Echoes of Hollow

"Are you really going to do this?" Nadine asked, helping Teodoro stand. "They didn’t do anything, and they don’t even seem capable of trying."

"You still don’t get it? Argh...!" Teodoro’s eyes wavered, and he nearly fell again, needing support to stay upright. "...This damn thing...! They’re not the real problem. Learning languages, even ancient ones from other worlds, costs me no more than a single glance. Alyia, on the other hand, has always known all languages in existence... yet she couldn’t even remain standing after hearing just a few words. The being connected to these people, the one that likely forced upon them the ability to access such a language, can’t come here."

"Can’t come here... So, all of them are-"

"No. They couldn’t possibly be avatars. Their bodies wouldn’t withstand it. Maybe calling them 'anchors' is more accurate... though, clearly, their minds couldn’t handle the attempt at contact either."

"So they’re basically-"

"Sir! Please!" the woman cried, falling to her knees at his feet. "Please don’t kill him...! I-I’ll take him home and make sure he doesn’t leave, so please...! Please, don’t-!"

Placing his hand on her forehead, Teodoro sighed. He turned toward the man as the woman collapsed beside him, unconscious. Behind the man's twisted, menacing smile, Teodoro could clearly see the immense pain he was enduring—a pain Teodoro himself had felt for only a brief moment, enough to nearly drive him mad.

"You’re strong, holding on even through all of this. So, be proud," Teodoro said. Somehow, even from behind a structure that blocked sound for ordinary people, his words seemed to reach the struggling man. A pained smile appeared on the man's face, accompanied by a single tear, just as his body began to disintegrate. "She’ll be alright."

The woman disappeared along with her husband, though their destinations differed. She would return home and, upon waking, feel as though she’d finally emerged from a long dream. The grief of loss would not touch her. As for him, his time on Earth came to an end. Tragically, neither the vast gardens of heaven nor any infernal realms would welcome him.

"Call everyone. Searching blindly won’t get us anywhere," Teodoro said, carefully moving away from Nadine. "And gather those we’ve already found so far."

"Their families, too..?"

"No... Solving this takes priority. I’ll handle that later."

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Nadine asked before leaving the room. She glanced at Teodoro, noticing his trembling hands and legs. "You don’t need any more help?"

"I’m fine. It’s just... some tremors. Nothing serious."

After Nadine left, Teodoro turned to face the crack Alyia had made with her punch. He could see it extending beyond the building’s structure, reaching all the way to the only underground chamber.

"Don’t even think about it," he said as the cracks slowly began to mend. "Not today. I don’t think I’d have the patience to deal with you right now."

"Relax, Teodoro," a voice echoed from the path leading to the subterranean chamber. "For now, I’m fine staying here... You know, the food here is great."

"Really? ...I’ll talk to the person in charge later."

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

"Do you know what kind of creature that is?" Or asked, seated in the chair beside Lior, both keeping their distance from Hye. "It looks like a griffin, but I’m not sure."

"Yes, you’re right," Hye replied, startling her. "He’s a griffin. Liwmorr."

"Y-You! You speak Elvish?!" she exclaimed, turning her irritated gaze to Lior. "And why didn’t you tell me that before?!"

"Because I didn’t know...?" Lior responded, just as confused as the other fae. "Where did you learn to speak Elvish?" he asked.

"Here and now. I’ve never heard that language before. I hadn’t even seen a fae until now, let alone an elf."

"What...?" Witnessing this, only one image came to everyone’s mind—Teodoro. A collective sound of tongues clicking echoed through the room. "Damn geniuses..." they muttered.

"But how did he... Liwmorr... end up like this? As far as I know, griffins look very different from that."

"I’m not sure. He’s been like this since the moment he was born, so I can’t say."

"Since he was born? You’ve been with him since birth?"

"Yes. He was born yesterday."

"What?!" everyone exclaimed, though some refrained from speaking the words aloud.

"That’s impossible," Or stated firmly. "He’s clearly an adult griffin."

"I don’t see the point in asking if you’re not going to believe what I say. I have no reason to lie to you."

The blue eye remained present on his face, indicating that Samael was still in partial control of his body. But upon hearing those words, instead of speaking through Hye’s mouth, Samael chose to do something different—he chuckled. Not everyone present could hear it, but he used his own lips and voice.

"Oh, I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. That wasn’t my intention. Honestly, it just seemed hard to believe what you said. But I didn’t mean to suggest you were lying."

"I understand. I was also surprised when I saw his egg was even bigger than me before it hatched."

"Papa," Liwmorr said, startling everyone—not only because of the word but also because it was spoken in Elvish. "I’ll head back. I’ve eaten enough."

"Alright, you can go."

You can go...? But where to? Everyone wondered. After all, when the creature vanished, not even its presence could be felt. Its mana, once visible as dust swirling around its body, was now undetectable. Only Lior noticed, in the moment he saw Liwmorr, the obvious similarity between the griffin's energy and Hye’s.

"You and that creature, Liwmorr—you’re connected somehow, aren’t you?"

"You noticed because of the mana?"

