Chapter 10 –
The guild hall still echoed with talk of the Summoned Trial. Some hailed Kaelen and Elira as prodigies, others whispered that Ardyn had gone too far. But none of those whispers mattered as dawn broke and Ardyn summoned the pair again, his staff glowing faintly under the pale light.
"You have done well," he said, his calm voice betraying nothing. "But the path ahead grows darker. The resonance between you is strong… yet untested against true chaos. Today, you will descend into the Obsidian Hollow."
Kaelen frowned, the name alone prickling unease down his spine. "What's that?"
Ardyn's gaze sharpened. "A place older than the guild, older than these walls. A shrine buried deep beneath the earth, where the world's chaotic magic festers. Many who enter never return. But if you can survive, your bond will become unbreakable."
Elira's lips pressed into a thin line. She could feel the guild members' stares at her back—fear, awe, pity. "And if we don't survive?" she asked quietly.
"Then you were never meant to carry destiny," Ardyn replied coldly.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Kaelen's hand tightened on his sword hilt. "Fine. We'll do it."
They descended through winding stone tunnels lit only by Ardyn's staff, the deeper air heavy with a metallic tang. Whispers seemed to curl from the walls, voices too faint to decipher, yet too close to ignore. The path ended at a massive arch of black stone, carved with jagged runes that pulsed faintly as they approached.
"This is the Hollow," Ardyn said, his voice reverent. "From here onward, you walk alone."
Elira's brows furrowed. "You're not coming?"
Ardyn's lips curved in a reassuring smile. "I will watch. But the Hollow only responds to those bound by resonance. Step forward… and endure."
Kaelen glanced at Elira. Her silver eyes met his, both of them trembling but refusing to step back. Together, they crossed the arch.
The world changed instantly.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
The air was thick, heavy, alive with whispers that slithered into their ears. The stone ground beneath their feet was slick, black veins glowing faintly like blood pulsing under skin. The Hollow was no empty cavern—it was breathing, watching.
Elira shivered, clutching her chest. "This place… it's wrong."
Kaelen's fire flickered to life along his blade, casting a faint glow. The shadows recoiled, but only slightly, pressing at the edges like hungry wolves.
A low growl echoed from the darkness. Then another.
Figures emerged—creatures born of chaos itself. One was a mass of eyes and claws, another a serpent of shadow with fangs dripping liquid night. Their forms shifted constantly, as if reality itself could not decide what they were.
"Stay close," Kaelen muttered.
The first creature lunged. Kaelen swung, fire slicing through its formless body, but it shrieked and reformed instantly. Elira raised her hands, moonlight bursting forth to burn away the shadow serpent, but three more slithered from the walls.
"They don't stop!" she cried.
"They're testing us!" Kaelen gritted his teeth, pushing forward. "Then we fight!"
The battle raged.
Kaelen slashed and burned, his blade a blazing arc through endless darkness. Elira's moonlight flared brighter, shields forming to block claws and teeth, beams lancing outward to scatter the shadows.
But the Hollow was endless. Each creature they cut down reformed, each shadow burned away returned stronger. The bond pulsed between them, keeping them standing even as exhaustion set in.
Then the whispers grew louder.
Kaelen staggered mid-swing as a voice hissed in his ear. You'll never be enough. You'll fail her like you failed before.
Images slammed into his mind—his village burning, his parents' screams, his hands stained with helplessness. He dropped to one knee, chest heaving.
"Elira!" he gasped.
She whirled, blasting away a lunging creature, but froze as her own whispers struck. He'll leave you. Just like everyone else. You're a burden, a curse. You'll destroy him.
Her vision blurred with memories—her clan turning their backs on her, eyes filled with fear, voices calling her cursed. She fell to her knees, tears stinging her eyes.
The Hollow pressed harder, illusions swirling around them. The creatures closed in, claws scraping, fangs gleaming.
Above the Hollow, unseen, Ardyn stood before the arch, his staff pressed to the stone. The gem at its head glowed brighter as it siphoned the chaotic energy pouring from within. His lips curled into a hungry smile.
"Yes… yes… break them. Show me the depth of your bond. Feed me everything."
In the Hollow, Kaelen's vision dimmed. The whispers clawed at his soul, drowning him in guilt and despair. He forced himself to look up, and through the haze he saw Elira, curled on the ground, trembling, tears streaming down her face.
Something snapped inside him.
"NO!" His roar shook the Hollow, fire exploding around him. He staggered to his feet, sword blazing brighter than ever. "You're not a curse, Elira! You're the reason I'm still standing!"
Elira lifted her head, her tears catching the glow of his flames. The whispers pressed harder, but Kaelen's words cut through like fire through fog.
"You think I'll leave? Never. We made a pact under the moonlight! I'll fight this world and every shadow in it before I let them take you from me!"
Her heart pounded. The bond pulsed, warm and strong, drowning out the whispers. She pushed herself to her feet, moonlight bursting from her hands, flooding the Hollow with silver radiance.
Together, fire and moonlight surged, weaving into a torrent of power.
The creatures shrieked as the combined energy ripped through them, shattering their forms until nothing remained but ash and silence. The Hollow itself trembled, its whispers silenced by the force of their resonance.
Breathing hard, Kaelen dropped to one knee, his sword dimming. Elira collapsed beside him, clutching his hand. They were bruised, bloodied, exhausted—but alive.
In the silence, a new vision bloomed before them.
They stood on a battlefield of stars, a massive shadow looming over the world. And in the center of that shadow was a figure—two figures—bound by chains of light and darkness. Their bond was the key, but also the weapon that could shatter everything.
A voice echoed through the vision: The bond of moonlight can save the world… or end it.
Then the vision vanished.
The Hollow released them, the runes at the arch flaring as they stumbled back into the tunnel. The guild members gasped at their battered forms, rushing forward to catch them.
Ardyn's staff dimmed as he stepped closer, his expression serene. "You have done well. You faced the Hollow and survived. Few can claim such a feat."
Kaelen's eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering, but exhaustion silenced him. Elira leaned against him, her silver eyes haunted by the vision.
As they were carried away, Ardyn turned back to the Hollow, his smile sharp.
"They are nearly ready," he whispered. "Soon, their bond will open the seal… and all shall kneel before me."
The Obsidian Hollow pulsed faintly, as if answering his words.