gods – The Beginning
Before Mordred. Before Liora. Before the curse that would consume the world for centuries, there was a sin.
Not a demon.
Not a curse.
Not a monster.
A feeling.
Its name was Jealousy.
It was born in the heart of a god.
Not the first god—that one was too ancient, too wise, too loving.
A younger god.
A prouder god.
A lonelier god.
His name was Noctis.
He was the god of shadow, of night, of secrets.
He was beautiful.
He was powerful.
He was empty.
His siblings were loved.
They were praised.
They were worshipped.
He was feared.
He was hated.
He was alone.
He watched them from the shadows.
He saw them create.
He saw them love.
He saw them hope.
He wanted what they had.
He needed what they had.
He deserved what they had.
But he did not know how to get it.
He did not know how to love.
He did not know how to hope.
He only knew how to want.
And wanting, without love, without hope, became jealousy.
It grew in his chest.
It festered.
It spread.
It consumed him.
He was the first sinner.
Not the last.
Never the last.
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Chapter One: The First Murder
The Age of Gods – The Act
Noctis could not contain his jealousy any longer.
It burned inside him.
It screamed inside him.
It begged for release.
He found his sister.
Solara, the goddess of light.
She was beautiful.
She was loved.
She was worshipped.
She was everything he was not.
"Why do they love you?" he asked.
"Why do they praise you?"
"Why do they worship you?"
"Because I love them," Solara said.
"Because I care for them."
"Because I help them."
"That is not enough," Noctis said.
"You should not be loved for helping."
"You should be loved for existing."
"You should be loved for being."
"You should be loved for me."
Solara shook her head.
"That is not how love works."
"Love must be earned."
"Love must be given."
"Love must be shared."
"No," Noctis said.
"Love should be taken."
"And I will take it."
He reached for her.
Not with hands—they had no need for hands.
With darkness.
With jealousy.
With hate.
He pulled.
She screamed.
He pulled again.
She wept.
He pulled again.
She died.
Her light faded.
Her love ended.
Her hope vanished.
Noctis looked at his hands.
They were covered in light.
His sister's light.
His sister's love.
His sister's hope.
He felt something he had never felt before.
Satisfaction.
Not joy.
Not peace.
Not love.
Satisfaction.
He wanted more.
He needed more.
He would have more.
He was the first murderer.
Not the last.
Never the last.
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Chapter Two: The First Spread
The Age of Darkness – The Corruption
Noctis's sin spread.
Not like a disease—it was faster.
Not like a fire—it was hungrier.
Like a thought.
A thought that entered the minds of mortals.
You deserve more.
They have what you want.
Take it.
Take everything.
Mortals began to change.
They became jealous of their neighbors.
Their friends.
Their family.
They fought.
They killed.
They destroyed.
The watcher watched.
It saw the sin spread.
It saw it corrupt.
It saw it consume.
"Hello, Noctis," the watcher whispered.
"I am the watcher.
I have been watching you.
I will continue to watch you.
I will watch you sin.
I will watch you fall.
I will watch you suffer.
Because you are worth it.
You are worth everything."
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Chapter Three: The First Regret
The Age of Darkness – The Awakening
Noctis watched the world burn.
Not literally—though there was fire.
The souls of mortals.
He saw them kill each other.
He saw them hate each other.
He saw them destroy each other.
He felt something he had never felt before.
Regret.
Not for killing his sister—he still believed she deserved it.
For creating the sin.
For unleashing it.
For destroying the world.
He tried to stop it.
He could not.
The sin was no longer his.
It belonged to the mortals now.
It belonged to everyone.
It belonged to everything.
He wept.
The watcher found him.
"You are suffering," the watcher said.
"I know."
"You are regretting."
"I know."
"You are changing."
"I know."
"What will you do now?"
"I do not know."
"I cannot undo what I did."
"I cannot bring back the dead."
"I cannot fix the world."
"I can only watch.*
"Then watch," the watcher said.
"Learn from your mistakes."
"Grow from your pain.*
"Hope for a better future."
"It is not too late."
"It is never too late."
Noctis nodded.
"I will try."
"I will watch."
"I will learn."
"I will hope."
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Chapter Four: The First Forgiveness
The Age of Darkness – The Act
A mortal forgave another mortal.
Not for a small slight.
For murder.
A woman forgave the man who killed her husband.
She stood before him in the village square.
"I forgive you," she said.
"I do not understand why you did it."
"I do not agree with what you did."
"But I forgive you."
"Because hate will not bring him back."
"Because revenge will not heal my heart."
"Because love is the only thing that can fill the emptiness."
The man wept.
