The city of Hollowgate looked like it was built by people trying to outrun the past—and failing.
Tall, mismatched buildings leaned over broken streets. Train tracks cut through alleys like scars, and glowing signs buzzed above rusted doors. This was where dungeon runners sold their loot, where relic brokers made their fortunes—or lost them overnight.
Kael and Lira stepped off the old bus just outside the gates. Their clothes were soaked from rain, their boots muddy from the walk. Nobody cared.
In Hollowgate, you could walk past a bleeding man and no one would blink.
"This place feels wrong," Lira whispered.
Kael agreed. "We just need to lay low, find someone we can trust."
He reached for the hood of his coat and pulled it over his head. The last thing they needed was someone recognizing a Viremont—especially here.
The bus hissed and rolled away. They were alone again.
Kael scanned the street. A line of shops stood to the left. One had a blue lantern hanging out front—the sign of a neutral broker. No guild, no loyalty. Just business.
They crossed the street. Inside, the air smelled like metal and dust. Shelves were stacked with relics—everything from small mana batteries to half-broken dungeon gear.
Behind the counter stood a woman in a red coat, her silver hair tied back in a braid.
She looked up.
"Kael Viremont," she said flatly. "I thought you were dead."
Kael didn't flinch. "Nice to see you too, Aunt Vessa."
Lira's eyes widened. "She's family?"
"Extended family," Kael muttered. "Don't ask."
Vessa stepped around the counter. Her eyes scanned him quickly—his posture, his sword, the worn coat.
Then she looked at Lira.
"The girl's grown," she said. "I can see Elayne in her."
Kael tensed. "We're not here for memories. We need shelter. Just for a few nights."
Vessa crossed her arms. "And why should I risk my neck for you?"
Kael didn't answer right away. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small cloth-wrapped bundle.
He placed it on the counter.
She unwrapped it slowly. Inside was a crystal, still glowing faintly with blue light. The air around it shimmered.
"A raw fragment," she whispered. "From a dungeon bleed?"
Kael nodded. "Appeared near the manor ruins. I didn't take it—we followed it."
Vessa's expression changed. Her face was still hard, but her eyes… wary.
"You felt it awaken, didn't you?"
Kael didn't respond.
"That power," she said, "it's waking up again. Like it did during the Second Surge."
"The world isn't ready," he said. "And I don't care. I just want to protect her."
He looked at Lira, who stood quietly by the door, gripping her pendant.
Vessa exhaled slowly. "Alright. I have a place. But if you bring trouble to my doorstep again—"
"You'll kill me," Kael said. "Yeah, I know."
She smirked. "I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say I'll sell you."
Lira laughed quietly for the first time in days.
The room Vessa gave them was above the shop—small, dusty, but safe.
Kael dropped his pack and locked the door.
Lira sat on the bed, turning the pendant over in her hand. It pulsed again—soft, like a heartbeat.
Kael sat across from her. "It reacted to the rift. Twice now."
"I felt something when we passed that market stall earlier," she said. "There was a relic vendor… I don't know, it just pulled at me."
Kael leaned forward. "The seal on your Awakening—it's breaking."
"Why would Mother lock it in the first place?"
Kael was silent for a moment.
"To protect you," he said. "Or to protect others. Depends what she saw in you."
Lira looked down. "What if I'm dangerous?"
"Then I'll protect you harder."
She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
He stood and walked to the window. Hollowgate's skyline blinked with mana lights and steam towers, powered by salvaged dungeon cores. Trains roared in the distance, and the streets never really slept.
"This city's a nest," he said. "Full of secrets. Guilds, rogue knights, black market relics. But it's also where people disappear. We'll stay until things cool down."
Lira nodded.
Kael turned back to the room, eyes sharp.
"If they find us here… we run again," he thought. "But next time, I won't be running empty-handed."
His hand drifted to his chest. The power still pulsed there. Quiet. Watching.
"That voice called me a devourer. And I'm starting to believe it."