Echoes of Hollow

Her eyes scanned the surroundings, noticing Lior shielding Addiah and Yang Kai from the weight of her presence. Alyia let out a sigh.

“…This isn’t quite what you think it is,” she said the moment her feet touched the ground. Mana flowed from her fingertips, spreading throughout the area and shaking it. Everything calmed down soon after.

“It isn’t…?” Samael questioned, tightening his grip on Teodoro’s neck.

“Hey, hey, hey! Wait! Less! A little less!” the Nephilim exclaimed.

“This isn’t imagination. I’m seeing it before me… now.”

“Well… yes and no. You’re partially correct,” she replied. “But if you, before anything else, take a moment to really look at what’s in front of your eyes, you’ll notice there’s a subtle difference.”

“Your interference? I noticed it the moment I touched him.”

“No, idiot.”

The pressure increased.

“Hey!” Teodoro yelled. “You’re not helping!”

“You…” she clenched her fist and, after glancing at Hye’s face—his eyes now mismatched, one black and the other glowing blue—a sharp click of her tongue echoed. “…Look again. Whether angel or archangel, it’s more than obvious this is nothing but a small spark. It’s only like this now because he made it that way.”

“…”

Thoughtful, Samael examined Teodoro’s body for a brief moment.

“Look…” the Nephilim said, “not to interrupt the conversation, but… could you resolve this a bit faster?”

“Be quiet. Now you’re the one not helping.”

“I’d love to, but I can’t. Something strange seems to be happening outside. And if I’m receiving so many calls,” he glanced at the blue eye watching him, “maybe you’re experiencing the same, aren’t you?”

“…” Samael remained silent, observing him, then ignoring his words entirely. He asked, “If it truly isn’t hers… what does it mean?”

“As I said, a spark. And since this isn’t something that happens by mere chance, I believe she wouldn’t be too pleased if you tore it out.”

“Tear…?” Teodoro murmured, sweating coldly as he looked at Alyia. “What’s he going to tear out?!”

Feeling the pressure on his neck ease, Teodoro sighed with relief at his newfound freedom. Stretching, he exhaled deeply.

[You killed a monster] said the system hovering in front of Hye. [755 points were acquired.]

[Congratulations]

[You’ve leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You’ve leveled up]

[Congratulations]

[You’ve leveled up]

[Name: Lucas Santos de Oliveira

Level: 312

Points required for the next level: 312 / 4

Status:

Strength: 1,164

Endurance: 1,164

Agility: 1,164

Skills:

Void (??)

Invisible Steps (active)

Electrokinesis (active)

Pyrokinesis (active)

Fusion (active)

Poison Resistance (passive)

Complete Recovery (active??)

Absolute Mastery of Daggers (passive??)]

Lior approached, carrying an unconscious Addiah in his arms, while Yang Kai levitated beside him.

“Look what you did,” he said, glaring at Alyia.

“If they passed out even while you were shielding them, why should the blame fall on me?”

“You should’ve made a less… you-like entrance.”

“Oh, the ingratitude…” she muttered, turning her back on them all and ascending slowly into the shattered sky.

“What…?”

“Nothing. Now hurry up, unless you still want to keep playing around here.”

“Hmph! What bad temper…” Lior whispered, setting off shortly after. He glanced back briefly, catching a glimpse of Hye’s black eye, and asked, “By the way, is that your fault?”

“Lior!” a voice echoed beyond the cracks, fragmenting the skies even further.

“Alright, alright. I’m already going.”

After Teodoro, Hye leaped shortly after. The sensation in his body was strange—not unpleasant, but oddly euphoric. As the Chosen One’s mana coursed intensely through him, strength was no longer lacking. Was this the feeling experienced only by the truly powerful?

With a slight motion of the hand still under his control, the dagger embedded in the Hydra’s body dislodged itself, flying freely toward him.

“Know that this wasn’t my intention,” Samael said. “Not initially. But upon feeling that mana…”

“And when do you plan on returning control to me?”

“…,” the azure glow in his eye flickered, and, gazing ahead, the angel clenched his fist. “There’s just… something I need to do first.”

