The Arcane Council Chamber
The silver-paneled doors of the Arcane Hall creaked open as Varyes stepped in with urgency in his stride. His robes flowed behind him like shadows in the wind, the sealed scroll clutched tightly in his hand. The council's chamber was bathed in the blue glow of enchanted flames floating above each seat. Alden, the elder seer of the Council, stood near the scrying orb, his eyes closed in deep concentration.
Varies (firmly): "Alden. We have a problem... a grave one."
Alden opened his eyes slowly, sensing the tension .
Varies (holding out the scroll): "A message from our embedded scout in the north. He saw it with his own eyes. Elias. He made contact with the entity—Nyxoth."
Alden's face turned pale, and his hand clenched the orb beside him.
Alden: The Echo from Arkwatch—the first fragment—it's was gone. We were told it was vanished before they reached there ."
Varies stepped forward, his voice low.
Varies: "Then Elias has it."
Alden stared into the blue flames, troubled.
Alden: "He's already starting to consume them... That means the echoes are responding to him. This is not good. Nyxoth's influence is subtle—insidious. Even the purest heart can crack under its promise."
Varyes: "And he's not just powerful. He's unpredictable."
Alden (gravely): "We must act. Either guide the flame—or be prepared to extinguish it before it becomes a wildfire."
A silence hung thick in the air after Alden's words. Then, with a slow, measured breath, he turned to face the Council's sigil glowing on the floor beneath their feet.
Alden (calm but commanding): "We cannot afford chaos. Not yet. If Elias holds even one of the Echoes... capturing him is no longer optional. It is necessary."
Varies (nodding): "But we must not alert them. Not until they return. If we move now, they'll scatter—and we'll lose our chance."
Alden: "Let them come back. Let them think they're still in control. We will welcome them... and when the moment is right—we seize the boy."
A dark silence followed before Varies added, almost hesitantly:
Varies: "There's one more thing. Arkan showed up... Elias and his group encountered him directly."
Alden (shocked): "Arkan? That... relic of a warrior still lives?"
Varies: "More than lives. He moved faster than any of them could react. Elias survived. But just barely. And somehow... they all made it out alive."
Alden's eyes narrowed, thoughts swirling behind them like a storm.
Alden (grimly): "If Arkan is back... it means this war is no longer one of factions. It's a convergence. Nyxoth's influence is awakening more than just Echoes..."
Varyes: "Should I inform the other heads?"
Alden (shaking his head): "Not yet. We move in silence. And when the time comes... we strike."
The air grows heavier as Alden processes something in his mind. The fire from the floating torches flickers unnaturally, as if reacting to the tension.
Alden (gritting his teeth): "Then Dorian knew... He was there. And he never reported the contact with Nyxoth... or the Echo."
Varies (calmly): "It seems the old warrior is still ruled by sentiment. He let his emotions cloud his duty. Perhaps... he still sees the boy not as a threat—but as a child he failed to protect."
Alden: "That's the danger of being influenced by innocence. But Elias is no ordinary child. He made contact with a forgotten god."
He takes a few steps, the clicking of his boots echoing off the tall stone pillars.
Alden (coldly): "Dorian's silence has made things complicated. The Council cannot act unless we know who still serves truth... and who serves hope."
Varyes: "Should we bring Dorian in for questioning?"
Alden (after a pause): "No... not yet. He's still useful. He can lead them right into our grasp. Let him believe we trust him."
He turns, face hardened like marble.
Alden: "Let the boy walk deeper into the storm. The more power he gathers, the more chains he binds himself with. And when the time comes..."
Varies (finishing): "...we'll rip Nyxoth's poison from his soul. Or burn them both down trying."
Eclipse Order Stronghold
Dark violet flames burn in sconces around the circular chamber. Shadows twist unnaturally, coiling like snakes. Maldrath sits on his elevated obsidian throne, one leg draped over the other, his clawed fingers tapping slowly... but his eyes burn with fury.
A loud slam echoes as the double doors swing open. The same woman from before—Velmira—enters, her head bowed.
Velmira: " Arkan let the boy live."
Maldrath's fingers stop. His expression darkens like a brewing storm. The room itself seems to breathe heavier.
Maldrath (low and cold): "He... let Elias live?"
Velmira: "Yes. He said something about balance. Harmony. That Nyxoth's return could bring peace. He warned the boy, then vanished."
Maldrath (rising slowly): "Harmony? Peace? Arkan has grown soft."
He steps down from the throne. The room seems to quake beneath his feet. His shadow stretches, flickering unnaturally behind him like wings of darkness.
Maldrath (voice growing colder): "I chose him because I believed he was unshakable. A blade that cut without hesitation. But now... he questions. He hesitates. He speaks of belief."
