Dossier: The Pale Veil Phenomenon – Episode 47: "Why is the Sky Blue?"
Transcript of the Archivist's Research [Recorded September 12, 2025] Note: The tape has been damaged beyond repair in sections. Some audio is muffled; others are inaudible.
[Archivist]: This is a recording for my continued research into what causes natural phenomena. Today we explore the question: why is the sky blue? It’s one of those questions that often seems simple on its surface but hides an intricate tapestry when examined closely.
The world as we know it...the sky is a canvas painted in blues and whites, a palette set by nature's own hands. But here within Hollow Pines, our world has turned grayscale, the once vibrant colors of life dulled into shades of gray that echo the ash-laden pages of The Ashen Gospel.
When I first began to delve into these matters, it was with scientific curiosity and no hint of otherworldliness. Yet now, as I stand under a cloudless sky in Hollow Pines, the answer seems more elusive than ever before.
[Cutting through static]
[Archivist]: Now, let's consider the natural explanation...
As sunlight travels through Earth’s atmosphere, it collides with molecules and tiny particles. When blue light hits these obstacles, it scatters in all directions—this is why we see a clear blue sky during the day. The other colors of visible light, such as red and orange, scatter less efficiently.
[Static cuts again]
[Archivist]: But here's where things get interesting...
When I compare this natural phenomenon to what’s happening now, it doesn’t quite fit. While sunlight continues to hit our atmosphere, the blue sky has vanished in favor of an eerie pallor, as if nature herself is whispering a forgotten verse.
Exhibit A: A faded photograph showing The Thin Boy sitting amidst Hollow Pines under an unusually pale gray sky, clutching the Ashen Gospel tightly. His eyes are fixed somewhere distant, reflecting the strange hue overhead. In the background, the trees appear lifeless and barren.
[Archivist]: The Pale Veil...
This term, a phrase etched deeply into every ledger of this cult's history. It describes an event where the world is shrouded in an impenetrable mist, distorting reality itself. But today’s blue sky feels like it’s on borrowed time, as if something deeper is at play.
Exhibit B: Pages torn from a weather journal kept by The Thin Boy, describing unusually clear and cold skies preceding the first signs of The Pale Veil phenomenon. Entries are sparse but detailed, suggesting an unspoken connection between sky conditions and this cult's rituals.
[Archivist]: I’ve noticed that whenever blue fades away...
There’s a sense of anticipation in these records, as if the world is waiting for something to change. When the sky loses its color, it doesn’t just turn gray; it seems to lose all dimension, becoming almost two-dimensional against an otherwise three-dimensional reality.
Exhibit C: A journal entry dated September 12, 2025, written by The Thin Boy describing a rare phenomenon—a glimpse of the sky breaking free from its colorless state for just a moment. He speaks of seeing the clouds return to their rightful blue hue as if they’re gasping for breath.
[Archivist]: That brief flash...
Was it mere coincidence or something far more profound? The Pale Veil seems to have an almost magnetic pull on these skies, drawing them into its grasp and forcing them to conform to a monochromatic existence. But what lies beneath this veil remains a mystery.
Exhibit D: An excerpt from the Ashen Gospel, chapter 14, verse [missing], mentioning "the sky that weeps in shades of gray" and how it heralds the coming of "new light". The margin notes suggest ancient prophecies regarding celestial events tied to the Pale Veil.
[Archivist]: We wait...
The words echoed through Hollow Pines. Each day, as the sun sets behind the gray canopy of clouds, we wonder what tomorrow will bring. Will it be another day under the pale sky? Or is there hope for a return to our former blue heavens?
[End of audio clip]
Marginalia Note: The Archivist's final remarks suggest that understanding the true nature of why the sky turns gray may hold the key to lifting The Pale Veil. However, every attempt at uncovering these answers has led only deeper into uncertainty.
[We wait]
The thin veil between worlds whispers its secrets through the barren trees of Hollow Pines, as if waiting for someone to hear and understand. But what lies on the other side remains obscured by layers of ash and silence.
TL;DR: Why is the sky blue? In Hollow Pines, it’s a question that echoes with an ominous undertone, hinting at something deeper and darker beneath its surface.
The Choir's Chant [Recorded September 14, 2025] Note: The audio recording captures the distant, reverberating voices of The Choir chanting in Hollow Pines. Their words speak to a cycle coming full circle, and of skies crying out for change.
[We wait...]
As night falls under the pale moonlight, their voices fade into nothingness—leaving us with only the questions that linger like an unshakable shadow over every waking moment.