He had never been forgiven before.
He had never felt anything like this.
This was grace.
This was mercy.
This was hope.
He fell to his knees.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"I am sorry."
"I did not mean to hurt you."
"I did not mean to kill him."
"I was jealous."
"I was angry."
"I was empty."
"I understand," the woman said.
"I have been jealous too."
"I have been angry too."
"I have been empty too."
"But I chose to forgive."
"I chose to love."
"I chose to hope."
"Will you choose the same?"
The man nodded.
"Yes," he said.
"I will choose to change."
"I will choose to love."
"I will choose to hope."
The watcher watched.
It saw the woman forgive.
It saw the man change.
It saw the sin weaken.
"You have done something new," the watcher said.
"Something different."
"Something hopeful."
"You have broken the cycle of sin."
"You have chosen forgiveness over revenge."
"You have chosen love over hate."
"You have chosen hope over despair."
"You are the first."
"Not the last."
"Never the last."
The woman smiled.
"I am not special," she said.
"I am just a mortal."
"I just wanted to heal."
"To love."
"To hope."
"Because of my husband."
"Because of his love."
"Because of his hope."
"He saved me."
"Even in death."
"Even in memory."
"Even in absence."
The watcher smiled.
"Then he will never be forgotten."
"Because of you."
"Because of your choice."
"Because of your love."
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Chapter Five: The First Healing
The Age of Darkness – The Mending
Noctis watched the woman forgive.
He watched the man change.
He watched the sin weaken.
He felt something he had never felt before.
Hope.
Not for himself—he was beyond hope.
For the mortals.
For the world.
For the future.
He descended from the heavens.
He appeared before the woman.
"I am Noctis," he said.
"The god of shadow."
"The creator of sin."
"I am responsible for your husband's death."
"I am responsible for all the deaths."
"I am responsible for everything."
The woman stared at him.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I want you to know the truth."
"Because I want you to understand."
"Because I want you to forgive me."
"Can you?"
The woman was silent.
Then she said, "I can try."
She reached out.
She touched his face.
"I forgive you," she said.
"Not because you deserve it."
"Not because you asked for it."
"Because I choose to."
"Because forgiveness is not about the other person."
"It is about me."
"It is about letting go of the pain."
"It is about healing."
"It is about hope."
Noctis wept.
He had never wept before.
He had never felt anything like this.
This was grace.
This was mercy.
This was love.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"I do not deserve this."
"No one deserves forgiveness," the woman said.
"That is why it is a gift."
"Accept it."
"Let it change you."
"Let it heal you."
"Let it hope for you."
Noctis nodded.
"I will try."
"I will change."
"I will heal."
"I will hope."
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Chapter Six: The First Sin's End
The Age of Redemption – The Passing
Noctis grew old.
Not in body—he was a god.
In spirit.
He was tired.
Tired of watching.
Tired of regretting.
Tired of hoping.
He returned to the place where he killed his sister.
The field of light.
He knelt in the ashes.
He closed his eyes.
The darkness greeted him.
Hello, Noctis, it said.
Hello, he thought.
We have missed you.
I have missed you too.
Are you ready?
Yes.
Are you afraid?
No.
Then come.
Come home.
Come to peace.
He smiled.
The darkness embraced him.
He faded.
The watcher watched.
It saw him go.
It saw his end.
It saw his peace.
"Goodbye, Noctis," it whispered.
"Thank you for regretting.
Thank you for changing.
Thank you for hoping.
You were worth it.
You were worth everything."
The sin did not fade.
It could not.
It was part of the world now.
Part of mortals.
Part of everything.
But it was no longer invincible.
Because of Noctis.
Because of his regret.
Because of his change.
Because of his hope.
And the watcher watched.
Always watching.
Always waiting.
Always hoping.
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Epilogue: The Legacy
The Ages – The Memory
Noctis's story was told for generations.
Parents told their children.
Priests told their congregations.
Sages told their students.
He was the first sinner.
The father.
The warning.
He inspired others.
To regret.
To change.
To hope.
He also taught them.
That sin is not invincible.
That forgiveness is possible.
That love can conquer hate.
Many followed his path.
Some succeeded.
Some failed.
Some fell.
But they all tried.
And the watcher watched.
Always watching.
Always waiting.
Always hoping.
That one day, a sinner would succeed.
That one day, a sinner would break the cycle.
That one day, a sinner would fill the emptiness.
And when that day came, it would be ready.
It would help.
It would save.
It would love.
Because they would be worth it.
They would be worth everything.
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THE END
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THE COMPLETE SPIN-OFF: THE SIN'S BIRTH