The dawn came too late, heavy and gray, as if the sky itself mourned the night's carnage. The academy's stones were stained with ash and shattered bone, the remnants of last night's battle etched into every corner. We had won, but the victory tasted bitter—like smoke lingering in the back of your throat.
Kael and I moved through the shattered courtyard, alert for any sign of another attack. But there was only silence. The calm before the storm.
My thoughts kept drifting back to Jaren. His betrayal wasn't just a crack in the academy's defenses—it was a fracture in everything I believed.
I found myself standing by the eastern wall again, staring at the place where Jaren had torn the gates open. The stone was scorched, the ground blackened. The scars of his choices.
"Do you think he knows what he's done?" Kael asked quietly, breaking the silence.
I shook my head. "I don't know. Part of me hopes he doesn't. That somewhere inside him, there's still a chance to come back."
Kael's fire dimmed as he looked away. "He made his choice."
Entry 13: The Fracture
The academy feels different now—like a cracked mirror reflecting distorted images. The students whisper in corners, eyes flickering with suspicion and fear. No one trusts easily anymore. Not even me.
Kael and I have started patrols in pairs, watching for signs of the Hollow's return. We don't speak much—words feel heavy with meaning lately.
Professor Valen called us to the war room this morning. Maps were spread across the table, marked with red lines and broken seals.
"The Hollow's influence is growing," he said grimly. "Our defenses will hold for now, but we cannot be complacent."
He looked at me with something like hope. Or was it desperation?
"We need to find the source of the corruption inside the academy. Jaren is only the beginning."
That afternoon, I sought out the library annex again, hoping to lose myself in the dusty tomes. The ancient books whispered secrets long forgotten, but none could answer the questions gnawing at me.
While scanning a crumbling scroll about the Hollow's seals, a shadow moved at the edge of my vision.
Kael stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him.
"Found something," he said, pulling a worn leather journal from his pack.
He handed it to me. The cover was cracked and faded, but the ink inside was still legible.
"It belonged to a former guardian," Kael explained. "One who faced the Hollow centuries ago."
I flipped through the pages, my heart racing as I read about rituals to strengthen the seals, dark magic used to bind the Hollow's power, and warnings of traitors who would come from within.
"Do you think we can use this?" I asked, hope sparking.
Kael nodded. "We have to."
Night fell again, but sleep was a stranger. I stood on the battlements, watching the horizon, the journal clutched in my hands.
The blood moon still hid behind thick clouds, but its promise hung in the air—an ominous countdown.
I thought about Jaren, about the choice he made. Was there a way back for him? Or had the Hollow already consumed his soul?
Kael appeared silently beside me, his flames muted, eyes scanning the shadows.
"We fight to save the academy," he said quietly. "But sometimes I wonder if we're just delaying the inevitable."
I looked at him, fierce determination burning inside.
"We're not giving up. Not yet."
The night was deep when the alarm sounded.
Shouts echoed through the stone halls—Bone Creatures were breaking through again.
Kael and I sprinted toward the eastern gates, ready to face whatever darkness awaited.
The blood moon was rising now, a faint red glow piercing the clouds.
And the Hollow was coming.