Lior nodded. "And where exactly did he go?" he asked, voicing the curiosity shared by everyone in the room. "I can’t sense him anymore. Did he go to a different dimension?"

"Probably. It’s an ability—'Void.' But even though I think so, I can’t say with absolute certainty."

"And this dimension, is it—" Lior stopped mid-sentence, his mouth agape. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fist, shattering the table beneath him.

"Hey, what are you...?!" Orlaith began to speak, but as she saw his expression, she quickly stepped back.

"Let’s go," Lior said, standing up. "We need to return."

Hye followed in silence. Even though he lacked the ability to interpret others’ emotions most of the time, seeing both the reaction of the fae queen and Lior’s expression was more than enough for him to realize that asking too many questions right now wasn’t a good idea.

Lior stopped in front of the door as the table began reconstructing itself. The cause of his reaction remained a mystery to Orlaith. After all, unless he allowed it, Lior’s mind was inaccessible to those beneath him.

"Forgive me for this," he said before leaving.

The rainbow road appeared, but it wasn’t used. Instead, the two took to the skies, flying. Before long, Hye realized they had left the boundaries of the floating island. They hadn’t even flown a fifth of the distance they had walked previously—he was sure of it. So why had they left the dimension already?

'So he really can control both the rainbow road and the entrance gates?' Hye wondered as he followed Lior toward the celestial palace. 'But if that’s true, then why did he make us walk so far across that ocean?'

His eyes shifted to Lior’s serious face. It was strange—seriousness was not something Lior had shown much of before now. The gray doors opened.

'...Was it so I could observe the place?' Hye concluded.

"Today’s lesson ends here," Lior said. "And tomorrow... I’m not sure what Alyia will decide."

Watching Lior walk away reminded Hye of the scene of Alyia’s car driving off the previous day. They hadn’t spoken again since then. She hadn’t even replied to his messages.

Offering help... he thought, recalling Hilary’s words.

"I have to go now, so you’ll have to—"

"Do you need help?" Hye interrupted, ignoring Lior’s unfinished sentence.

"No, I... I think it’s better not to... It’s better if you don’t get involved in this."

Concern? Or a polite refusal? Maybe both? Hye wasn’t sure, but strangely, Lior’s response didn’t have the desired effect. His heart skipped a beat as the final words reached his ears. 'Wanting something...', he thought. 'In this case, wanting to know why he’s saying this. Is this what they call curiosity?'

"What’s the reason?"

"Excuse me...?"

"Why do you say it’s better for me not to get involved? Is it dangerous?"

"No... maybe. But it’s because I believe it’s something you wouldn’t want to do and, most likely, you’d end up judging us for it."

"So it’s not because it’s dangerous but because it’s reprehensible... You mean in a social context?"

It was a strange way to speak and an even stranger way to insist. Lior couldn’t understand the reason for such persistence in wanting to help. And even less so the disappointment on Hye’s face upon hearing the reason for his initial refusal.

"You still want to help me, even knowing that?" Lior asked.

"Of course," Hye replied. Hesitation? Time to think or reconsider his answer? Lior saw none of that. All he saw was an indifferent expression, even in the face of the idea that they might have to kill hundreds, perhaps thousands of people. "But it would be hard to cover all of the North and Europe with just the two of us. Wouldn’t it be better if we had more people?"

"...And do you know anyone who would agree to do something like that?"

After a moment of thought, Hye nodded.

Lior was well aware of how different Hye’s life had been. That was the reason why the prospect of killing so many people wasn’t the real problem for him. Empathy? Pity? Yes, he felt it—but only for those he considered his equals, and perhaps for those they cared about. This was the result of an upbringing where, by the age of ten, his hands were stained with more blood than the oceans could hold. Yet, for someone like Hye, who had at least lived in a relatively "normal" world by modern standards, why would he act this way? Much like the monstrous nature of his abilities, Lior couldn’t comprehend the reasons behind his behavior.

"I see," Lior said as they landed in the middle of a forest, immediately surrounded by hundreds of watchful eyes. "So my words weren’t the only reason you stayed so calm, even in the presence of so many creatures... Werewolves, correct?"

Lior looked around. The numbers surrounding them continued to grow. Fangs protruded from mouths, claws emerged from fingers. Yet the moment Hye’s scent reached their noses, all of that vanished. A man pushed his way through the crowd, stepping to the front. Moments later, Hye descended from the skies alongside Lior.

Hmm, they all share the same peculiarity... Lior thought, analyzing those around him. No sign of mana whatsoever.

"How many of you have managed to access it?" Hye asked.

"Only three of us," Lykos replied. "Arche, myself, and—"

"Me," Andreas interjected.

"But many of the others have felt it—they just can’t use it yet," Lykos continued.

In silence, the wolves felt Hye’s gaze sweep over them, judging them in their minds.

"I see. Then—"

"There are four!" a voice suddenly shouted from the crowd. Admetos pushed his way through, panting as he reached Hye. "I’ve managed it too," he said.

The boy extended one hand, and then black dust materialized, spreading and enveloping his fist like a kind of glove.

The same as him...? Lior thought in shock. He turned to Hye, whose expression remained neutral, before returning his gaze to the boy.

