Ruby

The Ashlands is a city clinging to life in the ruins of something greater. Neon signs flickered between patches of darkness, their glow barely cutting through the smog that hung thick in the air. Cracked roads and rusted bridges twisted between buildings covered in graffiti—some of it warnings, some of it art, some of it just anger scrawled across stone.

Music bled from half-broken speakers and underground bars, distorted and raw, bass thrumming through the streets like a heartbeat. People moved in clusters— a sea of leather, denim, combat boots stomping against pavement. Some gathered around oil-drum fires, trading stories and drinks. Others leaned against brick walls, eyes sharp, watching for trouble. This city wasn't dead. It refused to be.

It wasn't just poverty that shaped the Ashlands. It was defiance.

I pulled my hood lower, stepping through the foggy streets. The flicker I had seen earlier still gnawed at the back of my mind, a whisper of something wrong. The Veilshift had affected this place too many times before—twisting it, warping it, making things stronger.

 I spotted it near an abandoned rail line, where train cars sat rusted and broken along the old tracks. At first, it looked human—hunched over, trembling. But then I saw the way its body pulsed, flickering in and out of focus, like it couldn't decide whether it existed or not.

A Hollow.

This one was weak—still clinging to the last shards of itself.

Its clothes were torn, the remnants of a studded jacket hanging loose over a body that barely held its shape. Its breathing was ragged, uneven. It clutched its head, fingers digging into its skull like it was trying to hold itself together.

For a second, I hesitated.

Maybe—maybe there was still a person left in there.

Then it looked up.

Its eyes were empty voids.

The air around it warped, space twisting like something unseen had taken hold. A dull, vibrating hum filled my head, something I felt more than heard.

It was afraid, And it was dangerous. I exhaled, steadying my stance. I could leave, Let someone else deal with it. But I knew the truth. I wasn't doing this for them– I was doing this for me.

I took a slow step forward. The Hollow twitched, its form glitching in and out of focus, like a warped memory. Its breathing hitched, mouth opening in a silent scream as the space around it trembled.

It was unraveling.

So was I.

For a second, I wondered if we were really all that different. Then it lunged.

It moved too fast, its shape smearing like a shadow stretching under a flickering light. I barely had time to dodge before it crashed into the rusted train car behind me, metal shrieking as it warped from the impact. I clenched my fists. Heat surged under my skin, coiling in my veins. The fire inside me—hungry, alive, waiting.

I could end this quickly. Burn it away, scorch it until nothing remained. But destruction was all I'd ever been good at, wasn't it?

My throat tightened.

I couldn't risk it. Not here. Not again.

The Hollow screeched. Its body pulsed, the air around it warping violently. The ground cracked beneath it as it lunged again, hands stretching into something inhuman, clawing at me. 

I ducked, barely missing the swipe as I rolled across the pavement. I close my eyes for a moment and steady my breath, focusing all of my Juju into a single point in my body. With flick of my wrist, fire sparked at my fingertips, red-hot embers swirling in the air. The flames curled, waiting for my command.

I had to be careful.

I had to control it.

The Hollow twisted toward me, its body jerking like a puppet on frayed strings. It lashed out again, and I countered, twisting around it, my foot slamming into its side. It stumbled, but didn't fall. Its shape pulsed erratically, flickering between solid and something not-quite-there.

I gritted my teeth. I needed to end this before it collapsed completely, before it's soul became something beyond saving. I forced my breathing to steady, heat pooling in my palm. A controlled burn—just enough to weaken it, to put it to rest. Flames licked up my fingers. The fire roared, but I held it back, shaping it, forcing it to obey.

I struck.

The fire coiled, wrapping around my arm as I drove my fist into the Hollow's chest. The moment I made contact, heat pulsed outward from my hand in a quick precise blast. The Hollow shuddered.

Its form wavered, like smoke caught in a dying wind. It let out a final, small breath.

Then it was gone.

I stood there, heart pounding, breath coming too fast. The fire in my veins dimmed, but the weight in my chest didn't lift.

This was supposed to feel like a victory.

So why did it feel like I'd barely held myself together? I exhaled sharply, shoving my hands into my pockets, willing the fire inside me to stay quiet.

One battle.

One step toward redemption.

But the Veil was still unraveling.

And I wasn't sure if I could stop it before it unraveled me too.