CHAPTER 5 - The First Hunt

Lyra didn’t know where Cael was leading her, only that every instinct warned her to keep moving. The fog thickened as they slipped down the quiet streets of Moonrest, muffling the world into muted shapes and shadows. Cael walked with silent purpose, his grip firm but not forceful, guiding her as though he’d walked these streets a hundred times.

“Where are we going?” Lyra whispered.

“Somewhere less exposed,” Cael murmured. “The Hollowborn hunt by scent—light scent. Yours is… strong.”

Lyra tensed. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“You will.”

They rounded a corner just as a sharp crack echoed in the distance. Lyra flinched, but Cael pulled her close, his eyes scanning the rooftops.

“Too late,” he said quietly. “They’ve already begun the hunt.”

A cold wind surged through the fog. The streetlamps flickered, dimmed, then went out entirely. The world plunged into gray.

Lyra’s pulse spiked. “Cael—”

“Stay behind me.”

A shape materialized ahead of them. Then another. And another. Three Hollowborn stepped from the shadows, tall and gaunt, their bodies shifting like liquid smoke. Their heads tilted in eerie synchrony, empty faces turning toward Lyra.

They had no eyes, yet she felt them staring straight through her.

The nearest one extended a long, crooked arm. Its fingers dripped tendrils of black mist that hissed when they touched the pavement.

Lyra stumbled back. “No—no, no—”

“Lyra,” Cael said sharply, “don’t run. They’ll only chase harder.”

“What do we do?”

Cael stepped forward. “We fight.”

His hand glowed faintly—silver light, like moonfire—radiating from his palm. With a sudden motion, he drew a sigil into the air. A thin arc of light spiraled outward, striking the Hollowborn square in the chest.

The creature shrieked.

Not loudly, but in a way that scraped against Lyra’s bones.

It recoiled, its smoky form flickering violently.

Cael didn’t hesitate. He spun, drawing another sigil, launching a second burst of silver that sent the Hollowborn skidding back.

But the other two surged forward.

“Move!” Cael shouted.

Lyra darted aside as one of the creatures lunged, its dark arm slicing through the air where she’d been standing a second earlier. The impact cracked the pavement—an explosion of dust and gravel.

“Cael—!”

“I see it!”

He raised both hands. Moonlight gathered between them, swirling into a luminous sphere. But before he could unleash it, one of the Hollowborn leaped from behind, slashing through Cael’s shoulder.

He staggered, the sphere flickering.

Lyra gasped. “Cael!”

“I’m fine!” His voice strained. “But they’re stronger here than I expected.”

The Hollowborn advanced again, relentless.

Lyra felt something tug deep inside her chest—something hot, bright, rising like a spark fighting to ignite. Her wrist burned. The symbol glowed beneath her skin.

Cael glanced at her. His eyes widened. “Lyra—your light—it’s awakening.”

“My what?”

“Focus on your wrist. Draw the light out!”

“I don’t know how!”

The Hollowborn lunged again.

Lyra threw her hands up instinctively—

and a burst of blinding white light erupted from her palm.

The shockwave slammed into the leading Hollowborn, tearing through its smoky body. It shrieked, splitting apart into ribbons of darkness before evaporating entirely.

Lyra collapsed to her knees, trembling. “I—I did that…?”

Cael stared at her with awe—and fear. “You’re stronger than I thought.”

The remaining Hollowborn creatures wavered, their forms rippling. They retreated, slipping back into the fog as though melting into it.

Once they vanished, the streetlamps flickered back on. The fog thinned. The world exhaled.

Lyra tried to steady her breathing. “What just happened to me?”

Cael knelt beside her, pressing a hand to his bleeding shoulder. “Your light answered you.” His voice softened. “You truly are the last Veilkeeper.”

Lyra swallowed hard. “If that’s true… then what do I do now?”

Cael looked at the sky—the faint outline of a silvery crack pulsing high above.

“You prepare,” he said. “Because this was only the beginning. The Shadow King has awakened… and he will send far worse than Hollowborn.”

Lyra felt the cold wind brush past her, carrying echoes of distant whispers.

She didn’t need Cael to tell her.

The hunt had only just begun.