Chapter 5: A Blade Between Shadows

Trusting a Hollowborn was madness.

Kael had done plenty of reckless things in his life—smuggling contraband past imperial warships, lying to crime lords, sneaking into a governor's estate just to steal one bottle of celestial wine—but standing shoulder to shoulder with a Hollowborn warrior as death closed in?

This was new. And it was stupid.

The air in the ruined observatory crackled with unnatural energy. The Hollowborn wraiths circled the three of them, their forms shifting and flickering like candlelight in a dying breeze. Their whispers—soft, insidious—slithered through Kael's mind.

"He will betray you."

"You were never meant to live."

"The Hollow King is watching."

Kael's jaw clenched. His grip on his dagger tightened. "I'm not in the mood for creepy voices in my head tonight."

Kieran didn't react to the whispers, but his grip on his sword shifted, muscles tensing beneath his tarnished armor. Lysara moved beside Kael, her fingers glowing with residual starfire.

"There's an exit beneath the ruins," Kieran said, his voice calm. "A hidden passage that leads out of the city."

Lysara didn't lower her hands. "And why would I trust you to lead us anywhere?"

Kael shot her a look. "Now is not the time to argue."

"It's exactly the time to argue." Lysara's gaze flicked toward Kieran. "I've seen what happens when someone lets the Hollowborn take too much from them. They stop being human."

Kieran's expression didn't change. "I haven't stopped yet."

Kael wasn't sure if that was a promise or a warning.

A shriek split the air. The first wraith lunged.

Kieran moved faster than Kael thought possible. One moment he was standing still, the next he was a blur of silver and steel. His sword cleaved through the wraith's shifting form, dispersing it into smoke.

The other wraiths rushed in.

Lysara unleashed a burst of starfire, her magic flaring in bright, golden arcs. One wraith screeched as it burned away, but two more took its place, their hollow eyes fixed on her.

Kael ducked as a shadowy claw slashed toward his throat. He drove his dagger into the wraith's chest—only for it to pass through like mist.

"Stars-damned magic," he swore, stumbling back.

Kieran grabbed him by the shoulder, shoving him toward the center of the observatory. "Follow me. Now."

Kael didn't argue. He ran.

Kieran led them to the far end of the chamber, where a large, cracked tile covered the floor. Without hesitation, the Hollowborn warrior drove his sword into the stone. A deep, reverberating hum filled the air, and the tile split open, revealing a staircase descending into darkness.

Lysara hesitated. "This passage—who built it?"

"The Astral Council," Kieran said. "Before they were wiped out."

Kael frowned. "You seem to know a lot about old secrets."

Kieran's expression was unreadable. "I've had time to learn."

More wraiths were forming. They didn't have time.

Kael shoved past Kieran, descending the staircase first. He had no idea if this was a trap, but right now, staying aboveground was certain death. Lysara followed, still casting wary glances at Kieran before slipping into the passage.

Kieran went last, pulling the stone door shut just as the first wraith lunged at them. The chamber plunged into near-total darkness.

For a long moment, there was only the sound of their breathing.

Then, Lysara murmured something under her breath, and a faint orb of starlight flickered to life in her palm, casting soft, golden illumination over the tunnel beneath the observatory. The walls were lined with ancient inscriptions, words Kael didn't recognize.

"Where does this lead?" Kael asked.

Kieran adjusted his grip on his sword. "To the Ashen Wastes."

Kael exhaled sharply. "Fantastic."

Lysara gave him a sideways look. "You've been there before?"

"Once," Kael muttered. "I barely made it out alive."

The Ashen Wastes weren't just a desert. They were a graveyard. A place where the empire had fought its bloodiest battles, where magic had clashed so violently that the land had been scarred beyond repair. The air was thick with lingering spells, shadows of the past that refused to die.

And now, thanks to Kieran, they were heading straight into it.

Lysara crossed her arms. "What aren't you telling us?"

Kieran exhaled slowly. "You said the Heart of Aetheris was broken."

Lysara nodded. "It is."

"Then you need to see what lies in the Wastes," Kieran said. "Because if the Heart is dying, it's not dying naturally. Something is feeding on it."

Kael felt a chill creep down his spine.

"Feeding," he echoed. "Like what?"

Kieran's gaze was steady. "Like the Hollow King."

Silence.

Kael wasn't sure how long they stood there, the weight of that name settling like a stone in his chest.

Prince Dain.

The exiled heir. The Hollow King.

The stories painted him as a monster, a man who had given himself over to an ancient force in exchange for power. But the way Kieran spoke his name wasn't with fear. It was with understanding.

Lysara's fingers tightened around her orb of light. "If Dain is feeding off the Heart's magic, then he's not just trying to destroy the empire." She met Kieran's gaze. "He's trying to replace it."

Kieran didn't deny it.

Kael cursed under his breath. "We shouldn't be involved in this."

"Too late," Lysara said.

He hated when she was right.

Kieran turned, starting down the tunnel. "We should keep moving. We're not safe yet."

Kael sighed and followed. Lysara walked beside him, still glancing at Kieran with wary curiosity.

Kael knew that look.

She wanted answers.

And she wasn't going to stop until she got them.