Echoes of Hollow

"What are you still doing here, kid?" Lior asked. "You're slowing us down."

His steps were quick—so quick that in an instant, the three of them had crossed an entire city. However, now he had to adjust his pace to match Hye's speed while also holding back to accommodate Admetos, who couldn’t even fly.

"If you're so eager to tag along, join one of the other groups. It’ll be better that way."

Pretending not to hear him, Admetos remained silent and continued following them.

Hye, on the other hand, genuinely ignored all of Lior's comments and the apparent tension between him and the boy. Still, he couldn’t help but think how much of an obvious waste of time all of this was. On foot, even with his heightened senses, there were clear limitations to how far and wide he could observe. The buildings and houses were obvious obstacles. Bearing this in mind, for a brief moment, he glanced at Admetos.

The boy gulped nervously and quickly looked away.

"Two hours and thirteen minutes…" he murmured, glancing at the watch on his wrist.

"I..." Admetos began, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I will...—"

"Get up there, kid."

"Excuse me…?"

His eyes trailed up, following the dark haze in front of him as his body trembled. Without control over himself, his movements felt purely automatic. So, when his body collided with that strange, fearsome creature, Admetos didn’t even think about standing up again. He couldn’t. His mind had gone blank.

"I… this…"

"Kid," Hye called, his voice calm but chilling, "get up. Or would you prefer to go back to your mother?"

Admetos stood up awkwardly, swallowing hard. He looked at the creature, deliberately avoiding its eyes. Its paws struck the ground, and its wings whipped up powerful gusts of wind. Taking a hesitant half-step forward, Admetos reached out a hand toward Liwmorr—but stopped short.

His gaze darted away as quickly as his legs recoiled. Unfortunately, his eyes landed in the wrong place: directly on Hye's.

"Go back to the forest," Hye said, turning his back on him. "And when you get there, explain the situation to her. Tell your mother to join the others in your place."

"No!" Admetos exclaimed, glancing at Liwmorr, though he still couldn’t meet its eyes. His body shook, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Hesitantly, he stepped forward again, his trembling hand reaching out toward the creature. "...I will," he declared, trying to sound confident.

As he touched it, he felt the warmth of its strange body. But something was off. There was no heartbeat. No blood coursing through its veins. He could feel it—almost see it. It was undoubtedly alive; he was certain of that. The creature’s breathing was evident beneath his fingers. Yet it felt like nothing more than a flawless imitation. A perfect being, made entirely from the purest and most intense energy, devoid of mortal frailties.

Then, as mana suddenly awakened within his body, Admetos felt something deeper—a true, inexplicable connection. It was as if the two of them were one and the same. In one swift motion, the boy climbed onto Liwmorr’s back.

The wings flapped, lifting them into the skies, leaving Hye and Lior behind. The cold wind brushed against his face, only to be replaced by the warmth of the sun. As he gazed upon the breathtaking, magnificent view, Admetos momentarily forgot his purpose. Yet, he never once forgot his mother. He wished, somehow, that she could witness something so extraordinary as well.

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

"You’ve all heard the plan, right?" Teodoro asked. "So, does anyone have anything else to add?"

Amid the crowd, a man raised his hand. "Well, this is going to hurt, isn’t it?" he said. "Didn’t you come up with any better ideas? Not even you, Nadi?"

"It’ll hurt because you’ve been careless with your training," Nadine replied flatly.

"Seriously? You too? As if Carlos wasn’t enough..."

"In that case, why don’t you trade places with Carlos?"

"...What’s the catch? What’s the price?"

"...I’ll deduct it from your time off."

"What?! That’s absurd! I’m already working through my day off! And instead of giving me another, you’re taking it away? This is starting to feel like slavery, Teo."

"Oh, really? Was today your day off, Pedro?"

"Don’t pretend you didn’t know. This is ridiculous."

"Ahh…" Teodoro sighed, glancing around. The frustration in the air was palpable. "...Today was the day you were supposed to go out with Taís, wasn’t it, João?"

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder, Teo," said a man sitting on the ground, completely unenthused. "...I was almost forgetting."

In the ensuing silence, the stares directed at Teodoro didn’t relent.

"Wait a second!" he exclaimed, stepping behind Nadine. "You’re all acting like I invited this demon—or whatever that thing is—to come here! This isn’t my fault either!"

"And what about my day off yesterday?" Pedro interjected. "There wasn’t any monster trying to invade the world, but I still had to go to the dungeons… your dungeons."

"No, I—"

"Same thing happened to me last week," another voice chimed in. "Is this intentional, Teo? Because you know I can only meet her on weekends?"

"What?! But last week I didn’t… ah, crap, I did…" He quickly nudged Nadine repeatedly on the back. "Do something. Help me!" he murmured.

"Ahh… Fine," she said after briefly glancing at him, prompting Teodoro to back off. "One week."

"What?" everyone asked in confusion.

"Once this is all resolved, you’ll all get a week off."

"Are you serious?!"

Laughter erupted among the group, even from those who didn’t have an issue with the current situation. But it didn’t reach one individual—the only one who obviously wouldn’t benefit from this arrangement.

"No!" Teodoro protested. But it was too late. Aside from Nadine, no one stayed to hear his objection.

"Damn it…!" he muttered, flying up to catch Nadine in the skies. "You were supposed to help me, not give me more work!"

"And exactly how is this my fault?"

"You… Don’t think you’re getting off easy. This whole week, you’re staying right by my side."

