The Hollow

The bell rang loudly, marking the end of the school day. Students hurried out of their classrooms, laughing and talking. Hermes quietly walked through the hallway, keeping his head down. His mind kept going back to what had happened earlier.

"I fought back... but how?" he whispered to himself.

He couldn't explain it. Something had changed in him, something he didn't understand. He felt power-a strange, new strength-but was it real? Or was it just luck?

Hermes barely noticed where he was going as he left the school and headed home. The sun was setting, turning the sky orange and pink, but the beauty of the evening didn't reach him. His thoughts were too heavy.

After a while, he realized where his feet had taken him-the edge of town, near the Hollow. He froze.

The Hollow.

A massive hole in the ground, dark and endless, like the earth had been ripped open. It was guarded day and night by Sentinels, the warriors trained to fight the Abyssals-the monsters that came from below. But even the guards couldn't stop his memories.

He stared at the Hollow, his chest tightening as the past flooded back.

That night... the screams... the blood.

He clenched his fists as tears burned his eyes. The Abyssals had attacked his home, and his parents didn't stand a chance. The Sentinels had tried to protect the town, but they weren't strong enough. The creatures that came from the Hollow were too powerful.

Among them had been a Warlord-a leader of the monsters. Unlike the mindless creatures, Warlords were smart. They commanded armies, planned attacks, and destroyed everything in their path. That night, the Warlord didn't just kill his parents-it took away everything.

Hermes stepped closer to the Hollow, his fists trembling.

"Why am I here?" he muttered. "Why can't I just forget?"

Suddenly, a loud cracking sound broke through the air.

CRACK.

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked around, his heart racing.

"What was that?" he whispered.

Before he could react, something huge burst from the shadows. A massive figure, bigger than any person, stood in front of him. It was a Warlord soldier, its body covered in jagged black armor, its glowing red eyes fixed on Hermes.

The monster let out a deep, terrifying roar and raised its huge axe. Hermes froze, his legs refusing to move.

"HERMES!"

A voice shouted from behind him. He turned his head just as one of the Sentinels sprinted toward him, sword in hand.

"Get back!" the Sentinel yelled, shoving Hermes out of the way.

The Warlord soldier's axe came crashing down, but the Sentinel blocked it with his sword. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed. Hermes stumbled back, his heart pounding as he watched the fight.

The Warlord soldier roared again, swinging its axe with incredible speed. The Sentinel dodged and struck back, his movements fast and precise. But the monster was relentless.

Hermes stared, unable to look away. He had heard stories about the Warlords and their soldiers, but seeing one in real life was completely different.

"This can't be real," he whispered, his voice shaking.

The Sentinel glanced at him briefly.

"Run!" he shouted. "Now!"

But Hermes couldn't move. His body felt like it was frozen in place. The fight continued, the Sentinel giving everything he had, but the monster showed no signs of slowing down.

Then, Hermes felt it again-that strange warmth in his chest. It started small, but it quickly spread, like a fire growing inside him.

"What is this...?" he muttered, his hand gripping his shirt.

The Warlord soldier let out another roar, swinging its axe with even more force. The Sentinel was struggling to keep up.

Hermes clenched his fists. The heat in his chest grew stronger, filling his whole body. Was this what people called "Essence"? The energy that gave Sentinels their power?

Could he have it too?

As he watched the battle, something inside him started to wake up. It was faint, but it was there-a feeling he couldn't ignore.

If he didn't figure out what it was soon, he knew he wouldn't survive.