Selira (carefully): "Shall I send someone to correct this mistake?"
Maldrath (turning, eyes glowing red): "No. Not yet. Let the boy walk... let him feel safe. Arkan's mercy will only confuse him more. And when Elias believes he understands the dark..."
He clenches his fist, and the violet flames flare violently.
Maldrath: "...we'll remind him who it truly belongs to."
Velmira stood silent for a moment, watching the flickers of anger settle behind Maldrath's eyes. Then she stepped forward.
Velmira: "There's more. The boy... he's heading for the second Echo. The one buried beneath Cael Morhan."
Maldrath let out a low, cold chuckle—more of a growl wrapped in amusement.
Maldrath: "So he's chasing power blindly... good."
He turned slightly, half-shrouded in shadows.
Maldrath: "He doesn't yet understand... the Echoes don't only grant power. They corrupt. Each one is a fragment of Nyxoth's will. The more he absorbs, the louder the voice becomes. Let him reach for it. Let him taste what lies beneath."
He moved toward the towering window of violet crystal, gazing into the swirling abyss beyond.
Maldrath: "But Cael Morhan is no gift. That Echo is guarded... by the beast born of pure void. Threxal, the Hollow Maw—a creature not of this world but twisted into it."
Velmira (a faint smirk): "The maw that devours magic itself."
Maldrath: "Precisely. He consumes spells, devours mana from the air. Elias will feel powerless there. Let's see if he can grasp the ungraspable. Or be swallowed whole."
He turns once more, shadows spiraling tighter around him like a cloak of living night.
Maldrath (calm, cold): "If he survives Cael Morhan... he will no longer be just a boy. He will become something... useful."
CAEL MORHAN
As the group stood at the border of the forgotten region, a chilling wind swept past, carrying whispers too faint to understand.
Dorian stepped forward, his voice low but firm, eyes scanning the horizon where the remnants of Cael Morhan loomed like a ghost of its former glory.
Dorian: "We move now. Stay sharp. No one strays from the group."
He turned to face everyone—Elias, Logan, Faith, Dante, Alice, and Vance—all equipped and prepared, though tension hung thick in the air.
Dorian: "This land... it was abandoned for a reason. The dark entities... they use Cael Morhan as a haven now. The natural leylines are broken, twisted. Magic doesn't behave normally here."
Logan (glancing at the fog): "Feels like we're walking into something we're not supposed to find."
Midway into Cael Morhan – Narrow rocky path surrounded by broken statues and creeping mist
The group makes their way along a crumbled path, their footsteps soft against the moss-covered stones. There's silence for a while, only the distant sound of wind and the soft rustle of movement in the darkened forest around them.
Logan (breaking the silence, nudging Elias): "You always go quiet before the storm. Thinking about Arkan?"
Elias (half-smiling): "Trying not to. But he's hard to forget."
Dante (chuckles): "You got launched like a feather. That's not easy to forget either."
Elias: "Thanks for the reminder."
Alice (grinning, leaning in from behind):"You're lucky I was there to stitch your pretty face back together."
Faith (dryly): "I did most of the work."
Alice: "Jealousy doesn't suit you, Faith."
Faith: "And flirty recklessness doesn't suit you "
Vance (whispering to Dante): "This is getting awkwardly entertaining."
Dorian (cutting through the banter): "Keep your focus. But... it's good to talk. Keeps the shadows from creeping in."
They walk a little further. The path begins to slope downward. The air grows colder.
Dante (to Logan):m"Hey. You alright? You've been off."
Logan (sighing): "I just... trained so hard. And then Arkan shows up and makes me feel like I've done nothing. Like we're just pawns."
Dante: "You're not weak. He was just beyond anything we've seen. But you stood your ground. That counts."
Elias (quietly): "He noticed all of us. He didn't kill us because he's waiting. That means we still have a part to play."
Alice (teasing Elias): "Look at you getting all cryptic and mysterious."
Faith (softly, looking ahead): "Let's just promise something."
Everyone turns slightly.
Faith: "Whatever we face in there—we don't leave anyone behind."
Elias (firmly): "Agreed."
They nod together, a brief moment of unity as the darkness of Cael Morhan stretches ahead.
Dorian (smiling faintly): "You're stronger than you think. All of you. Let's prove it."
Deeper into Cael Morhan – Ancient Courtyard of Ruin
The trees here are blackened and gnarled, their roots twisted like claws gripping broken marble. A heavy mist clings to the earth. Strange statues line the path—shattered humanoid shapes frozen in expressions of terror.
Alice (looking around uneasily):
"These statues... they weren't made like this. They look... turned."
Logan (voice low):
"Like they were real people."
Dante (running his fingers across one of the faces):
"There's residue. Magic. Something old."
