Echoes of Hollow

“Creation…”

Without columns or any other kind of foundation occupying the vast hall ahead, the ceiling shines beautifully and majestically, like a starry sky full of the most renowned stars hanging overhead. Yes... a starry sky... just as beautiful as the one on that day...

“You…” the woman said, her weak and raspy voice escaping from her beautiful but cracked lips, reaching the ears of the small girl with long white hair beside her. “My baby… so beautiful…”

As she raised her arms, cracks could be heard echoing from her bones, and after mere words that could hardly form the sentence in her mind, blood flowed from her mouth and eyes.

“Grown… even more beautiful…”

“Save your strength, woman. Just like this child in your womb, there is not much time left for you either.”

The coldness transmitted through these words, coming from the mouth of a child who had undoubtedly just entered the world—her child—reached her heart, causing it to break as tears mixed with the blood in her eyes. Yet, with her trembling hand on that angelic face, something that stirred and warmed her heart just by looking at it, even though those exceptional-colored eyes, where universes resided and death itself seemed to gaze upon her, looked at her so indifferently, still… even after the sound of her arm falling, bones breaking as they gave way, the pain did not faze her. Raising her other hand, she smiled.

“You…”

Paralyzed, the small girl did not understand. How was it possible, for a being with knowledge of all the universe's secrets from the first moment of conception, even before her physical body was formed, to not comprehend something?

Her hand moved instinctively, acting to help the one in front of her, even if in a restrained manner. Something so fragile and pathetic, a being that would disappear before a mere thought, how could such a creature be so stubborn?

“What are you doing?! Can’t you see? Your body is falling apart, and continuing this will change nothing!”

“Cough! Cough! Cough!”

As blood spilled from her mouth, the woman showed no signs of pain or concern; on the contrary, her smile remained. With her daughter’s palm on her chest, she finally felt the warmth of her touch.

“I know and... that’s why... I want to see you as much as possible during... this time we have together. So… don’t cry… my daughter…”

Eyes wide and body trembling, the child raised her fingers toward her face, hesitantly touching the liquid that streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.

“Hah!” she smiled, trying to wipe her face, but the tears would not stop. “It seems that vulnerability is not the only problem with a mortal body… How annoying this could be?”

“My dear, look at me… look at your mother.”

“Mother...? You…!”

Beneath her fingers, the woman's hand slowly disintegrated, turning to dust bit by bit. Yet, looking at her face, even in a state where her soul could no longer resist, how could she remain so calm and smiling? What could she gain from forcing herself this way?

Taken by a strange, unfamiliar anger, the girl felt nothing in her palm. Glancing down, she found only half the arm she had been holding. Like a sharp, icy dagger, something seemed to be piercing her chest, ripping something inside her and erasing any trace of joy. There was no longer any reason to smile, so... why didn’t she stop?

“I always knew you were special... I always knew. And when... I felt the first signs of life from both of you... inside me..., I... couldn't describe how happy I was…”

“Stop…” the child murmured, sniffing.

“In my mind... HaHa! Cough! Cough!... You may think I’m crazy..., but…, I pictured myself talking to you and your brother…, living with you in a safe, beautiful place... That was my greatest dream…”

“Stop talking…”

“But... it seems that won’t be possible… does it? HaHa…”

Pausing for a moment, the woman gazed at the child’s face, and despite her apparent initial coldness, her eyes now shed tears without end.

“My love, look at me…”

“…”

“I didn’t want to have to ask this… I shouldn’t..., but… please, my princess, protect your brother... He probably won’t be like you…, strong…, but… you’ll have to teach him..., prepare him for life... and... be happy together... because... even if you had no powers... still, my princess... you both would be the most precious things to me…”

“Stop!” the child exclaimed, opening her eyes and looking at the body, now almost entirely disintegrated, with no legs or arms, only a torso and head remaining.

“I know I’m not a good mother... and you may hate me... for asking something so difficult..., but..., Lior isn’t to blame..., you know…, so… please don’t take your anger out on him...”

“Stop! Can’t you see!? This senseless use of energy is just accelerating your degradation! So…”

“Don’t cry, baby... I wanted... to see... your smile... even if just... once…, but..., it seems that won’t be possible…”

Cracks spread across her face, extending to everything that remained of her body, slowly opening as her fragments dissipated into the air.

“Aaah… to think that I... was actually... right... your birth... like… a beam of light… coming... directly from the heavens... My sublime... light of the skies…, Alyia…, I’m so sorry... and…”

Trembling, Alyia reached for the body on the bed, but her hand passed through it, as if nothing remained in that place. Where the woman’s womb had been, she saw a bluish glow stand out amidst the fading body.

“…thank you…”

Reaching for the newborn, she held the child as the mana shield dissipated, bringing him into her arms.

“A shield… so that was it... That’s why your degradation accelerated... You chose to save him... instead of prolonging your own life?”

As tremors shook the ground beneath her, Alyia leaped, and as the house around her was blown away like snowflakes, she floated beyond that paper-thin roof.

The golden light was intense, coming from a being capable of making everything tremble with each beat of his three pairs of white wings, while the stars in the sky shone in an unprecedented way.

“Give me the baby,” he commanded, his words shaking the space, creating a strange sensation of distortion throughout existence.

