Within a Hollow Heart

Chapter 168: Volume 2, Chapter 112: "Beneath the Snow"

The journey to the outpost felt endless, but the tension of the recent battle still clung to the group like a second skin. As they pushed forward, the wind howling through the desolate landscape, no one spoke. The only sound was the crunch of snow beneath their boots and the occasional gust that cut through their cloaks.

Cole's thoughts were still on the creature they had faced—the twisted, icy manifestation of the void. He replayed the battle over and over in his mind, trying to understand how the void had managed to manifest something so powerful, and more importantly, how they could stop it from happening again.

The outpost finally appeared on the horizon, a small, squat structure barely visible against the backdrop of ice and snow. It wasn't much—just a collection of stone buildings built into the side of a rocky cliff—but it was shelter, and for the moment, that was all they needed.

"There it is," Marcus said, his voice rough from the cold. "We need to get inside before the storm hits."

They quickened their pace, pushing through the wind as it grew stronger, whipping snow and ice into their faces. The temperature had dropped even further, and Cole's fingers were numb despite the thick gloves he wore. The void's influence was still present, lingering at the edges of his awareness, but the immediate danger seemed to have passed.

When they reached the entrance to the outpost, Selene was the first to inspect it. The door was old, weathered, and slightly ajar. She nudged it open with the hilt of her sword, her eyes scanning the dark interior before motioning for the others to follow.

Inside, the air was cold but still, a stark contrast to the howling winds outside. The stone walls were bare, the floor covered in a thin layer of frost. The main room was empty save for a few broken chairs and a table that had long since rotted away.

"It doesn't look like anyone's been here for years," Elara said, her breath visible in the freezing air.

"That's a good thing," Marcus replied, setting his pack down near the wall. "At least we won't have to worry about any surprises."

They quickly set up a small fire in the center of the room, the flickering flames casting long shadows across the walls. The warmth was a welcome relief from the bitter cold, and for the first time since the battle, Cole allowed himself to relax, if only for a moment.

As they gathered around the fire, Selene unsheathed her blade and began sharpening it with slow, deliberate strokes. The metallic sound echoed in the silence, a reminder that they couldn't afford to let their guard down.

"We need to talk about what happened back there," Marcus said, breaking the silence. His eyes were fixed on the fire, the flickering flames reflected in his gaze. "That creature... it was different from anything we've faced before."

"The void is getting stronger," Elara said quietly, her hands still trembling slightly from the strain of weaving the Veil during the battle. "And it's evolving. That creature wasn't just a manifestation of the void—it was something more."

Cole nodded, the memory of the creature's glowing eyes still fresh in his mind. "It felt like it was learning from us, adapting. And it wasn't just mindless. It had a purpose."

"Which means someone—or something—is controlling it," Marcus said, his voice grim. "The void has always been dangerous, but now it's being directed. Someone is using the void as a weapon."

"Do you think it's connected to what we've been feeling?" Selene asked, her gaze sharp. "The pull in the Veil, the disturbances?"

Elara nodded. "I'm almost certain of it. The void is being manipulated, and whoever is behind it knows how to weaken the Knots. We're not just dealing with the void's influence anymore. We're dealing with someone who understands how to tear the Veil apart."

"Who could do something like that?" Cole asked, his voice filled with unease. "It takes a Weaver to manipulate the Veil, right? And the only people who knew how to do that were the Guardians."

Elara hesitated, her eyes darkening as she stared into the fire. "Not all Weavers followed the path of the Guardians. Some believed the void was a necessary force—one that could be controlled and used to reshape the world. The Guardians exiled them centuries ago, but it's possible..."

"You think they've returned?" Selene finished, her voice low.

Elara nodded slowly. "If the Severed—the exiled Weavers—have come back, it would explain everything. They would have the knowledge to manipulate the Veil and tear the Knots apart. And if they've been working with the void..."

"Then we're facing an enemy far worse than we thought," Marcus said, his jaw clenched.

A heavy silence fell over the group as the weight of their situation sank in. The void was dangerous enough on its own, but if there were people actively working to tear the Veil apart, their fight had just become infinitely more difficult.

"We need to find them," Cole said, his voice filled with resolve. "If they're responsible for this, we have to stop them before they can do more damage."

"Agreed," Marcus said, his voice firm. "But we need more information first. Elara, you said there was an archive near here—something left behind by the Guardians. Is there any chance it could hold the answers we're looking for?"

Elara nodded. "It's possible. The archive was one of the last strongholds of the Guardians before the void pushed them back. If any records of the Severed remain, they would be there."

"Then that's our next destination," Marcus said, standing and reaching for his pack. "We rest here tonight, then head for the archive at first light."

Cole glanced at Elara, her face illuminated by the firelight. There was a weariness in her eyes that went beyond the physical exhaustion they all felt. The strain of holding the Veil together, of facing the void day after day, was taking its toll on all of them.

"Do you think we can stop them?" Cole asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Elara looked at him, her expression unreadable for a moment before she finally spoke. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice soft. "But we have to try. The void is relentless, and if the Severed are using it to tear the world apart, we're the only ones standing in their way."

Cole nodded, though the weight of her words pressed heavily on his chest. The void had always been a constant threat, but now it felt more personal—more deliberate. And the thought of facing the Severed, of going up against people who had once been Weavers like Elara, sent a chill through him that had nothing to do with the cold.

"We'll find a way," Marcus said, his voice steady as he looked at each of them. "We've come this far. We're not giving up now."

Selene sheathed her blade, her eyes hard but determined. "We've fought the void before. We'll fight the Severed too, if that's what it takes."

The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows on the walls as the group settled into a tense but determined silence. They had no choice but to keep moving forward, to keep fighting. The void wasn't going to stop, and neither were the Severed.

As Cole lay back on the cold stone floor, staring up at the ceiling of the outpost, his mind drifted back to the creature they had faced—the twisted form of ice and void. The memory of its glowing eyes haunted him, a reminder that the void wasn't just a force of destruction anymore.

It was something more.

And if they didn't stop it, it would consume everything.