Within a Hollow Heart

Chapter 113: Volume 2, Chapter 57: “Into the Heart of Darkness”

The guttural roar of the void-touched echoed through the sanctuary, reverberating off the ancient stone walls like a death knell. Cole's heart pounded in his chest as the sound drew closer, the heavy thud of footsteps following in its wake. The void was no longer just pressing against them from the outside—it was inside, clawing its way into the very heart of the sanctuary.

"Elara, move!" Cole shouted, positioning himself between her and the approaching danger. His sword felt heavy in his hand, but he tightened his grip, the weight of responsibility settling over him.

Elara, clutching the glowing orb of light—the next piece of the map—nodded quickly and stepped back toward the far side of the room. Her eyes were wide with fear, but her hands moved with the precision of someone who had been trained to handle the unknown. She began working on securing the map within her pack, her fingers trembling but steady.

"Selene and Marcus are still outside," Cole muttered to himself, trying to think of a way to hold off the void-touched long enough for them to regroup. The sanctuary wasn't designed for prolonged battle. It was a place of knowledge, a sanctuary meant for study and reflection—not defense.

Before he could formulate a plan, the creature emerged from the shadows. Its form was twisted and grotesque, barely humanoid. Dark tendrils of void energy seeped from its skin, curling through the air like smoke as it advanced. Its eyes glowed with a sickly, unnatural light, fixed directly on Cole and Elara.

"Stay back!" Cole yelled, raising his sword.

The creature let out a low, menacing growl, its mouth opening wide to reveal rows of sharp, jagged teeth. It was like a predator sizing up its prey, and the air around it seemed to distort with the raw energy of the void.

Elara had finished securing the map, and she stood beside Cole now, her hand raised as she began to weave the threads of the Veil. The air shimmered faintly as the threads responded to her, but Cole could tell the void's presence was making it harder for her to focus.

"It's too strong," Elara said through gritted teeth. "The void is pulling at the threads. I can't weave fast enough to hold it back!"

Cole's mind raced. They needed to get out of here before the void-touched overwhelmed them, but they couldn't just leave the sanctuary to fall apart. The map piece they had just acquired was crucial—without it, they would never find the central Knot, and the Severed would win.

"We can't hold this thing off for long," Cole said, his voice tense. "We need to get to Marcus and Selene and regroup!"

Elara nodded, her face pale but determined. "If we can make it to the entrance, we might have a chance to trap it inside. I can seal the door behind us."

"Then let's go!" Cole urged.

They bolted toward the entrance, the creature's growl turning into a deafening roar as it charged after them. Cole could feel the void-touched gaining on them, its presence like a dark cloud pressing down on his chest, suffocating and cold. Every step felt slower, heavier, as though the void itself was pulling him backward.

Just as they reached the doorway, the creature lunged.

Cole turned at the last second, raising his sword to block the attack. The force of the creature's blow sent a shockwave up his arm, the impact nearly knocking him off his feet. He grunted in pain, but held firm, pushing back against the void-touched with all his strength.

"Get out!" Cole shouted to Elara, who had already begun weaving the threads to seal the door.

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking between Cole and the creature, but then she nodded and bolted through the door.

Cole's muscles burned with the effort of holding back the void-touched. The creature's claws scraped against his sword, sparks flying as it snarled and snapped at him. Its tendrils whipped through the air, trying to wrap around him, but Cole managed to stay just out of reach.

Suddenly, there was a flash of steel, and Selene appeared beside him, her blade slicing through the creature's side. The void-touched let out a high-pitched screech, recoiling from the strike, but it didn't retreat.

"I told you to wait for me!" Selene growled, her eyes blazing with determination as she faced the creature.

"I didn't have much of a choice!" Cole retorted, breathing heavily.

Marcus appeared a moment later, his sword gleaming in the dim light as he stepped forward to join them. "We need to get out of here," he said, his voice calm despite the chaos. "Elara's sealing the entrance."

Selene nodded, her eyes never leaving the void-touched as she and Marcus moved to flank it. "Let's finish this."

With a roar, the creature charged again, but this time it was met with the combined force of all three of them. Marcus swung his sword in a powerful arc, driving the creature back, while Selene moved in with a series of quick, precise strikes that left dark, oozing wounds across its body.

Cole joined the fray, his sword cutting through the void-touched's tendrils as they lashed out at him. The creature howled in fury, its movements growing more erratic and desperate as it tried to fight off the trio.

But even with their combined strength, the void-touched wasn't easy to kill. Its body seemed to shift and reform with each strike, the void's energy holding it together even as it was being torn apart.

"Elara!" Marcus called over his shoulder. "Now would be a good time!"

Elara, standing at the entrance, her hands glowing with the light of the Veil, finally raised both arms and pulled the threads tight. The sanctuary doors began to close with a heavy rumble, the ancient stone groaning under the strain.

"Get out!" she shouted, her voice filled with urgency.

Marcus, Selene, and Cole made a break for the door, their boots pounding against the stone floor as they sprinted toward the exit. The creature let out one final, ear-splitting screech as it lunged after them, but the doors slammed shut just in time, trapping the void-touched inside.

The air outside the sanctuary was cold and sharp, but the oppressive weight of the void seemed to ease now that they had sealed the creature inside. Cole doubled over, gasping for breath, his body shaking with exhaustion.

"That... was too close," Selene panted, wiping the blood from her blade.

Marcus sheathed his sword, his expression grim. "The void's getting stronger. Those things aren't just mindless anymore—they're adapting."

Elara nodded, though her face was pale. "We have the next piece of the map," she said, holding up the glowing orb. "But this is only one step. We need to keep moving if we're going to reach the central Knot in time."

Cole straightened up, his chest still heaving as he tried to calm his racing heart. "How many more sanctuaries are there?"

"Two more," Elara replied. "One to the northeast, and one deep in the mountains to the west. The final piece of the map will lead us to the central Knot."

Marcus looked toward the horizon, his brow furrowed in thought. "Then we need to move fast. If the Severed are this far ahead of us, we don't have time to rest."

Selene nodded, her eyes narrowing with resolve. "Let's finish this."

As they set off once more, the weight of their mission hung heavily over them. The void was growing stronger, more dangerous with every step they took. But they had come this far, and there was no turning back now.

The fate of the Veil—and the world—rested on their shoulders.