Chapter 34: The Path to the Final Battle

The dawn broke over the desolate landscape like a promise of renewal, but the air was thick with uncertainty. Selena stood at the edge of a cliff, looking down at the abyss below, where darkness still clung to the earth like a parasite. The Hollow was not defeated. It was only wounded, temporarily stilled, its hunger still alive, deep beneath the surface. The fight was far from over, and the cost of victory had been great.

Selena felt the weight of the battle pressing down on her—physically and emotionally. Her body ached from the wounds she had sustained, and the exhaustion from the previous battles hung like a cloak over her shoulders. But it was the emotional toll that gnawed at her most. She had seen her sister, Riven, lost to the Hollow. She had almost lost her forever. Yet, despite their victory over the shadow creature, something inside Selena told her that the Hollow's grip on Riven wasn't entirely broken.

Riven stood beside her, quiet but present. The sister who had once been her closest companion, her partner in every endeavor, was now a stranger in some ways. The transformation had been too deep, too insidious, for Selena to fully understand. Riven's eyes were still haunted, a reflection of the darkness that had overtaken her. The Hollow had nearly consumed her, and though she was free for now, Selena wasn't sure for how long.

"Do you think we can really stop it?" Riven asked softly, her voice still laced with a tremor of uncertainty. She had been silent for hours, ever since the destruction of the shadow creature, and Selena could tell her mind was racing.

Selena didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned her gaze to the horizon, to the swirling clouds that gathered in the distance, thick and dark, heralding the storm that was coming. The Hollow was not just a force. It was a living, breathing entity that fed on fear, on pain, and on the weakest of hearts. They had only managed to scratch the surface of its power.

"We have to," Selena said, her voice steady despite the storm inside her. "We don't have a choice. If we don't stop it now, it will spread. It will destroy everything."

The words felt too heavy, too final. But they were the truth. It wasn't just the Hollow's monstrous presence that threatened their world—it was its insidious ability to worm its way into the hearts of those it touched, turning them into something unrecognizable, like what had happened to Riven.

The wind howled, tugging at Selena's cloak as she turned to face her sister. Riven looked at her with an expression that was difficult to read. There was something about her eyes now that spoke of a battle within herself—a conflict between the person she used to be and the remnants of the Hollow's influence.

"I don't know if I can keep fighting it," Riven admitted, her voice soft but raw. "It's still inside me, Selena. I can feel it. It whispers in the dark corners of my mind. What if it takes me again?"

Selena's heart clenched at the vulnerability in her sister's voice. The words were like a dagger, but they were also a reminder of the dangers they still faced. Riven wasn't fully healed. The Hollow had left its mark, and it was going to take more than just a battle to defeat it. They needed more than strength or courage—they needed to find the source of the Hollow's power, to unravel it completely before it consumed everything they loved.

"You're not alone," Selena said, stepping closer to her sister. "You'll never be alone, Riven. We'll face it together, no matter what."

Riven gave a small, uncertain nod, and Selena reached out, squeezing her sister's hand. They had been through so much together, but this was different. This was the endgame, the final battle that would determine the fate of their world. If they failed now, nothing would remain. The Hollow would claim everything.

A voice broke through their silence, and they both turned to see Kael, Liora, and Garrik approaching, their faces grim but determined.

"We need to move," Kael said, his voice steady despite the tension that hung thick in the air. "The Hollow won't wait for us. It's regrouping, growing stronger. If we don't strike now, we'll lose our chance."

Selena nodded, taking a deep breath. "We have to find its heart. The Hollow isn't just a beast we can slay—it's an infection, a curse that spreads through the land. We need to stop it at its source."

"We know," Liora said, her tone calm but resolute. "But how do we find it? Where do we even begin?"

Selena turned to Riven, the one person who had been inside the Hollow, the one person who could understand it better than anyone else. "Riven," she said, her voice soft but commanding, "Do you remember anything? Anything that could lead us to the heart of the Hollow?"

Riven closed her eyes, a pained expression crossing her face as she thought. Selena could see the effort it took for her to reach into the depths of her memory, to pull out the fragments of the time she had spent lost to the Hollow.

"There's a place," Riven said at last, her voice distant. "A temple, hidden deep in the forest. It's where it all began. The Hollow... it's rooted there. The temple is the source of its power. I can feel it. I can feel it pulling me."

Selena's heart skipped a beat. She had never heard of such a place, but the urgency in Riven's voice told her everything she needed to know. They had to find this temple. It was their only hope.

"Where is it?" Selena asked, already moving toward the edge of the cliff, her mind racing with possibilities.

Riven hesitated for a moment, her gaze distant. "It's beyond the great river. Past the dead woods. There's a hidden path, but it's not easy to find. The forest has changed since the Hollow spread its influence. The path is... dangerous."

"Dangerous or not, we'll take it," Selena said, her resolve hardening. "We have no choice."

Garrik stepped forward, his brow furrowed. "We'll need to prepare. If this temple is truly the heart of the Hollow, it won't be unguarded. Whatever we face, it won't be like anything we've fought before."

Selena nodded in agreement. The Hollow had a way of twisting and distorting the world, and whatever they faced would likely be worse than anything they had encountered so far. But they didn't have the luxury of waiting for a better moment. Time was running out.

They spent the next few hours preparing, gathering their supplies, ensuring they were ready for whatever lay ahead. As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the land, they set out, moving with purpose toward the river.

The journey was long and treacherous. The forest, once lush and full of life, was now a twisted, shadowed version of itself. The trees, once full of vibrant color, now stood like hollow husks, their branches gnarled and blackened. Every step they took felt as though the very ground beneath them was trying to swallow them whole.

Riven walked beside Selena, her eyes scanning the path ahead. The further they went, the more restless she became. The Hollow was close. She could feel it. It was like a pressure building inside her chest, a constant weight pushing her forward.

"You okay?" Selena asked quietly, noticing Riven's discomfort.

"I'm fine," Riven replied, though her voice was tight. "Just... keep moving."

The river was their first obstacle, a wide expanse of fast-moving water. Selena and Kael took the lead, forging a path through the trees to find a crossing. But the current was strong, and the water churned with a malevolent force that made every step feel like a battle. The Hollow's influence had even reached the waters, distorting their natural flow.

"I don't like this," Kael muttered, struggling against the current. "This place is wrong."

But they pressed on, knowing that the temple was close. As they crossed the river and entered the heart of the forest, the darkness seemed to grow thicker, pressing in from all sides. The trees towered above them like sentinels, their branches twisting and reaching out as if alive.

Riven's pace quickened, her steps becoming more urgent. She was drawing closer to the temple, and they could all sense it. The Hollow's influence was everywhere now, alive and watching.

They had no choice but to move forward. Their fight wasn't just for survival anymore. It was for everything they had left.

The temple awaited. And with it, the final confrontation.