“I see. But this means your existence will be exposed. So, why stay like this? I didn’t fully believe it before, but are the three months really necessary?”

“….”

“Then why?”

“I don’t know,” the angel admitted with sincere words. “Just as I didn’t know why I was abandoned in that place, I also don’t know if there’s anywhere I can return to.”

“When we leave,” he continued after a brief silence, “they’ll undoubtedly notice my presence—everyone will.”

“And yet you’re so calm… Unless…”

“Yes, I want answers. And if they don’t answer, it means this is my father’s will, and I’ll accept it.”

Once the last person crossed the rift, the ground gleamed as walls of light emerged from within it. Like cracks, the radiance spread without boundaries, even covering what remained of the sky.

Touched by the expanding brilliance, one of the Hydra’s severed heads vanished, erased from every facet of existence. Soul? No longer.

The mana once scattered in every direction coalesced in a single location, concentrating into a massive golden sun that annihilated everything in its presence. Compressing, the light disappeared. And yet, upon expanding, nothing was all that remained, no matter where one might look.

“You can go ahead,” Lior said as Hye felt something invisible pulling him to his side. “There’s something we need to do first.”

“We…?”

“Yes, but… just give me a minute.”

As the irregularity vanished, Hye glanced around, searching for Alyia or even Teodoro, but neither were present anymore.

“Shall we?” Lior asked, appearing beneath a tree as if by teleportation.

“…How did you do that?”

“How…? That’s complicated. Let’s just say it’s something quite ‘advanced.’”

“Without ‘laws’ to follow, there are no barriers to hold you,” Samael explained.

“Yes, that’s a good way to put it.”

‘Laws…,’ Hye thought. ‘I suppose they mean things like gravity. So…’ Taking a step onto the first stair, he turned to look back, only to find himself already standing at the top of the grand staircase. ‘Does that mean such things don’t affect him…?’ he wondered.

“What are we doing here?” Hye asked, standing before the gray gates.

“I’m going to show you,” Lior said, pushing the doors open with both hands, “why I want that flame. I think it’s only fair, don’t you?”

Though it was his second time seeing the place, its majesty remained just as striking as it had the first time. Now, strangely, Hye felt his heart race as he took in the landscape outside the floating palace. It was a reaction he considered far more natural—something anyone would feel. But in his case, it was likely due to his recent encounter with Alyia.

Instead of descending to the ground, Lior led him toward one of the islands floating in mid-air. Dark as coal and shining like gold, the enormous door loomed majestically before them. It opened, and a wide rainbow extended like a long road.

“You’ve already seen many of our ‘secrets.’ In Alyia’s case, even more, I’d say,” Lior said with a smile. “So what you’re about to see might not seem that strange. But please, keep that dagger sheathed. There’s no need to use it here.”

A strong wind arose, drawing Hye’s attention. A massive eye was watching him—brilliant and dark. His gaze traveled along the body of the fearsome creature, which seemed endless, as vast as an island. Its wings swept over their heads, and he watched as what looked like a colossal winged whale dove into the waters beneath the rainbow. Gigantic waves erupted, splashing water in every direction.

“Who is it?! Who is it?!” came sweet, melodic voices all around. “Who is this, Lior?”

Shining like tiny points of light, countless fairies gathered around him, circling him.

“It’s Lucas… or Hye. Which do you prefer?”

“I think—”

“Oh! Yes! Yes! Yes! Do you remember?!”

“Yes! Yes!”

“It’s him!”

“But he’s so… different.”

“Yes! To match her, it should be someone more…”

“Terrifying?” Lior finished with a grin.

“YES!”

“No, wait! That’s not it!” Looking around as if frightened, one of the tiny fairies flew over to Lior, grabbed a few strands of his hair, and tugged with all her might. “What are you doing?” she murmured. “What if she’s listening to us?”

“Oh, she definitely is…”

“What?!”

“But don’t worry. I think even she would agree with what you just said.”

“Of course—No, I mean… really?”

Lior nodded.

