Chapter 8: Beneath the Hollow Earth

Elias coughed, spitting dirt from his mouth as he struggled to his feet. His body ached from the fall, but nothing felt broken. That was the only good news.

Lirien groaned softly, pressing a hand against her forehead. "That… could have gone better."

Elias glanced up the ravine's edge. The shadow-creatures still lingered, their glowing eyes fixed on them, but they made no move to descend. Whatever was down here, they feared it.

He swallowed hard. That was never a good sign.

Lirien followed his gaze and shivered. "They're… waiting."

"Yeah," Elias muttered. "Which means we should probably start moving before we find out what they're afraid of."

The air down here was damp and stale, thick with an earthy scent. The ground beneath them was different—softer, more ancient. It was as if they had landed in a place untouched by time.

Towering stone walls stretched in either direction, partially covered in tangled roots and moss. An eerie silence hung over everything, broken only by the occasional distant drip of water.

A cave. No—something older than a cave. A ruin.

Elias unsheathed his dagger, his muscles tensed. He gestured for Lirien to stay close as they moved deeper into the darkness.

The deeper they went, the colder it became. The walls bore carvings—faint, worn with time, but unmistakably crafted by something intelligent. Strange symbols lined the stone, curling like serpents, shifting if Elias looked too long.

Lirien stopped beside one, brushing her fingers over the worn surface. "I… I recognize this script."

Elias blinked. "You do?"

She nodded slowly, her brows knitting together. "I don't know how, but… I understand it."

Elias took a cautious step closer. "What does it say?"

She hesitated, tracing the words carefully. "It speaks of something called the Hollow Veil. A barrier between realms. It was… breached."

A chill ran down Elias's spine.

Lirien continued reading, her voice barely above a whisper. "Beyond the Veil, the Forsaken One stirs. It is bound by chains of light, but they weaken with each passing cycle."

Elias clenched his jaw. That didn't sound good. "Does it say what this 'Forsaken One' is?"

Lirien swallowed hard. "No. Only that… it was never meant to wake."

The words seemed to press on the air around them, making the ruin feel smaller, heavier.

Elias exhaled sharply. "Right. That's enough history for now. Let's find a way out of here."

Lirien nodded, though she still seemed lost in thought.

They walked further, their footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness. The ruins stretched onward, winding like a maze. The deeper they ventured, the more Elias felt it—the unnatural stillness, the way the shadows didn't quite move right.

And then, they heard it.

A low, guttural breathing.

Elias froze. Lirien tensed beside him, her fingers curling into fists.

The breathing was deep, ragged, wet. It came from ahead, beyond a collapsed archway covered in vines. The darkness beyond felt thicker, more alive.

Elias moved slowly, carefully stepping over broken stone. Lirien followed, her breath barely audible.

As they peered beyond the archway, their eyes adjusted to the gloom.

A massive form loomed in the darkness.

It was slumped against the far wall, half-buried in rubble. Its body was twisted, unnatural—its limbs too long, its skin a sickly gray. It was humanoid but wrong, its torso wrapped in thick, rune-etched chains that pulsed with a faint light.

Its head was tilted downward, as if in deep slumber. But the breathing—slow, heavy—was unmistakable.

Lirien grasped Elias's wrist, her eyes wide with horror.

"The Forsaken One," she whispered.

Elias felt his stomach drop.

The thing in front of them… it was bound. The chains kept it still, held it dormant. But the way they flickered, the way they pulsed weakly—

They were breaking.

And soon, whatever lay before them would wake.

Elias took a slow step back. "We need to leave. Now."

Lirien nodded, but her body was rigid, frozen by some unseen force.

Then, the breathing changed.

A slow inhale. A pause.

And then—

It exhaled.

The force of it blasted outward like a wave, sending dust and pebbles scattering. The chains shuddered, groaning under some invisible strain.

A low, raspy chuckle echoed through the chamber.

The thing had not opened its eyes. It had not moved.

But it knew they were there.

Elias grabbed Lirien's hand and ran.

The walls blurred past them as they sprinted back the way they came. Behind them, the deep, guttural breathing quickened—like something waking from a long slumber.

The ruins trembled. The air grew thick with an unseen pressure.

As they reached the entrance, Elias risked one last glance back.

The thing remained bound. But the chains had begun to glow with cracks of eerie, golden light.

Not broken.

But breaking.

Elias clenched his jaw.

They had to get out of here.

And fast.