"I wish I could, but unfortunately, it’s my week off too, you know? The one you promised me some time ago."

"Time off? You never use that. I bet you don’t even know what to do with it. Gonna knit or something?"

"Well, if you must know, I’m going to the beach. I’ve already bought the tickets."

"What? No… You’re serious, aren’t you?"

Nadine nodded, smiling. Increasing her flying speed, she left an incredulous Teodoro behind—someone who, capable of reading minds and discerning truths from lies, knew that every word she said was genuine.

"Damn it…"

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

"Hmm... You know," Samantha said, adjusting her glasses, "you don’t have to stand like that. Feel free to sit down. Make yourselves comfortable. It won’t take long, and once I’m done, I’ll show you around a bit."

The werewolves exchanged hesitant glances but eventually sat on the chairs and sofas. The moment their bodies touched the soft cushions, they relaxed completely, their tension melting away.

"I..." Arche hesitated. "Can I step out for a moment? I need some air."

"Huh? Of course, go ahead."

Leaving Samantha’s spacious room, the long hallway stretched out before Arche’s eyes. She walked slowly, taking in her surroundings. In one room, armor was being tested against various attacks. Some pieces remained intact, while others bore minor scratches and were discarded. In another room, weapons were being inspected—swords, spears, shields, and even clothing. Everything a fighter might need was laid out in the rooms along the corridor.

"Oh, sorry. Excuse me."

The words came automatically, almost as a reflex, as she apologized to a young woman who accidentally bumped into her as the elevator doors opened.

Everyone here wore such strange and uncomfortable clothing. Yet, for some reason, Arche instinctively knew these outfits represented a certain level of refinement and education.

The mere thought of Samantha expecting her to wear a skirt like the ones worn by the women in this place sent a shiver down her spine, almost like revulsion. They were impractical and utterly unsuitable. How was she supposed to move freely when necessary in such garments?

"Ahh…"

As she tucked her badge into her suit pocket, she surveyed her surroundings. The noise, the voices, and the countless smells—there were so many stimuli. Even with her senses restrained to the maximum, it was overwhelming to be surrounded by these people and everything around them.

She couldn’t take deep breaths; even the air was tainted with an unpleasant odor. It made her feel nauseous, even prompting a gag reflex the first time she smelled it.

But as she inhaled again, Arche noticed something new. Different from the scents of the people, yet not unfamiliar. Something… recognizable. Her eyes scanned the area, and when she found the source, she froze.

"What are you… What are you doing here? You—"

"No," Lykos interrupted firmly. "We didn’t run away."

"Then what happened? Did he—"

"Something happened... and many of us will have to leave for a while."

"What? Why? What about Eudora? The children?"

"She’s fine," Lykos said, taking her hand to calm her. "The children will be safe. Some of us stayed behind to look after them."

"Then why? What happened?"

Lykos hesitated, unsure if he should say anything. But he couldn’t hold back for long in front of Arche. So, as he began explaining everything he knew, his hand glowed faintly, and the voice of Lior echoed in his mind, instructing him not to tell "her."

But Arche already knew now. So, it couldn’t be referring to her. The conclusion they both reached was clear: Samantha.

"Are you sure you’ll be okay?"

Lykos hesitated to answer, fearing to lie to the person before him. But then he smiled and said, "Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. We might even return before you."

After a brief kiss, the two parted ways.

A lie, perhaps. In the end, Lykos didn’t truly answer Arche’s question: "Will you be okay?" It was hard to say. Even if this situation wasn’t happening, Lykos wasn’t sure he could answer her.

'Be okay…' he thought as he rejoined the others. 'I’m fine…'

His eyes gleamed strangely, with red flickering at the center of the blue light.

'I’m fine…' he repeated to himself.

Despite his outward appearance, the red eyes never left his thoughts. Nor did the thick black fur. And more than anything, the door… It never left his sight. Now, strangely, it appeared even more majestic and alluring. Grand. Calling to him.

It wasn’t hard to imagine, especially for someone who had never truly let go of the handle.

"Yes…" he murmured to himself. "I’m fine."

That feeling. The power. The unspoken truth. There was a reason, beyond the loss of consciousness, why he had warned Andreas to stay far from the door—or better yet, to avoid climbing the stairs at all.

Like a dangerously addictive drug, once you’ve tasted it, you’ll never want to stop.

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

Beyond the buildings, past the windows, and into a dark room. Admetos saw something strange—something hunched in the corner, trembling. As Liwmorr descended, they drew closer, allowing Admetos a clearer view. However, what he saw might have been better left unseen, or seen from a distance so great that he couldn’t make out the horrifying details.

"I... I think I found a..."

Blood was smeared across the man’s face and the floor around him. He sat with his back to the room, writing and drawing on the walls. His actions resembled some sort of hymn, as if he were singing in worship. In one hand, he held a bitten heart—clearly ripped from the lifeless body lying sprawled in the center of the room. In the other hand, he clutched a severed finger, using it like a brush to scrawl grotesque symbols across the walls.

The man turned as he brought the heart to his mouth. A smile stretched across his bloodied face. Then, as he tore another finger from the corpse, Admetos froze. It was strange, but somehow, deep down, it felt like that monster had seen him.

"Arf! Arf! Arf!"

Reacting instinctively, the boy ducked into hiding with Liwmorr, trembling violently. Pressed into a dark corner, he struggled to quiet his breathing, yet the horrifying images and that ghastly smile refused to leave his mind.