Echoes of Hollow

'This creature is strange… despite its incorporeal appearance, its body is quite vivid, seeming to have even fur and… feathers? Even though it’s not possible to perfectly distinguish or be completely sure.'

Like everyone else, Archer observed the creature circling Hye gracefully. Its steps were light, almost as if its paws didn’t even touch the ground. Each movement of its wings caused gasps, as the breezes they created seemed powerful enough to tear their bodies apart, even from such a distance and with such weak gusts.

'With a tail, one might think it’s some sort of feline, but… at the tip, there’s something like a stinger. Its wings seem to have feathers, and on its face, there’s a beak… so, what kind of creature is this?'

As Hye began walking toward the wolves, the creature followed closely behind, its every movement mesmerizing. Suddenly, the grip on her hand tightened, and turning to the side, she saw Lykos stepping forward while pulling her back. In normal circumstances, that would have warmed her heart, and involuntarily, it did, if only for a brief moment. But when both their eyes returned to where Hye had stopped, a loud crack echoed.

Without time to think or even argue, they both leaped forward, letting go of each other's hands, rushing through the crowd and placing themselves in front of Hye, protecting their daughter.

“What are you doing?”

With a calm tone and an expressionless face, Hye seemed genuinely puzzled. But just moments earlier, that same tone had been used to crush the pleas of those still kneeling around him… a voice that stirred an irritatingly familiar instinct to obey. What could those terrifying eyes of his mean?

“She… she’s just a child…”

“What…? What are you talking about?” Hye asked, crouching down and looking toward the children. It was interesting to think that, despite only meeting today, she was acting so protectively, hugging Hilary while seeming to control her strength, despite being so afraid… or was it just an involuntary action? Something she kept doing without even realizing it?

“Please!” Lykos exclaimed, extending his arm to stop Hye from coming closer. “N-No… I… I…”

Feeling something repeatedly trying to push between them, both of them looked down, only to see the child Hye had brought running into his arms.

“A portal…!” Hilary mumbled, hiding her face in his chest and gripping his clothes with blood-stained hands. “There’s a portal in the forest, Hye! We have to leave now…!”

“…It’s alright. The monsters won’t harm you. I’m an Awakened too, remember?”

“No, but… but…”

Feeling the trembling in her hands transfer into his own body, Hye gently stroked her head as he stood up with her in his arms.

“What are you waiting for?” he asked, staring at Arche and Lykos, who stood frozen, watching him. “I thought you were worried about your daughter.”

As if snapped back to reality, Archer’s eyes widened, and she turned, embracing her daughter, who, feeling the comforting warmth of her mother’s arms, broke down into tears within seconds. However, seeing that Hye’s gaze continued to follow Eudora, Lykos refused to move out of the way. His body trembled, and his focus wavered, as the beast kept watching everyone nearby, but even so, he couldn’t back down.

“Why did you come here? Did something happen at the entrance?”

“No…” Hilary whispered, tugging at his shirt and gripping harder with her hand. “It’s my fault… I wanted to know where you were. So… don’t blame her because of that…”

Scanning the surroundings, Hye’s eyes swept over the portals in the area. Two were easily visible: one bluish and the other black. He placed his hand on Hilary’s head, preventing her from trying to look around, and after saying, “You can go back,” he walked toward the trees, carefully choosing a path with the fewest visible portals.

'Hmph! How ridiculous…' said Samael, with a certain tone of disdain impregnated in his voice. 'A being so powerful, acting so pathetically.'

Ignoring the archangel’s words, Hye continued walking through the forest, gradually feeling the tremors in Hilary’s body lessen.

“Hmmm… Are we out of the forest yet?”

“No, not yet, but we’re close.”

“Good…”

“Why? Are you still scared?”

“No! I wasn’t scared!” the girl exclaimed, attempting to pinch Hye’s clothes, though her efforts were in vain. “…I want to thank Eudora before we leave.”

“Thank her…” Now able to see the forest's edge, Hye’s mind briefly flashed to the image of the werewolf child hugging her. “Did you like her?”

“I think so…” Tilting her head slightly, Hilary kept her eyes on the small lamps as they neared the end of their walk. “It’s strange… for some reason, her body was really warm, and it felt even warmer when she was carrying me. Come to think of it, she seems as strange as you.”

“Strange? What part of me is strange?”

“Haha! And what part isn’t?” the girl smiled, causing Hye to let out a soft chuckle without even realizing it. “Is she Awakened too? She couldn’t have carried me otherwise, right? But I didn’t know you could awaken so young.”

“What are you talking about? I Awakened early too.”

“You were weird even before you Awakened, so that doesn’t count.”

“Hmmm, it seems like you’re feeling much better now…” With just a few more trees before they reached where the children were, Hye slowed his pace. “…At least well enough to walk on your own.”

“I told you I wasn’t scared!”

“…Are you sure…?”

For a moment, she hesitated. But, gripping Hye’s shirt tightly and clenching her teeth, Hilary closed her eyes and nodded. Feeling her feet touch the ground nearly made her legs buckle, but holding onto Hye’s hand, she steadied herself. Keeping her body slightly hunched, she walked the rest of the way, finally reaching the edge of the forest.