The hollow ones

The chamber shook, the oppressive presence of the masked figure spreading like a suffocating fog.

Ellie's skin prickled with unease.

This thing… wasn't Hollow.

It wasn't Light.

It was something else entirely.

Sam's hand hovered near his weapon, eyes darting between Ellie and the newcomer. "I don't like this. Who the hell is this guy?"

Malcolm's expression was unreadable, but Ellie could see the tension in his stance. He wasn't taking any chances.

The First Hollow stepped forward, shadows writhing around its form.

"You do not belong here."

The masked figure let out a low chuckle, its voice layered with a thousand echoes.

"Neither do you."

The First Hollow froze.

Ellie's heart pounded.

That wasn't just a statement—it was a threat.

The masked figure's head tilted slightly toward Ellie, as if examining her.

"You think yourself unique… but you are merely another piece on the board. Another attempt at something greater."

Ellie's fists clenched.

"I'm not a piece. And I sure as hell won't be played."

The figure's laugh was slow, deliberate.

"And yet… you are exactly where you were meant to be."

Ellie's pulse thundered.

She had spent so long trying to fight against the cycle, trying to carve her own path. And now this thing was telling her…

This was all planned?

The First Hollow's voice was like a blade against stone.

"Enough riddles. If you are here, then you seek something. Speak, or be unmade."

The figure remained still.

Then—

It lifted its hand.

And the world itself seemed to tremble.

A crack split across the chamber's floor, as if reality itself was being torn apart.

"I seek the End."

The air turned frigid.

The First Hollow reacted instantly, its form unraveling into a maelstrom of shadow, attacking without hesitation.

But the masked figure merely raised its hand—

And stopped the Hollow in its tracks.

Ellie's breath hitched.

The Hollow—a being of unfathomable power—was being held in place like an insect caught in a web.

The masked figure's voice softened, almost amused.

"You were meant to maintain balance, Hollow. But balance is an illusion. A lie."

It tightened its grip, and the Hollow let out a sound that wasn't entirely of this world—a distorted, painful shriek.

Ellie moved without thinking.

She lunged forward, power igniting in her veins.

Her fist crashed against the unseen force holding the Hollow—

And for the first time—

The masked figure staggered.

It turned toward her.

And for the first time…

It seemed interested.

"Ah… so you are different."

Ellie steeled herself, power crackling around her.

"You have no idea."

The masked figure's head tilted, as if considering something.

Then, without another word—

It vanished.

The chamber went silent.

Ellie's breath was ragged, her body still humming with power.

The First Hollow slowly reformed, its burning gaze locked onto Ellie.

"You should not have interfered."

Ellie's chest heaved. "It didn't look like you were winning."

The Hollow said nothing for a long moment.

Then—

"You may have just delayed the inevitable."

Ellie's fingers tightened into fists.

"Then I guess I'll just have to stop it myself."

The First Hollow studied her, and for the first time…

It almost looked like it was afraid.

Echoes of the Past

The silence in the chamber was thick, heavy with unspoken tension.

Ellie's heart still pounded, her body thrumming with the aftershocks of the masked figure's presence.

It had stopped the First Hollow.

It had barely acknowledged her.

And then—it vanished.

Sam let out a slow breath. "Okay, what the actual hell was that?"

Malcolm's hand remained on his weapon. "It wasn't Hollow. And it wasn't Light."

The First Hollow remained still, its shadowed form flickering like a dying flame.

Ellie turned to it, jaw tight. "You know what it was, don't you?"

For a long moment, the Hollow said nothing.

Then, in a voice softer than before, it spoke.

"There are things older than the Hollow. Older than balance itself."

Ellie narrowed her eyes. "And you just forgot to mention that?"

The Hollow's burning gaze met hers.

"It was not meant to return."

Sam scoffed. "Well, it did. And it looked pretty damn comfortable throwing its weight around."

Ellie crossed her arms. "Who is it?"

The Hollow hesitated.

"A being that should not exist. One who was erased from history. A failed experiment, an anomaly that predates the first war of Light and Shadow."

Ellie's stomach dropped.

That thing—was like her.

She took a slow breath, trying to keep her voice steady. "What do you mean, 'failed experiment'?"

The Hollow's form shuddered, as if struggling against something unseen.

"Before the Hollow, before the cycle, there were… others. Beings of power, created to wield both Light and Shadow in equal measure. But they were unstable. Dangerous."

Ellie's chest tightened.

"And?"

The Hollow's form flickered.

"They were erased. Purged from existence."

Malcolm's voice was grim. "Guess they missed one."

Ellie's hands curled into fists. "And now it's back."

The Hollow nodded, its form stabilizing once more.

"And it does not seek balance. It seeks the End."

A chill ran down Ellie's spine.

The End.

The masked figure had said that.

And now, the Hollow confirmed it.

Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "So, uh… just so we're clear, we're talking about the end of what exactly?"

The Hollow's gaze turned toward him, its voice devoid of emotion.

"Everything."

A heavy silence.

Ellie forced herself to stay calm. "Then we stop it."

The Hollow's gaze returned to her.

"You do not understand what you are facing."

Ellie stepped forward, power pulsing beneath her skin.

"No. You don't understand." She looked the Hollow in the eye, unflinching.

"I'm done being part of a cycle. If that thing wants to erase everything, then I'll be the one to stop it."

Sam muttered, "She says that like it's easy."

Malcolm, for once, didn't disagree.

The Hollow studied Ellie for a long time.

Then—

"Then you must learn what you truly are."

The chamber shifted, the monolith at the center beginning to glow.

A doorway—ancient and worn—carved itself into the stone.

"The answers you seek lie beyond this gate. But be warned—once you step through, there is no turning back."

Ellie exhaled, steadying herself.

She had been looking for answers since the moment this started.

Now, finally, she was about to get them.

She took the first step forward.

And behind her—

The gate opened.