Kaia

The mountains rose higher before us, their jagged peaks barely visible in the thick smoke that hung in the air. Every step I took felt like stepping deeper into the heart of a nightmare. The land around us was scarred, charred remnants of what had once been fertile soil. The heat was oppressive, the air thick with the smell of sulfur and ash. The volcano rumbled beneath our feet, an ever-present reminder of the power that had shaped this world—and of what awaited us.

I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. The shadows stretched long across the land, twisting unnaturally as if the very earth itself was alive, breathing, and waiting for us to make a mistake. The further we ventured, the more I could feel the pull of the Nexus, like an unseen hand guiding me, urging me forward. I had to find it. 

"Do you feel that?" Eris whispered, her voice barely audible over the distant rumble of the volcano.

I nodded. "The Nexus… it's close."

She looked uneasy now despite her previous matter-of-factness, glancing around the barren landscape. "You sure about this?"

"I've been sure my whole life," I said, though the words felt hollow as they left my mouth. My doubt from earlier lingered, gnawing at me, but I couldn't let it show. Not now. Not when we were so close.

We pressed on, and as we neared the base of the mountains, the air grew hotter, the heat almost unbearable. Sweat ran down my back, soaking into my cloak. The ground beneath us was cracked and uneven, like the earth itself was fighting to hold together. I could feel the oppressive weight of the power that lay ahead, a force that had been dormant for centuries, waiting for someone—or something—to awaken it.

"I don't like this," Eris muttered under her breath, but she followed without hesitation, her resolve firm.

The deeper we went into the heart of the Ashlands, the more distorted the landscape became. The familiar terrain seemed to shift, reality itself warping as if the land was alive. The further we traveled, the more I could feel it: the tremors of power beneath my feet, the silent hum in the air, the faint whispers in my mind that seemed to echo from the very core of the earth.

Then, it happened.

The ground shook violently, and I instinctively drew my dagger, ready to defend myself. Eris tensed, her eyes scanning the horizon. But before either of us could react, the earth beneath us cracked wide open, and from the chasm, a figure emerged.

A Hollow.

Its form was barely recognizable, a twisted, grotesque mockery of humanity. The creature's body was a mass of blackened flesh, its eyes hollow, leaking streams of dark energy. It lumbered toward us, dragging its broken limbs as if the very essence of life had been ripped from it. I could feel the power radiating from it, a distorted, overwhelming resonance that threatened to crush me.

"This… this is one of them," Eris whispered, her voice filled with disgust and fear.

I could feel my pulse quicken, my heart pounding in my chest. The Hollow was an echo of the Veilshift's collapse—an abomination born from the distortion of reality. The very thing that had been eating away at the world. I had seen them before, but nothing like this.

"Stay back," I warned Eris, my voice tight with tension.

The Hollow's eyes locked onto mine, and I could sense its anguish, its endless torment. It wasn't just a mindless creature—it was someone who had once been human, who had been consumed by the Veil's power. And now, it was nothing more than a vessel for the darkness.

I raised my hand, instinctively calling upon the power within me. The Veil whispered through my veins, its shadowy tendrils curling around my fingers. The dark power that had always been a part of me surged forward, but this time, it felt different. It wasn't the calm, controlled force I was used to. No, this was raw, chaotic, an uncontrollable surge of anguish and despair.

The Hollow roared, its voice distorted, a grotesque sound that reverberated through the earth. It lunged at us, its claws extending with deadly speed.

I barely had time to react. The power surged from my hand, the Veil unraveling in an explosion of dark energy. The Hollow was struck head-on by the force of the blast, its body momentarily suspended in the air before it crumpled to the ground in a heap of smoldering flesh.

Eris was silent beside me, her breath coming in shallow gasps. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, but there was no sense of triumph. No relief. The Hollow had been defeated, but it was only one of many that would come.

I looked down at my trembling hand, the dark power still swirling around my fingertips, refusing to dissipate. It was as if the force had taken on a life of its own, a constant reminder of the danger that lay ahead.

Eris stepped closer, her hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, though there was no mistaking the concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine," I lied, pushing the power back into the depths of my mind. "But this is only the beginning."

The Nexus was close now, closer than ever. The Hollow had been a warning. A sign that the time was running out. But there was no turning back now. The Nexus would either give me the control to stop Kori—or it would consume me entirely.