Modern Mysteries of the Pale Veil - Episode 33: "The truth and the unknown"

Courthouse Archive #: 3302-HPR Date: September 12, 2025 Location: Hollow Pines Regional Courthouse Subject: Inquiry into the Disappearance Associated with the Pale Veil Presiding: Judge Marianne Elwood Testimony by: The Archivist (Name Withheld for Security Reasons)

Transcript of Court Proceedings:

Judge Elwood: "You may proceed, Archivist."

The Archivist: "Thank you, Your Honor. Esteemed members of the court, what I am about to disclose today pertains not only to the specific case of the missing individuals from Hollow Pines but to a broader, more disturbing pattern that may have implications for our understanding of the phenomenon known as the Pale Veil."

(The Archivist presents a folder labeled "Exhibit A: The Choir Ledgers, Page Missing")

The Archivist: "This, Your Honor, represents the Choir's ledgers, specifically noting their attendance and activities around Hollow Pines. Crucially, page 13 is missing. Historically, this page corresponds to the night several town residents vanished under mysterious circumstances."

(There's a murmur in the courtroom as the Archivist displays the ledger.)

The Archivist: "Further evidence suggests the recurring presence of an anomalous glyph, noted as ◬. This symbol appears repeatedly in conjunction with unexplained disappearances and has been found etched into trees at the perimeter of Hollow Pines."

Exhibit B: Photographic Evidence of the Glyph ◬

(A series of photographs is shown, each depicting the glyph on different trees. The images have a timestamp of the nights following each disappearance.)

Judge Elwood: "And your hypothesis, Archivist?"

The Archivist: "Based on the correlation between the glyph and the disappearances, along with historical data extracted from the so-called Ashen Gospel, I believe these individuals did not simply 'vanish.' They were selected, through means not entirely understood, by a force related to what local lore refers to as the Pale Veil."

(A gasp follows from the audience. The Judge signals for silence.)

The Archivist: "Your Honor, this force, whatever its nature, appears to be both sentient and malevolent, tethered to specific temporal and spatial conditions."

Judge Elwood: "Are you suggesting a supernatural cause?"

The Archivist: "Supernatural, or perhaps something beyond current scientific comprehension. My role has allowed me to gather extensive anecdotal and photographic evidence suggesting that incidents increase significantly during what the Choir calendar terms 'the eve of the second cycle.'"

Exhibit C: Choir Calendars and Astronomical Alignments

(Displaying numerous dated documents alongside astronomical charts.)

The Archivist: "These alignments are not merely coincidental but are perhaps a fundamental trigger to the events associated with the Pale Veil."

Judge Elwood: "What are you suggesting as a course of action?"

The Archivist: "Heightened surveillance, restricted access to Hollow Pines during identified high-risk periods, and a more substantial investigative commitment to uncovering the origins and purposes of the Pale Veil. We must also consider the potential dangers of interfering with forces we do not fully understand."

(The courtroom is silent, the weight of the Archivist's words settling like a heavy fog.)

Additional Notes Found in the Archivist's Personal Journal (Undated):

"Further investigations into the Ashen Gospel have revealed an overlooked verse, possibly connected to the missing page 13 of the Choir's ledgers. The verse speaks cryptically of 'the old giants ceding to new,' a process completed 'under the shadow of the ◬.' This could be a metaphorical reference, or perhaps something far more literal. We do not sleep. We wait."

Follow-up on Verse Research:

Attempted correlation with known geological or astronomical events has yielded no results thus far. The implication may be metaphorical or coded, requiring further decryption.

Final Entry:

As night blankets Hollow Pines, the cold truth emerges from the shadows of tall tales and whispered fears. The Pale Veil is more than folklore; it's a palpable dread, thick in the air we breathe. Beneath the ghostly hue of an uncaring moon, something ancient stirs, its intentions obscured by the dense fog of our own disbelief and the cryptic nature of its signs.

Tonight, as the second cycle nears its zenith, we wait, not merely for the dawn, but for the revelation of what lies beyond the Veil. The Ashen Gospel's forgotten verse whispers from the margins of understanding, compelling us to watch the horizon where reality thins and nightmares seep through. What happens next may well redefine the essence of Hollow Pines... or erase it entirely.