Dorian (quiet but alert):
"Dark essence. The echoes of Nyxoth's influence linger here."
A long, hollow wind blows through the ruins, carrying with it a faint whisper—indecipherable, but chilling.
Vance (stiffening):
"Did anyone hear that?"
Faith:
"The wind?"
Vance:
"No... no, it said something."
They pause. Silence. Only their breathing and the low thrum of cursed energy.
They continue walking. The ground shifts slightly beneath them—soft crunching sounds like bones underfoot.
Logan (tense): "Why do I feel heavier the deeper we go? Like something's pressing against me."
Dorian: "That's the corruption. The echo of Cael Morhan ahead... it's calling. Testing your resolve."
Faith (softly): "I feel cold. Not just skin—my soul."
Alice (joking nervously): "Well, that's not dramatic at all."
Suddenly, a low vibration runs through the stone beneath them. It lasts only a second. Then... nothing.
Elias (stopping): "It's close. I can feel the pull."
Dorian (gravely): "Then we move with care. The echo will not be unguarded, even by silence."
A shattered tower looms ahead, partially collapsed into the earth. At the base: a half-buried doorway—runic, sealed, humming with a deep, guttural energy. Faint symbols glow red as Elias approaches.
Alice (staring at the runes): "That's not just magic. That's language. And it's screaming."
Elias (quietly): "It's calling to me."
The ancient door groans open, releasing a gust of stale, iron-scented air. The corridor beyond is cloaked in darkness, lit only by the pulsing crimson glow of the runes etched into the stone walls. A thick silence follows—too still, too unnatural.
Alice (voice tight): "Something's... wrong. This place feels dead."
Vance (draws his weapon slowly): "No. It feels like it's watching."
They step inside cautiously, boots echoing on the cold stone floor. As they turn the first corridor, the flickering light reveals a grotesque sight—dozens of bodies strung along the walls, impaled on blackened spikes. Some hang headless, others twitch with leftover nerve spasms. One is still half-alive, whispering incoherent words before going limp.
Faith (gasping, covering her mouth): "Gods... what is this..."
Logan (voice hollow): "They were like us... explorers, maybe. Or worse—sent here. This is a graveyard."
Elias steps forward, eyes fixed on the wall where a person's torso is fused into the stone—arms reaching out as if still begging for escape.
Elias (quietly): "This is no tomb... it's a warning."
A sudden sound—a low, bone-deep groan—reverberates through the hall. The ground trembles slightly. Shadows move in the corners, but nothing solid appears.
Dorian (low tone, hand on blade): "Stay close. The echo's guardian knows we're here."
A blood trail leads deeper into the chamber, its dark streaks smeared with drag marks—as if something was taken, not killed outright.
Dorian (whispering): "This is the domain of Ulvareth now. And it doesn't just kill. It feeds."
They press forward, every step thick with dread, every breath a struggle against the stench of death and decay.
The group stands before the ancient runic door, its surface pulsing with a sinister red hue. A strange hum vibrates in their bones, as though the door itself is breathing.
Dorian (placing a hand on Elias' shoulder, firm and serious): "Elias... listen to me. The echo inside—once you're near it, it will call to you. Tempt you. Make promises that sound like truth."
Elias (tense): "I've felt it before... back in the woods."
Dorian: "That was a whisper. What waits in there is a scream. Echoes are soaked in Nyxoth's remnants—raw power, yes, but corruption too. If your will falters for even a second, it will consume you."
Faith (worried): "Then why are we even going in? Why take the risk?"
Dorian: "Because if we don't... someone else will. Someone less capable of resisting. The Eclipse Order is not the only one searching."
Alice (arms folded): "So we find it. We don't touch it. We contain it. Sounds simple enough."
Dorian (locking eyes with Elias): "You especially must stay guarded. You've already made contact once. That connection may make the echo more drawn to you... or more dangerous. If it senses weakness, it'll devour everything you are."
Elias (clenching his fists, steady): "I won't let it."
Dorian (nodding): "Good. And remember... this one is guarded. The echo of Cael Morhan is notorious for a reason. The creature bound to protect it has no eyes, no voice... only hunger."
Vance (quietly): "What's it called?"
Dorian (darkly): "They called it Ulvareth,"
A shiver passes through the group as the name hangs in the air, and the door's runes pulse brighter... as if it heard.
A deep growl reverberates through the stone. Suddenly—
WHAM!
A monstrous, sinewy creature crashes down from the ceiling with the force of a meteor, sending debris flying. Its skin is pulsing black, veins glowing faintly with purple energy. Dozens of twisted eyes open across its chest as a maw stretches wide on its face.
END OF CHAPTER 11 : THE HOLLOW MAW