Within a Hollow Heart

Chapter 116: Volume 2, Chapter 60: “Torn Between Shadows”

The night was colder than Cole had expected, the biting wind cutting through the silence as they gathered their things and prepared to leave the crumbling sanctuary behind. The weight of the second map piece hung heavily in his hands, its soft glow a stark contrast to the encroaching darkness that lingered just beyond the edge of the Veil.

"We should move quickly," Marcus said, his voice a low rumble as he strapped his sword to his back. "The void's presence here is too strong. The Severed will know we've been here soon enough."

Selene nodded, scanning the treeline with a sharp gaze. "I don't like it. It feels like we're being hunted."

Elara's face was drawn, her focus on the glowing orb that pulsed faintly in her hand. "The last sanctuary is north of here, closer to the mountains. But the void's influence grows stronger with each passing hour. If we don't move fast, it'll overwhelm the last Knot before we even get there."

Cole could feel the tension radiating from the group. They had fought hard to secure two pieces of the map, but with each victory, the void seemed to tighten its grip around them. It was learning, adapting, and the sense of being watched—hunted—was becoming more pronounced with every step.

"How far to the next sanctuary?" Cole asked, tightening his pack as they began to walk.

"Two days' travel," Elara replied, her voice tinged with concern. "But that's if we don't run into any more trouble along the way. The path is rough, and we'll have to cross into territory where the void-touched are more concentrated."

Marcus grunted. "That's not a comforting thought."

The trees thinned as they made their way deeper into the wilderness, the once dense forest giving way to rocky hills and jagged cliffs. The land felt different here—more desolate, more hostile. Even the air seemed colder, as if the void itself was draining the warmth from the world.

"We're getting closer to the void's heart," Elara said quietly as they walked. "The last Knot is the key to everything. If the Severed reach it before we do, they'll have a direct line to the central Knot."

Cole's stomach twisted at the thought. The central Knot was more than just a point of convergence for the Veil—it was the foundation that held their world together. If the Severed unraveled it, there would be nothing left to hold back the void.

They traveled in silence for the better part of the morning, their footsteps crunching against the gravel and loose rock as they ascended a steep hill. The wind had picked up, whipping at their clothes and carrying with it a chill that sank deep into their bones.

As they crested the top of the hill, Marcus motioned for them to stop, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the horizon.

"Something's wrong," he muttered, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Do you feel that?"

Cole strained his senses, reaching out to feel the threads of the Veil. It was subtle, but he could sense a disturbance—a faint tremor, as if the threads were vibrating with the pressure of something unseen.

"The void's close," Elara said, her brow furrowing. "But it's not just the void. There's something else..."

Selene drew her blade, her posture tense. "I don't like this. It feels like a trap."

Marcus nodded grimly. "Stay sharp. We're not alone."

They continued cautiously, the landscape growing harsher with each step. The ground was uneven, dotted with jagged rocks and deep crevices that made navigating difficult. The wind howled through the cliffs, echoing eerily in the emptiness.

As they descended into a narrow ravine, Cole's heart began to race. The air felt thicker here, more oppressive, as if the void's presence was pressing down on them from all sides. The further they went, the stronger the feeling became, until it was almost suffocating.

"We need to get out of here," Selene said, her voice low but urgent. "This place feels wrong."

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled, a deep rumble echoing through the ravine. Cole stumbled, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword as he scanned the area.

"Get ready!" Marcus barked, his sword flashing as he took up a defensive stance.

The tremor grew stronger, and from the shadows at the edge of the ravine, dark, twisted shapes began to emerge. The void-touched.

They moved with unnatural speed, their elongated limbs contorting as they crawled toward the group. Their eyes glowed with a sickly, pale light, and the air around them seemed to warp and twist with the void's presence.

"Here we go again," Selene muttered, her blade flashing as she stepped forward to intercept the first of the creatures.

The battle was fast and brutal. The void-touched moved like shadows, darting in and out of the group's defenses with terrifying speed. Cole's sword clashed against the creatures' twisted limbs, each strike sending a jarring shock up his arm as the void energy rippled through his blade.

Marcus fought with a fierce intensity, his sword cutting through the void-touched with deadly precision. Selene was a blur of motion, her blade flashing as she weaved through the fray, cutting down the creatures as they lunged at her.

But the void-touched were relentless. For every one they killed, another seemed to take its place, crawling out of the shadows like a never-ending tide.

"Elara!" Marcus shouted over the din of battle. "We need to close this rift!"

Elara was already working, her hands weaving through the air as she reached out to the threads of the Veil. "I'm trying!" she called back, her voice strained. "The void's influence here is stronger than I thought!"

Cole's heart raced as he fought off another void-touched, its twisted form dissolving into shadow as his sword cut through it. The pressure was mounting, the air growing heavier with each passing moment as more of the creatures emerged from the darkness.

"We can't keep this up!" Selene shouted, her blade cutting through another void-touched. "There's too many of them!"

Elara's hands moved faster, the threads of the Veil shimmering faintly as she worked to weave them back together. But the void was pushing harder, pulling at the edges of the rift, trying to tear it open completely.

"Hold them off!" Elara shouted, her voice tight with concentration. "I need more time!"

Cole gritted his teeth, his sword flashing as he fought off another wave of void-touched. His muscles ached, his body screaming for rest, but he couldn't stop. Not now. Not when they were so close.

"We're running out of time!" Marcus shouted, his voice strained as he fought off three void-touched at once. "Elara, hurry!"

With a final surge of energy, Elara's hands snapped together, and the air around them shimmered as the rift began to close. The void-touched let out a collective hiss, their forms dissolving into shadow as the rift sealed shut.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Cole collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath as the weight of the battle finally caught up to him. His body ached, his mind foggy with exhaustion, but they had done it. The rift was closed.

"That was too close," Selene muttered, wiping sweat from her brow as she sheathed her blade.

Marcus nodded, his expression grim. "The void's getting stronger. We can't afford to slow down."

Elara stood, her hands still trembling from the strain of weaving the Veil. "We're close to the last sanctuary. But the void is going to keep pushing harder the closer we get."

Cole pushed himself to his feet, his legs shaky but steady. They were battered, bruised, but still standing. And they had the second piece of the map.

"Then let's keep moving," Cole said, his voice firm despite his exhaustion. "We finish this."