Chapter 29: Echoes of the Past

The first rays of morning light pierced through the shattered ruins, bathing the battlefield in an eerie golden glow. The air was thick with the remnants of magic, crackling softly like embers after a great fire. Though the rift was sealed, its presence still lingered—an invisible scar upon the world.

Selena stood motionless, her heart heavy as she stared at the spot where her sister had vanished into the shadows.

"You don't understand what you've done."

Riven's final words echoed through her mind, a whisper that refused to fade.

She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to push down the emotions threatening to consume her. She couldn't afford to break—not now.

Behind her, Kael sheathed his sword and stepped closer, his voice low and steady. "You did what had to be done."

Selena turned to him, her expression unreadable. "Did I?"

Kael frowned. "If you hadn't closed that rift, the Lost would have devoured everything in their path."

"But Riven—" Selena cut herself off, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I still don't understand how she survived. Or how she became… this."

Liora, who had been tending to the wounded a few feet away, straightened and joined them. "No one wields that kind of power alone," she murmured. "Someone—or something—helped her."

Garrik crossed his arms. "And that's exactly what worries me."

Selena nodded slowly. "We need answers. And I know exactly where to find them."

---

Return to the Oracle

They packed their things in silence, the weight of what had transpired pressing down on them. Though no one said it aloud, the reality was clear: Riven was no longer just a lost sister. She was a force to be reckoned with, and she had no intention of stopping.

The group set off at dawn, leaving the ruins behind as they traveled toward the Oracle's sacred grove.

The journey was long, stretching through dense forests and winding mountain trails. Though the tension between them was thick, they all knew the urgency of their mission.

Selena rode ahead, lost in thought.

Riven's power wasn't just dark magic—it was something far older, something that bent the very fabric of reality. And the way she had spoken, the conviction in her voice, suggested that she believed in what she was doing.

That terrified Selena more than anything.

Because it meant that Riven wasn't just acting out of rage.

She was acting out of purpose.

---

Memories That Haunt

The journey gave Selena too much time to think.

She found herself drowning in memories—flashes of a childhood that now felt like a distant dream.

"Selena, you have to climb higher!"

"You know I hate heights."

"Then how will you ever reach the stars?"

She could still see Riven's smile, bright and wild, her laughter ringing through the trees. She had always been the reckless one, the daring one.

And Selena had always followed.

"We'll always have each other, right?"

"Always."

She closed her eyes, gripping the reins tightly.

That promise had been broken the night Riven disappeared.

And now, after all these years, they were standing on opposite sides of a war neither of them had ever meant to start.

---

The Oracle's Warning

By the time they reached the Oracle's grove, the sun was beginning to set. The air shimmered with energy, thick with the presence of unseen forces.

The Oracle's dwelling was an ancient structure carved into the side of a mountain, hidden beneath a canopy of silver-leafed trees. The moment Selena stepped inside, she felt the weight of unseen eyes upon her.

A figure emerged from the shadows—an old woman draped in robes woven with starlight.

"You have returned," the Oracle said, her voice a whisper of wind through the trees.

Selena stepped forward, her voice steady. "We need answers."

The Oracle studied her, then nodded. "You seek knowledge of the one who walks the path of the Veil."

Selena's breath hitched. "You mean Riven."

"She is no longer the girl you remember." The Oracle's eyes darkened. "She is bound to something far greater than herself."

Liora frowned. "What do you mean?"

The Oracle turned, motioning for them to follow. She led them deeper into the cavernous dwelling, where walls were covered in ancient markings—stories etched into stone.

She stopped before one of them, tracing her fingers over the image of a figure wreathed in darkness.

"The Weaver of Shadows," she murmured. "An entity that exists beyond the Veil, feeding on those who seek forbidden knowledge. Your sister has been touched by its power."

Selena felt the blood drain from her face. "Then she's—"

"Not beyond saving," the Oracle interrupted, her gaze sharp. "But the longer she walks this path, the harder it will be to bring her back."

Kael's expression hardened. "Then we don't have time to waste."

The Oracle nodded. "You must find the source of her power. Only then will you have a chance to sever its hold on her."

Selena clenched her fists. "Where do we start?"

The Oracle's gaze lingered on her for a moment before she turned to the far end of the chamber.

"There is a place where the Veil is weakest. A place where the Weaver's influence seeps into your world."

She gestured toward an archway leading into darkness.

"The Hollow."

---

The Hollow Beckons

The name alone sent a shiver down Selena's spine. The Hollow was a place of nightmares—a land untouched by time, where reality twisted and the dead whispered.

It was said that those who entered never returned.

Selena inhaled sharply, steadying herself. "If that's where Riven's power is coming from, then that's where we need to go."

Liora hesitated. "Selena, this is dangerous. Even for us."

"I know," Selena said, her voice firm. "But if there's even a chance of saving Riven, I have to take it."

Kael placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression unreadable. "Then we go together."

Garrik smirked. "Well, at least it won't be boring."

The Oracle watched them in silence, then finally spoke.

"Beware the whispers," she warned. "The Hollow does not simply consume—it changes."

Selena met her gaze, determination burning in her chest. "Then we'll have to change it first."

And with that, they stepped into the darkness—toward the Hollow, toward the unknown, and toward the sister who had become their greatest enemy.

As the last echoes of light faded behind them, Selena whispered under her breath:

"I'm coming, Riven. I won't let you go again."