"...," many around them trembled, but one stood out. Kneeling with a baby in her arms, a woman watched her son from a distance. Blood trickled from her lips—a sign, at least in Hye’s eyes, of some kind of self-punishment for being unable to keep her child safe and far from him. "Besides her," Hye said, glancing in her direction, "leave another twenty behind to care for the children. The rest will come with us."

"Forgive me, but..." Lykos hesitated. "Could you tell us why?"

"We need help with something," Hye said, answering as if he had already anticipated the question—and from whom it would come. "And once we leave, we’ll explain everything you need to know."

Despite many reluctant looks, those who would remain in the forest were chosen quickly, with no room for debate. Andreas firmly stated that his wife, lying in one of the empty houses, would stay behind, leaving only nineteen spots to fill. Hye, observing quietly, found himself somewhat confused. Wasn’t it obvious that an injured person shouldn’t even be considered in this discussion? Yet none of the wolves questioned it, so he didn’t intervene either.

"Boy, didn’t you hear?" Lior asked, placing a hand on Admetos’s shoulder. "The children are supposed to stay here."

The boy looked at him, trying to force his way free but without any success. Then he turned his gaze to Hye, who promptly said, "Let him come."

"No. Did you really listen to what we’re going to do? He’s just a child."

"I have an agreement with him. If you stop him, you’ll only prevent him from fulfilling it."

"An agreement...?" Lior observed them both. "What are you talking about? That doesn’t matter right now. He can’t—"

Feeling Lior's grip loosen, Admetos quickly pulled away. "Worry about yourself instead, uncle," he said before walking off.

"What?! You little... I was trying to help you, idiot!"

"Excuse me—"

"What?!" Lior snapped, turning abruptly.

Lykos took a step back. His body trembled, and instinctively, his claws and fangs emerged.

"Ah, my apologies..." Lior smiled awkwardly. "Please, go on. What is it?"

"We... we’d like to know the reason we’re here."

"I see. Well... the reason is that we need help searching for certain individuals across a large area."

"Do you have any leads or clues that might help? And once we find them, what are we supposed to do with them?"

"As for your first question, no, we don’t have anything concrete. Now, about the second—kill them. That’s what I’ve been told needs to be done." Sighing, Lior sat on a nearby rock. "You likely came from a dungeon that was invaded without any warning, so you should understand. The difference between your situation back then and ours now is that we’ve received a sort of warning—although probably unintentional. Beings from another plane are trying, for reasons we don’t fully understand, to connect with people in our world and use them to cross over here."

The wolves exchanged glances. They had followed Hye and Samantha to survive, even if it meant giving up control over their own lives. Yet, beyond the surrounding dungeons and the humans who would surely hunt them if their existence was discovered, there were even more dangers than they had anticipated.

For Lykos, these intrusions directly threatened Eudora and Arche's chances at even a shred of happiness—something he absolutely couldn’t allow.

"So," he stepped forward, "how are we supposed to find them?"

"Well, there are a few consistent traits they seem to share," Lior replied. "Evident madness, including repetitive nonsensical phrases. Also, they inflict severe physical harm on themselves."

"That... doesn’t sound like much to go on..."

"Yes, that's true. I said the same thing... But they also mentioned strange markings written in blood—perhaps on the walls of the places where they’re hiding, or in some cases, on their own bodies. They're incomprehensible symbols, more like odd scribbles, that evoke a feeling of unease and horror. Do you think you can find them with only this information? It's all we have."

Lykos turned, gazing at his kin. It took a moment for them to respond. In silence, it seemed as if the wolves were communicating among themselves through their eyes alone. Then, as the breeze surrounding them faded, they nodded.

"And what about the others... of your kind? What should we do if they try to stop us?"

"..." After a brief pause, Lior sighed. "The situation is urgent, so there’s no room for interference. You may handle them as you see fit."

"Divide into groups of 10 to 20 members," Hye instructed. "Keep the location of the forest in mind, and make sure you do your best to return—all of you."

Concern? Yes. But not for their lives—only for their utility. After all, a dead werewolf is as useful as a deflated ball.

"Can you locate yourselves and keep the regions of the country in mind?"

The wolves nodded.

"Not in detail," Lykos replied. "But, for example, we know we’re in a region called Dallas, in Texas."

"Then be aware that you can search throughout the north, even in the country above. But don’t go beyond the southern borders. That area is already being scouted."

"Before you go," Lior said, standing up, "we need a way to communicate in case you think you've found something."

With a brief sensation of burning, the wolves saw marks appear on their wrists.

"What is this?"

"If you think you've found something, you only need to think of my name, Lior, or the name Teodoro. Through this connection, you’ll be able to communicate with us mentally. Additionally, you'll act as our eyes and ears, allowing us to see what’s in front of you and confirm whether you’ve found the right target or not."

"This..."

"But don’t worry," he smiled. "It’s only temporary. I’ll undo it once this is over."

A sense of unease and uncertainty took root within the wolves, and their doubt was evident in their eyes. However, with just a nod from Hye, all the werewolves disappeared, scattering in every direction.