Within a Hollow Heart

Chapter 118: Volume 2, Chapter 62: “The Shattered Veil”

The air around them seemed to freeze as the Severed stepped from the shadows, its glowing eyes locked on the orb in Elara's hand. The dark energy radiating from the figure was almost suffocating, pressing down on Cole's chest like a heavy weight. He tightened his grip on his sword, his pulse racing.

"You're too late," the Severed repeated, its voice a low, guttural rasp that echoed off the walls of the crumbling sanctuary. "The void is already here. Nothing you do will stop it."

Elara stepped back, the orb glowing faintly in her hand, her face tense but resolute. "You're wrong," she said, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. "We've stabilized the Knots. The void hasn't won yet."

The Severed let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "The Knots? Those fragile threads are barely holding together. The void is already inside, and soon, your precious world will be consumed."

"We're not giving up that easily," Marcus growled, stepping forward with his sword drawn, ready to strike. His eyes locked on the Severed, his body tense and coiled like a spring.

The Severed's glowing eyes flicked toward Marcus, and a dark, twisted smile curled its lips. "You think your blade will stop me? You're just delaying the inevitable."

Without another word, the Severed raised its hand, and a surge of dark energy rippled through the air, sending a shockwave toward Marcus. He braced himself, but the force was too strong. It slammed into him, knocking him back against the wall with a grunt of pain.

"Marcus!" Selene shouted, rushing to his side, her blade flashing as she stepped between him and the Severed.

Cole's heart raced as he watched the exchange, the dark energy swirling around the Severed like a storm. The void's influence was stronger here—stronger than it had been anywhere else. He could feel it pulling at the edges of his mind, whispering promises of power and destruction.

"Cole!" Elara's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She was standing beside him now, the orb still glowing faintly in her hand. "We need to get out of here. The wards won't hold much longer."

Cole nodded, his eyes flicking to the Severed. They couldn't fight it—not here, not now. The void was too strong, and the sanctuary was already on the verge of collapse.

"We have what we need," Elara said urgently, her gaze shifting between Marcus, who was struggling to his feet, and the Severed, whose eyes glowed with an eerie intensity. "If we stay here, we'll be trapped. The void will consume us."

Selene helped Marcus up, her expression hard. "We need to move now. This whole place is going to come down."

The Severed took a step forward, the dark energy around it crackling with malevolent intent. "You won't escape. The void is everywhere. It will find you, no matter where you run."

Cole gritted his teeth, his mind racing. They had the final piece of the map, but the Severed was right—the void's influence was growing stronger with every passing moment. They needed to leave, but something told him this wasn't going to be that simple.

"Elara, go!" Cole shouted, his voice tight with tension. "Get the map out of here. We'll hold it off."

Elara hesitated for a split second, her eyes flicking to Cole, then to the Severed. But she knew there was no time to argue. Nodding, she turned and ran, the glowing orb clutched tightly in her hands.

The Severed's eyes followed her for a moment, its lips curling into a sneer. "Fools," it hissed. "The map won't save you."

With a sudden, swift movement, the Severed raised both hands, and the walls of the sanctuary began to tremble. Cracks spread rapidly across the stone, and pieces of debris started to fall from the ceiling, shattering on the ground around them.

"Go!" Marcus shouted, pushing Cole forward. "We'll cover you!"

Cole's legs felt like lead, but he forced himself to move, his heart pounding in his chest as he sprinted after Elara. The sanctuary was falling apart, the walls crumbling as the void's presence pressed against the fragile wards that were barely holding the place together.

Behind him, he could hear the sounds of battle—Selene's blade clashing against the dark energy of the Severed, Marcus shouting orders as they fought to hold their ground. But the void was too strong here. They couldn't fight it and win—not like this.

Cole caught up to Elara just as she reached the exit of the sanctuary, the cold night air hitting them like a slap in the face. The ground outside was shaking, the very earth trembling beneath their feet as the void's influence spread.

"We need to find the central Knot," Elara said, her voice breathless but determined. "It's the only way we can stop this."

Cole nodded, though his mind was still racing. The central Knot was the heart of the Veil—the place where all the threads converged. If they could reach it, they might be able to stabilize the entire Veil, but the Severed were already ahead of them. They had been pulling at the threads for too long, and now the void was slipping through.

The ground gave a violent shake, nearly knocking them off their feet, and Cole turned to see Marcus and Selene rushing toward them, their faces pale with exhaustion.

"We can't stay here," Marcus said, his voice tight with strain. "The Severed is still inside, but it won't be long before it follows us."

"We have to get to the central Knot," Elara said, holding up the glowing orb. "This is the last piece of the map. Once we have it, we'll know where to go."

Selene wiped the sweat from her brow, her eyes sharp. "Then let's not waste any more time."

They hurried down the path, the crumbling sanctuary disappearing behind them as the void's influence continued to spread. The air grew colder, the sky darkening as though a storm was approaching, but there were no clouds—just the faint, eerie shimmer of the Veil, trembling on the edge of collapse.

"How much time do we have?" Cole asked, his voice tight with worry.

Elara glanced at the orb in her hand, her brow furrowing. "Not long. The Severed have been pulling at the Knots for too long. The threads are fraying faster than we can stabilize them."

Marcus's expression was grim. "Then we need to move faster. The Severed will be coming for us, and the void isn't going to stop."

Cole's heart raced as they made their way through the darkened landscape, the faint glow of the map piece lighting their way. They had come so far, but the void was closing in on them from all sides. The Severed were relentless, and the central Knot was their only chance to stop it.

But as they pressed on, Cole couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time—that the void was too strong, too far ahead of them.

And if they didn't reach the central Knot soon, there might not be anything left to save.