Chapter 31: Whispers in the Dark

The Hollow's entrance was gone.

Where there had once been a gaping wound in the earth, now only smooth, unbroken stone remained. No doorway. No passage. Just the remnants of a power too ancient to be understood.

Selena stood before it, breathing hard, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword. She could still feel the echoes of the Hollow pressing against her skin, a cold, lingering presence that refused to fade.

Kael exhaled sharply beside her. "Well, that's one way to get kicked out of a cursed dimension."

Garrik grunted. "We should count ourselves lucky. That place was trying to eat us alive."

Liora shook her head. "I wouldn't call this lucky. We're shut out." She turned to Selena. "What now?"

Selena didn't answer immediately. She was still staring at the stone wall, her mind racing. She had faced Riven, spoken to her, and for a moment—just a moment—she had seen something familiar beneath the darkness.

Her sister wasn't completely lost.

Not yet.

But time was running out.

She turned to the group. "We find another way in."

Garrik raised an eyebrow. "In case you didn't notice, that entrance is gone. And something tells me knocking won't help."

"I know," Selena admitted. "But the Oracle said the Hollow doesn't just exist. It spreads. That means there has to be more than one way inside."

Kael crossed his arms. "You think there are more gateways?"

Selena nodded. "If we find one, we might be able to reach Riven before it's too late."

Liora frowned. "And how exactly do we find another entrance to a nightmare realm?"

A voice answered from the shadows.

"You ask the ones who know the dark best."

Everyone turned, hands reaching for weapons.

A lone figure emerged from the trees, cloaked in ragged fabric, their face obscured by a hood. Despite the stranger's frail appearance, there was an undeniable weight to their presence—like the quiet before a storm.

Selena's fingers hovered over the hilt of her sword. "Who are you?"

The figure pulled back their hood. Beneath it was an old woman, her skin lined with deep wrinkles, her eyes sharp as flint.

"I am called Aedira," she said. "And I have been waiting for you."

---

A Forgotten Tale

Aedira led them deeper into the forest, moving with surprising ease despite her frail appearance.

The air grew heavier the further they walked, thick with the scent of damp earth and something older—something that smelled of forgotten things.

Finally, they arrived at a small clearing. In the center stood an ancient altar, its stone surface covered in carvings worn smooth by time.

Aedira gestured toward it. "Long ago, the Hollow was not a prison," she said. "It was a doorway. A passage between this world and the realm beyond the Veil."

Selena stepped closer, tracing her fingers over the carvings. "What changed?"

"The Weaver," Aedira whispered.

A silence fell over the group.

Liora was the first to break it. "The Oracle mentioned that name. Who—what—is it?"

Aedira's expression darkened. "The Hollow was once a place of knowledge, where the strongest of our kind could seek truths beyond mortal understanding. But some knowledge is not meant to be wielded."

Selena's stomach tightened. "Riven said she had a purpose. That she was trying to fix something. Could the Weaver be controlling her?"

Aedira studied her carefully. "Perhaps. Or perhaps she believes she is the one in control."

Kael muttered, "That's never a good thing."

Selena ignored him. "You said the Hollow spreads. How do we find another entrance?"

Aedira gestured to the carvings. "There are places where the Veil is thin. Shadows gather there, twisting the world around them. If your sister is truly bound to the Weaver, she will be drawn to those places."

Selena exhaled slowly. "Then that's where we go next."

Aedira nodded. "But be warned. Each entrance is different. Some will test your strength. Others will test your mind."

Liora crossed her arms. "Great. So we just have to walk into another death trap."

Selena turned to Aedira. "Do you know where the closest one is?"

Aedira hesitated. Then, finally, she spoke.

"The Valley of Echoes."

---

The Journey Begins Again

The Valley of Echoes lay beyond the eastern mountains, a place where sound and reality blurred.

Few who entered ever returned.

They set off at dawn.

The road was rough, winding through dense forests and rocky cliffs, but the tension between them was worse.

Selena walked ahead, her mind focused on what lay ahead.

Riven was waiting.

Somewhere beyond the Hollow, beyond the Weaver, her sister was still there. And Selena refused to leave her behind.

Kael fell into step beside her. "You're quiet."

Selena kept her eyes forward. "I'm thinking."

"About Riven?"

"About what comes next."

Kael sighed. "You know, charging into danger is kind of becoming your thing."

She almost smiled. "You don't have to come."

He snorted. "Please. And miss out on another near-death experience? Not a chance."

Selena shook her head, but there was warmth in her chest.

Kael always found a way to remind her that she wasn't alone.

Even now, when the weight of the world pressed against her shoulders, she still had them.

Her family.

And for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to believe that maybe—just maybe—she wouldn't lose Riven after all.

---

The Valley of Echoes

By nightfall, they reached the valley's edge.

The moment they stepped inside, the world changed.

The air felt thicker, sound stretching unnaturally, as if time itself had slowed.

Every movement, every whisper, lingered in the air far longer than it should have.

Liora shivered. "I hate this place."

Garrik muttered, "You and me both."

Selena took a cautious step forward. "Stay together. No matter what you hear."

The deeper they went, the louder the whispers became.

At first, they were soft—barely more than a breath against the wind. But as they walked, the voices grew stronger.

Clearer.

And then, they heard them.

"Selena…"

She froze.

That voice.

Riven's voice.

She turned sharply, searching the darkness. "Riven?"

No answer.

But the whisper came again, weaving through the air.

"You're too late, sister."

A chill ran down Selena's spine.

Kael stepped closer. "It's not real. Don't listen to it."

Selena clenched her jaw. "I know."

But it felt real.

It felt like Riven was here.

Liora's eyes widened. "Selena… look."

Selena followed her gaze—

And her heart stopped.

In the distance, barely visible through the mist, stood a figure.

Cloaked in shadows.

Watching them.

Selena's pulse pounded in her ears.

Riven.

Forgetting caution, she took a step forward—

And the ground beneath her feet vanished.

Darkness swallowed her whole.

And the last thing she heard was her sister's whisper:

"It's time to wake up, sister."