6 months earlier

  "HURRY UP ETHAN, YOU'RE MAKING ALICE LOOK BAD!" a voice silenced everyone in the press conference as it entered the room-

  "DON'T TELL ME I'M SHOUTING, IM-oh my God they heard me didn't they." the voice continued, realising it’s mistake

  "P-Please just get inside." A male voice stuttered.

  As the door opened, two people came in, a short, pale girl with red hair and an equally red face and a skinny boy with wavy black hair and nervous green eyes.

  "Please forgive them." A warm voice recaptured all the attention back to her. "Let's get back to our discussion."

  A few hours later, the woman speaking got up to give her closing remarks. She was blonde and had deep blue eyes with a warm smile, the cameras loved it.

  "You know how committed I am to helping humanity appreciate nature without giving up the comfort we have become so used to"

  "Just hurry up. God" someone said in the crowd.

  Getting nervous, she said "U-um...I have made a small space, just outside of the salt district, called The Haven, where I and some of my people can be and live in peace. Any and everyone is invited. Thank you to Apex Industries for collaborating with me to grow more trees on a large scale using their invention, The silver seed. Powered by my veil energy, it will bring some green to our city. Thank you."

  As she stepped off the stage, she let out a breath and met the two backstage. "Hi Vida, Hi Ethan." bringing them into a hug, “I need to meet with their head of research, have fun.”

  "Bye, I'm going to buy food. Coming Ethan?" Vida asked after she left.

  Spacing out, he said "I'll be with you in a bit." then walked to the back.

  What's up with him? She thought, I hope he’s not planning to move on Alice, that’s exactly what happened in my web novel. Speaking of which… she walked away, opening her phone to check for new chapters.

  He walked nervously to the backdoor and looked around, taking a deep breath didn't calm him down. He reached out to open it-

  "I thought you wouldn't come," a gender-neutral voice said behind him covering his mouth to stop his shout from escaping. "I would have been sad." letting him go, the hooded figure took a step back "Calm down a bit, you're shaking."

  "No I'm not."

  Yes, he was.

  "Just take it," he said, pushing a paper into the figure's gloved hand. "I-im leaving."

  "Where."

  "To E-eat."

  "Look, I know this feels wrong," the figure's neutral voice felt softer as they reached out to reassuringly hold his shoulder. "but it's the best for her. You saw what I saw. This is to help"

  "Just-"

  The figure disappeared.

  "-Go."

  He snuck back to the main area and met up with Vida.

  "Eat." she handed him a Pizza slice and dragged him outside. "Alice is going to start her demonstration”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  They went outside food in hand, and watched as She walked to a patch of dirt specially dug up for this, pulled out a seed, and whispered something to it. Dropping it in the dirt, she spread out her arms and waited.

  The seed expanded faster than the blink of an eye and they were all in a garden, the seed had grown into a full-blown Ginko tree, its branches spread out extremely far, green and mesmerizing, that garden was full of the most vibrant versions of every flower and even the food tasted better.

  "Woah." Ethan said, looking around happily "I've never seen her full veil before."

  "It's pretty great Isn't it," Vida said, smiling as if she was the one doing it. "Oh and, Ethan"

  "Yeah?"

  "Before you get any funny ideas..." she started "We're 16."

  "mhm"

  "She's 25."

  Realizing what she meant, his face turned red "Wha-noo I-I would never. Who would even think that- Leave" he shouted

  Without even realizing it, they were back in real life, in front of a block of jade.

  "This symbolizes my dedication to helping us connect back with our roots together with Apex Industries, who has been a great help with this undertaking. Good day."

  After the speech, she rested on a park bench, exhausted but smiling broadly at her discovery.

  My theory was right. Veil Manifestation is possible.

  A few buildings away, two of the executives stood on the roof, In shock.

  "Oh my...did you see that Kara." the male in a black overcoat said.

  "Yes-" The woman in a gray hoodie started.

  "She Made a block of JADE by entering her veil. Do you know what jade I'm talking about!" He said, pacing frantically.

  "Yes-"

  "The. Precious. Material. Kind. Of. Jade." he said squatting with his hands on his head.

  "You can't do that, can you?"She said in mock sadness.

  `"No-Fuck you Kara." he said, getting up. “You're not a veil user so you dont get it.”

  "There's a reason she's the best veil user in recent history." She said, inwardly thankful for being able to finish her sentence.

  "You don't get it, she could be dangerous-"

  "Well that's why we’re doing this." she pulled out a piece of paper. "That kid is so stupid," she said matter-of-factly.

  "Oh well, she's not good at it, so it shouldn't be that bad."

  The two figures disappeared swiftly. Leaving Alice alone to freshen up and continue preparing for her Haven.

  Alice called over her driver and got in her car after Vida and Ethan and talked them through the drive, they reached their house and she called Vida over whilst Ethan went to his room.

  "I thought we spoke in the car," Vida asked.

  "I know, I just want to tell you something."

  "Alright."

  "You're a veil user, Ethan Isnt." she took Vida’s hand in hers.

  "Yeah."

  "And people can be bad sometimes when others are… different from them," she struggled to find the words

  "Mhm"

  "Ethan doesn't like others protecting him too..." she looked over at a corner leading to another corridor sadly

  "So what's your point." Vida stressed

  "I want to send him somewhere different to learn things relevant to him... "she said sadly.

  Vida looked at her "So, he's not going to my academy."

  Alice shook her head.

  "Breakfast tomorrow. That's when I want to tell him."

  "Alright," she said calmly.

  Alice exhaled with a simile "Thank you for understanding Alice. I love you both."

  She smiled sadly "Me too. Good night."

  "Goodnight" Alice went up the stairs.

  After a bit of sitting there, Vida said "You better not fuck up wherever you're going.

  Silence.

  "Alright," Ethan said walking out from the corner.

  "She sensed you-"

  "Shut up."

  "Pack your stuff, maybe we can convince her to let us stay until after we move to Haven."

  "Alright." He said going up the stairs stiffly.

  "Bye," she said to his retreating figue. He didn’t respond.