The little fairy glanced around nervously, as if expecting some sort of retaliation. Nothing happened. She disentangled herself from his hair and returned to her companions, who continued to circle Hye tirelessly, bombarding him with questions. But not before healing the spot on Lior’s head she had tugged, even though she knew it wasn’t necessary.

The questions didn’t stop—there were so many that before Hye could even finish answering one, ten more had already interrupted him. Remaining silent and simply listening became his way of coping after a while.

Another loud crash echoed from the waters below. Looking down, Hye saw one of the whales slap its tail against the surface, creating a massive wave. The purpose? That became clear moments later. As the waters churned and the wave formed, small dots began to appear along its length. Upon closer inspection, Hye realized the dots were tiny beings—half fish, half human—joyfully swimming and playing within the wave.

“Again! Do it again!”

“Yeah, please, Uncle!”

“This will be the last one, I promise…”

“You’ve said the same thing the last three times,” boomed a deep, commanding voice, shaking the waters. “After this, I’m going to rest for a while. So go play somewhere else.”

The children exchanged glances, then grinned mischievously. They swam with all their might as the enormous tail rose again. The resulting wave was so immense it nearly reached the height of the rainbow road.

“Hey, Lior!” shouted one of the children upon spotting him. “Come play with us!”

“Later. I’m a little busy right now.”

“Then bring the board when you—Waaaaaahhh!”

The wave stretched far, far into the distance, but this didn’t deter the children. With their relentless enthusiasm, they soon returned, persuading the whale to create yet another wave.

Hye glanced back, watching one of the waves crash into the horizon. When he turned his gaze forward, instead of the endless ocean that had surrounded him before, a massive island loomed ahead, drawing closer with every step. He glanced over his shoulder, wondering if he had truly walked such a great distance. Yet, seeing neither the whales nor the little merfolk behind him, Hye realized this must be similar to the effect of the staircase leading to the house.

“Hey! Look! Look! That’s my home!” one of the fairies exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the enormous forest at the island’s center.

“It’s our home,” another corrected.

“Ah, same thing.” The fairy turned her attention to Hye. “Do you want to go see it? Come on! It’ll be fun!”

“Maybe another time,” Lior interjected. “As I said, we’re busy right now.”

“Really? You’re probably going to that weird place,”

‘Weird place…?’ Hye wondered, glancing around, uncertain what could be stranger than everything he’d seen so far.

“So why don’t you leave him with us while you take care of that?” the fairy continued.

“Because he’s coming with me.”

“…”

For the first time since their arrival, the fairies fell silent.

“You’re not going to do this…” they murmured, their words leaving Hye confused. “He won’t survive.”

Lior continued walking in silence, as the rainbow path reshaped itself, forming a route to the top of the tallest tree in the central forest.

“He will.”

“No, he won’t,” they replied, resolute. “He’s not strong enough to handle it.”

“He’s stronger than you think,” Lior responded firmly. “He’ll be fine.”

“But still…”

The fairies tried to protest further, but as they approached the tree’s summit, they shuddered. Reluctantly, they said their goodbyes and retreated, albeit unwillingly.

“Hm, shall we?” Lior asked, looking at Hye.

Upon the trunk and within the gap between branches and leaves, a black door loomed before the two. Hye was puzzled by the fairies’ reaction, but now, looking at it, he understood why. A reaction similar to what Samantha would likely have, born from the same emotion: concern.

Merely standing in front of it, his body trembled. His hands shook, his teeth chattered slowly against one another, and his feet refused to move forward. When the door was touched, a strange heat surged toward him. Not intense, but deadly. Painful, though not physically, and lethal. Without flames or anything of the sort, the cause of such a reaction seemed to be something entirely different. Something strange, alive in his mind but nonexistent before his eyes.

As he attempted to take his first step, Hye realized that what held him back wasn’t mere fear—not like when he met Samael. It felt as though he were being enveloped by something grotesque, of incomprehensible dimensions. His body was frozen, and in his mind, shining amidst the darkness, he saw black eyes that stood out even within the void.