The hollow ones

Ellie's body burned with energy—not just Hollow corruption, but something else, something new.

The First Hollow hesitated for the first time.

"Impossible."

Its voice wasn't just ancient now—it was uncertain.

Ellie could feel the shift.

The Hollow's darkness and her own power were no longer fighting each other.

They were merging.

And she knew exactly what to do.

With a single step forward, she lashed out, her hand cutting through the air like a blade. The force of her strike tore through the void energy, sending a shockwave that rippled through the chamber.

The First Hollow staggered.

Sam's eyes widened. "Holy shit."

Malcolm didn't speak—he just watched, his grip tightening on his weapons.

Ellie didn't hesitate.

She lunged.

Her fist met the First Hollow's chest, and the impact cracked reality itself.

A wave of gold and black energy exploded outward, shattering the darkness that had loomed over them. The First Hollow let out a guttural sound, its form flickering like a dying flame.

It wasn't invincible.

Ellie could hurt it.

For the first time, the Hollow stepped back.

"You are… not like the others."

Its voice was no longer mocking.

It was… studying her.

Ellie clenched her fists. "Damn right, I'm not."

The First Hollow lifted its hand, and the shadows around them twisted, reforming.

The fight wasn't over.

But Ellie wasn't the same person she had been just minutes ago.

She had power.

She had control.

And she was ready.

The Forgotten Truth

The First Hollow did not attack.

Not immediately.

It stood there, its shifting form pulsing, as if struggling to maintain its shape.

"You are not like the others."

Ellie took a step forward, her newfound power still crackling around her. She could feel the balance within her—light and darkness intertwined—but she didn't fully understand it yet.

She clenched her fists. "What does that mean? Why am I different?"

The First Hollow tilted its head, those burning eyes fixed on her.

"Because you were never meant to exist."

Ellie's breath caught.

Sam cursed under his breath. "That's… not ominous at all."

Malcolm remained silent, his eyes sharp, analyzing every movement of the entity before them.

Ellie forced herself to stay calm. "Explain."

The Hollow's form shifted, becoming more defined—less like a writhing shadow and more… human.

"Long before this world was shaped, before the first Hollow was born… there was balance. The two forces existed in harmony, neither overtaking the other. But then…"

The chamber darkened, images forming in the air around them.

They saw a vast kingdom, its towers stretching into the heavens, bathed in golden light. At its center was a monolithic structure, similar to the one in the chamber—except it was whole, unbroken.

"A betrayal shattered that balance. One side sought dominion, the other sought survival. And so… the Hollow was created."

The images shifted.

Now they saw chaos, an endless war between light and darkness. Shattered lands, cities consumed, entire civilizations falling into ruin.

"The Hollow was never meant to be destruction incarnate. It was meant to restore the balance that had been lost. But the cycle has repeated for eons—each new era bringing another failure, another war."

The images faded, and the Hollow's gaze locked onto Ellie.

"Until you."

Ellie felt a chill run down her spine. "What do you mean?"

The Hollow stepped forward.

"You are not bound to one side or the other. You were not created by the Hollow… nor by the Light. You exist between."

Ellie's heartbeat pounded in her ears.

Sam shifted uncomfortably. "Okay, so… what? She's some kind of cosmic mistake?"

The Hollow didn't respond immediately.

Then, slowly, it spoke.

"You are not a mistake. You are the first to break the cycle."

A heavy silence fell.

Malcolm finally spoke, his voice measured. "So if Ellie is different… what happens now?"

The Hollow's form rippled.

"Now? You must make a choice."

Ellie's mark flared, burning hot against her skin.

"Will you embrace what you are… or will you let the cycle continue?"

A low rumbling echoed through the chamber. The Hollow's presence grew heavier, its power coiling around them like a living storm.

Ellie swallowed hard.

She knew—whatever happened next would change everything.

The Unraveling Choice

The chamber shook, the weight of the Hollow's words pressing down on Ellie.

"You must choose."

The First Hollow's voice echoed in the vast emptiness, each syllable vibrating in her bones.

Ellie's fists clenched.

She didn't understand how she was different. She didn't understand why she had this power. But she knew one thing for certain:

She refused to be a pawn in someone else's cycle.

"I don't believe in your fate," she said, her voice steady. "If I'm different, then I decide what happens next."

The Hollow tilted its head, its form shifting like a storm caught in time.

"And what will you do with that power?"

Ellie took a step forward, power crackling around her like a storm barely contained.

"I'll end this cycle—my way."

A sudden rumble interrupted them.

The chamber darkened, the air becoming thick with an overwhelming presence.

Ellie froze.

This wasn't the Hollow.

This was something else.

A deep, guttural laugh echoed from the darkness beyond the monolith.

Sam stiffened. "Oh, that's not good."

Malcolm's hand went to his weapon. "Something's coming."

The Hollow turned, its burning eyes narrowing.

"It seems… we are not alone."

From the shadows, a new figure emerged.

Not Hollow.

Not human.

Something worse.

It was tall, draped in tattered robes, its face hidden beneath an iron mask. But what sent a chill down Ellie's spine wasn't its appearance.

It was the aura of hunger that radiated from it.

A voice, deep and layered with a thousand whispers, spoke:

"You are not the only one who seeks to break the cycle, child."

Ellie's breath caught.

The First Hollow stiffened.

"You should not be here."

The masked figure laughed.

"And yet, here I am."

The chamber quaked, shadows writhing like living things.

Ellie had thought the Hollow was the greatest danger here.

But she had been wrong.

Something far worse had been waiting in the dark.

And now…

It was awake.