Chapter 981 – The Birth of a Hero
Morning light spilled through the Hollow's crystalline domes, scattering rainbows across marble floors and casting fractured light upon the council chamber. The Stellar Engine hummed deep beneath the city like the heart of some slumbering god.
Kael stood at the head of the great round table, cloak pulled back, his expression a careful mask of composure. The night's conversations between Lyria and Eris still lingered faintly in his thoughts, though he pushed them aside for now. There were more pressing matters at hand—matters that would shape the Hollow's legacy.
"Let's begin," he said, voice firm but calm.
Around the table sat the council: Lyria, her gaze warm but sharp; Varik, all steel and quiet discipline; Zerathis, lounging with arms folded; Selina, her daemon eyes bright and thoughtful; Fenrik, always the first to grumble; and Eris, sitting quietly at Kael's right side, her posture rigid, her new emotions simmering beneath her calm mask.
Kael clasped his hands behind his back. "For generations, the Church and other nations have looked at the Hollow as an anomaly—something to be feared, or at best, tolerated. But fear only lasts until something brighter comes along to replace it."
He paused, scanning each of them. "We will be that brighter thing. The Hollow has grown powerful. Our alliance is strong. But what we lack is a symbol—a hero who embodies what this place stands for."
Selina frowned thoughtfully. "You mean a weapon that walks and breathes. A chosen champion?"
Kael nodded. "Not just a weapon. A leader by example. Someone who can move through the world and show that the Hollow is not a nest of chaos or heresy, but a place where power and purpose coexist."
Lyria leaned forward, her golden eyes flickering. "And what sort of person are you looking for?"
Kael turned toward the Stellar Engine's model behind him, a complex structure of glass and runic metal. "Someone who understands struggle. Someone who isn't perfect—but can inspire perfection in others. We'll begin the selection with a trial. Any citizen, soldier, or wanderer who calls the Hollow home will be free to compete."
Varik grunted. "You'll get every glory-seeker and drunk mercenary in the region lining up."
"Good," Kael replied, his smirk returning for the first time in days. "It will make the real ones easier to spot."
A low chuckle rippled around the room.
Eris tilted her head slightly. "You intend to craft a hero the way you crafted me," she said softly. "Piece by piece, through pressure and purpose."
Kael looked at her, and for a brief moment their connection flared—the faint spark of telepathic link humming quietly in his mind. Yes, he thought, and she caught the echo like a whisper. But unlike you, this hero must belong to the people, not just me.
She nodded, expression unreadable, though somewhere deep within, a pang of something—jealousy, perhaps—flickered.
"Once we find our candidate," Kael continued aloud, "Selina's division will handle the enchantments and enhancements. The Stellar Engine's energy will serve as a stabilizer for the chosen one's body. And…" He looked to Eris, "Eris will oversee their training alongside me."
Her eyes widened slightly. "I will?"
"You've mastered chaos magic," Kael said, his tone soft but edged with authority. "And you understand balance better than anyone. If this hero is to wield the Hollow's power, they must learn from its Witch of Chaos."
A faint murmur passed through the council—respect, perhaps even awe. Eris didn't notice. She was too busy processing what the offer meant.
Lyria reached out beneath the table, brushing Eris's hand gently in reassurance. "You'll do fine," she murmured. "Just don't turn the poor soul inside out during training."
Eris allowed a brief laugh—awkward, mechanical, but real.
Kael's lips twitched in amusement. Then his tone hardened. "We will need secrecy. The other kingdoms are stable for now, but the church watches from the shadows. If they sense we're creating a champion of our own, they'll move to end it before it begins."
Zerathis cracked his knuckles. "Let them try."
Kael ignored the jab. His focus shifted briefly to Lyria, then back to the council. "We begin the trials in three days. Spread word quietly through trusted channels. Every soul who steps into that arena will be tested for strength, heart, and will."
Selina leaned forward. "And what of the prize? The people will want to know what they're fighting for."
Kael turned to face the window overlooking the Hollow below. "A new legend," he said simply. "And a place in history that no god, no church, and no king can take from them."
Later that evening, as the council dispersed and night fell again, Eris stood alone on the training field. Her fingers traced the faint lines of her own magic in the air, chaos energy rippling like liquid fire.
Lyria approached from behind, her steps light. "You looked proud of yourself today," she said.
Eris turned, her usually precise tone softer. "Kael has entrusted me with shaping the next symbol of the Hollow. That is… an honor I cannot calculate."
Lyria smiled. "Then stop trying to calculate it. Just feel it."
Eris hesitated, eyes shimmering faintly. "I am feeling too much, Lyria," she confessed. "I worry I will overflow."
Lyria's smile widened. "Then I'll be here to help you sort through it."
Eris looked at her, emotions flickering across her face like shifting code—curiosity, admiration, something dangerously close to longing.
Above them, Kael watched quietly from the overlook again, his mind already deep in preparation for what was coming next—the creation of a hero who would stand between gods and mortals.
He didn't yet realize how deeply his own creations—both mechanical and human—were learning to feel.
And beneath it all, the Hollow pulsed with purpose, alive and waiting for the next great name to be written into its legend.