“…”

In that moment, Alyia hesitated. Her human mother’s words, the one who gave her her first physical body, echoed in her mind, making her glance at the newborn in her arms for a brief moment. Yet, alongside those words, came the real reasons she had stayed in that place for so long. Living within that woman, day after day, like any other child—not because of her need for more time to form her body, but the memories of the caresses, the stories told even during gestation, and the long, joyful conversations that lasted hours, sometimes entire nights… something truly… even if she tried to deny it… special…

“Go back to where you came from, archangel,” she said, with Lior in her arms, facing the creature with glittering golden eyes, showing no doubt or fear, always moving forward, rising to the sky, and stopping before the one who, in this realm, was second only to one being. “You will not take him.”

Their gazes caused tears in existence, abruptly extinguishing the ground beneath their feet with considerable speed as the skies became a clean, lifeless place, where nothing was allowed to live or shine, for nothing existed there anymore.

***************

“Really... those bastards are all the same…”

Sighing deeply, Alyia rose, stepping away from the staircase where she had been and approaching the large oval window nearby, seemingly crafted from light gray rocks. Her eyes scanned the hall, briefly glancing at the golden-bladed sword with a white hue embedded in the center. Then her gaze returned to the window, where the gentle breeze entered, along with the bright light of the moons in the sky, swaying her hair.

Tucking the stray locks behind her ear, she exhaled once more as she watched the distinct and distant reflection of the two moons in the crystal-clear waters of the distant ocean.

“S.A.R.S…”

With no visible interface appearing in response to her call, only a delicate and beautiful female voice echoed from all sides, directly from the realm where she stood.

[Yes, miss?]

“Yes… That’s still too formal.”

[I understand. So… What would you like me to do?]

“See, much better. Learning in two tries is impressive, well done.”

[Thank you.]

“Now, minimize the mana distribution to everything but the shield and yourself.”

[Minimize… by doing that, many things will stop working, like the stairs, celestial bodies, and even the castle roof… Are you sure that’s what you want?]

“Yes, do it. But… since you’ll still be here until he arrives, no need to stay in the dark the whole time. So, do what you want, increase mana distribution in places you want to visit and have fun. Anyway, it will help you learn more, getting used to everything here.”

[I understand. So… except for the Castle of Gor, all internal mana distribution will be minimized… Thank you.]

With the disappearance of the stars shining on the ceiling, the light that illuminated every corner began to fade. The breeze that once tousled her hair ceased, allowing the strands to rest. Now, her hair and eyes were the only remaining sources of light in the entire place.

***************

"A secret?" Hilary questioned, placing the small red lollipop back into her mouth before quickly taking it out again. "Another one? You..."

Narrowing her eyes, she studied Hye's expressionless face, illuminated by the moonlight. After removing the lollipop once more, she asked, "You didn't enter a portal, did you? You promised you wouldn't."

"No, I..." Hye averted his gaze, a bitter taste filling his mouth—something strange, since it had been a while since he last ate anything, and none of those things had this taste. "That's not it. And besides, that’s not a secret anymore."

"So... Mom found out that you awakened?!"

His response was a silent nod.

"..." A shiver ran through her small body, but Hilary smiled, biting the candy again. "Good thing I wasn’t around. Haha!"

"But if that’s not it, then... what is...? Huh?"

A wave of smells invaded her nose, immediately making her mouth water. Hilary glanced toward the gate a little further ahead, where various carts were being unloaded from different trucks.

"Hmm..." She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she moved her tongue slowly, licking her lips. "Tortillas, grilled meats, cilantro, and just the right amount of spice... Mexican food! Fresh fish, wasabi, soy sauce, and seaweed... Japanese food!"

"Are you trying to guess the type of cuisine just by smelling the dishes again?"

"Garlic, fresh basil, cooked tomatoes, melted cheese, freshly baked bread, and olive oil..."

"Freshly baked...? You've improved since last time. Now you can tell that just from the scent?"

"Italian food! Ginger, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, cinnamon, roasted meats, and sautéed vegetables, that’s... hmm..."

"You... you're not even listening to me, are you?" Hye sighed, continuing to walk while Hilary remained in her own "imaginary world," filled with spices and delicacies she could almost see floating around her, though she was only catching the scent.

"Oh, yes!" She leaped into Hye's arms, opening her eyes and raising her arms high. "Chinese food!"

Frozen, the child observed her surroundings as the blue-eyed guests who had been startled by her outburst now watched her amid a field surrounded by trees. In all directions, rows of small lights stretched across the trees, illuminating the place. Hovering nearby but relatively hidden, even the portals seem to serve as sources of light, some providing a more intense and differently colored light compared to others.

For a moment, Hye considered that the abrupt encounter with the werewolves might have scared her. But no. Seeing the drool dripping from the side of her mouth, he smiled, knowing the wolves weren’t the only ones illuminated by the string of lights surrounding them. In fact, to her eyes, the glow from the many tables scattered across the field, all covered with more food than she could ever dream of counting, was far more intense.

Jumping to the ground, the wolves could not have been more invisible to her. Hilary made her way to the tables, but holding the lollipop in her hands presented a dilemma. She quickly returned to Hye, holding it out to him.

"Here."

"Huh?"

"Come on, Hye, put it in your inventory. According to the books, time doesn't pass in there, so it'll be fine until I finish."

"Finish...?" Hye stretched out his arm to take the small candy. "We ate a little before coming here, what are you—"

With the lollipop no longer in her hand, the girl turned and, not paying any attention to what he was saying, continued on her way, stopping among a small cluster of tables. Her desire told her to jump in and eat immediately, but doubt held her back.

"Hmm..." Standing among the tables, she asked, "Hye, where are we going to sit?"