The Shattered CrownWhen she screamed, the world split in two. It wasn't just sound; there was light, wind, and the breaking apart of reality itself. I could hardly breathe because the air was so thick it felt like melted glass. "Stop, Elara!" My voice came out rough because she had set off a storm. Through all the noise, she saw my eyes. Gods, that look she had was exactly the same as the first time we met. It was angry and defiant. There was something else, though. Behind the anger is a quiet goodbye. When I tried to move forward, the ground kept moving under my feet, like the floor of the palace was melting. The walls leaked magic, and the stones moved around as if they were scared of her power. "You can't think straight!" I yelled over the noise to try to get her attention. "You're going to kill yourself!" She said in a whisper, "That's the point." I could hear everything she said, even though her lips didn't move much. Behind her, the Hollow King laughed, and his voice was
Blood and FireThe air was so hot that it was hard to breathe. Every breath hurt like glass being broken in my throat. The throne hall was on fire, and the cracked walls were painted a fiery red. In the middle of it all, she stood. In the wind, her hair waved around her like a flag, and her eyes were too bright to look at for long. It was almost painful how the light was shining through her skin. "Elara," I rasped as I stepped forward, even though I had a deep cut on my side. It hurt that hot blood was running down my ribs, but I didn't care. "Stop this right now." She slowly turned her head, as if each move hurt. She made a face that was somewhere between a smile and a frown. "That can't be done now, Lucian." "No." I stumbled toward you. The broken rock made my boots slip. While the Hollow King's shade was behind her, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. "It's never too late." Stop this right now, and we'll" Even though her laugh was soft and almost gentle, it made my chest hurt.
The Last AllyCracks were the first sound I heard. Not rock. Not ice. Power, flesh, and bone. The Hollow King's shape broke like glass when it was pushed too hard. I pushed through the smoke with Kael's shadow right behind me. The air hurt my lungs. "Do you feel that?" he asked in a sharp voice. I growled, "Every second." "He's not in charge." We broke into the upper hall and stopped moving. There was a river of bodies on the floor, both friendly and enemy bodies twisted together. With each pulse of the Hollow King's failed power, the walls shook. Captain Veyra stood at the far end, just under the big doorway that led to the throne room. Her armor had cracks in it. Her hair was stuck to her cut face. As the Hollow Guard rushed toward her, she had both swords out and was moving like a storm. When she saw us, she yelled, "Go!" "Time is running out!" Kael's eyes got bigger. "She's by herself" "Go!" I told you. Veyra's voice was very sharp. She slashed a blade through a chest
The Silent SignalThe beat changed; it wasn't steady anymore; it became urgent and almost crazed. I knew, "She's warning me." Kael made a face. "Waking you up about what?" The answer was a low rumble that was far away. I looked up. There were zigzag cracks in the roof that let ash fly into the air. The crack wasn't stable. "Move!" I yelled. As we ran forward, a loud hissing sound came from behind us as a piece of the bridge fell into the fire below. The tunnel led to a cave that was only lit by the glow of molten ponds. The rough walls looked like they were living because shadows moved on them. I saw it after that. There was a small hole in the far wall that a man could crawl through. It flashed with blue light, which was the same color as Elara's magic. I skipped it. I pushed Kael forward. "That!" As we scampered toward it, our long, scary shadows stretched out behind us. I put my hand against the crack when I got to it. The magic rushed through me, feeling warm and famil
The Burning PathBefore I could move, I heard the sound of steel cutting air. He threw himself at me with all his strength. I pushed back hard, and the clash shook the burning hall. We hit each other, and sparks flew all around us. He moved quickly but skillfully, and each strike was driven by pain. I took away his weapon, which made his sword fly all over the floor. He didn't give up, though. Instead, he grabbed the blade of my sword with his bare hands and pushed it against his chest. He looked at the blood on his hands and said, "If I can't get them back, I'll die here... free of this war." "No!" I tried to move away, but he pushed forward and stuck himself even more. As his knees gave out, he let out sharp gasps of air. His blood was hot on my hands when he fell on me. He growled, "Don't... let him win," and then the light went out in his eyes. I couldn't move for a moment. All I could hear was my heart beating. The fire was roaring all around us. I gently put him down and s
INTO THE ABYSS The ground seems to be moving. The sky is full of dust. I can see how that makes sense. There isn't much time left. "We need to get higher." "Elara's" They stopped me and said, "You don't understand." Going up won't save her. I stop moving. "Do you mean to say that?" Kael's eyes show that he is in a hurry, which makes me feel bad. "I saw..." I saw inside the Hollow King when his magic was strong. He says the chair is his source, but it's just a trick. It hurts to swallow. "A fake?" He nods, and it hurts to breathe. "A real source doesn't exist." It's him. He has a very old piece hidden deep inside him. Because of this, killing him would mean killing this place. The truth hurts me deeply. Elara's plan to destroy the throne will stop his death. But that much magic"It will kill her before it kills him." Kael's blood is running down my arm because he has his hand on my wrist. "Then you need to get to her first." She must stop. My heart beats fast against