The Monastery of the Hollowed
688 Words
The monastery stood before them, a monolith of stone and shadow, its towering spires reaching toward the blood-tinged sky. Cracked walls bore the scars of time, and the once-sacred carvings along its entrance were now defiled—symbols of the Hollow King scrawled over ancient runes meant to protect against the very darkness now festering within.
Lorien swallowed the unease creeping up her spine.
"This place feels wrong," Ronan muttered beside her, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.
"Because it is," Lorien whispered. "The Hollow King’s influence is spreading faster than we thought."
They had no choice but to enter. The Hollowed had taken the villagers, and if they weren’t already lost, time was running out.
Ronan glanced at her. "Once we go in, there’s no turning back."
"We never had that option, did we?" she said, stepping forward.
Together, they crossed the threshold.
The Hollowed’s Lair
The air inside was thick with the stench of decay. The monastery’s once-grand hall was lined with stone pillars, each wrapped in chains that rattled softly in the dim torchlight. Along the walls, shrouded figures stood motionless, their eyes glowing with a faint, eerie light.
"The Hollowed," Ronan murmured.
Lorien held her breath as they moved deeper inside. The creatures didn’t move—but she could feel their presence, the weight of their gaze pressing into her soul.
A rustling ahead made her stop. At the far end of the hall, atop a crumbling altar, stood a figure in tattered robes. His face was obscured by a hood, but his presence was undeniable.
Elder Vaelin.
"You shouldn’t have come," his voice rasped through the silence.
Lorien stepped forward. "Where are the villagers?"
Vaelin let out a slow, hollow chuckle. "They have been given a choice."
"What choice?" Ronan demanded.
Vaelin lifted his head slightly, just enough for them to see the hollow pits where his eyes had once been.
"To serve… or to perish."
The Awakening
A chilling scream echoed through the chamber. Lorien spun toward the sound—just in time to see a figure rise from the shadows.
It was a woman. Or at least, it had been. Her body was twisted, her limbs unnaturally long, her face stretched in a mask of silent agony.
"No," Lorien whispered.
Vaelin spread his arms. "The Hollowed are reborn through suffering. Through devotion. The Hollow King grants them new life… in exchange for their souls."
Lorien’s stomach twisted.
"They’re not alive," she said. "They’re prisoners."
"They are eternal."
Vaelin lifted his hand, and the Hollowed lurched forward.
"We need to move!" Ronan shouted, drawing his sword.
Lorien barely had time to react before the first creature lunged. She ducked, rolling across the stone floor as Ronan slashed through its arm, blackened blood spilling onto the ground.
"There’s too many!" he growled.
They had to get out—now.
Lorien’s eyes darted around the chamber, searching for an exit. Then she saw it—a doorway behind the altar, partially obscured by a torn tapestry.
"There!" she shouted.
Ronan cut through another Hollowed, then sprinted toward the opening. Lorien followed, dodging clawed hands that reached for her.
Vaelin’s voice boomed behind them.
"You cannot run from fate!"
Lorien didn’t look back.
She burst through the doorway—and immediately stumbled forward, falling into darkness.
The Descent
She landed hard, the air knocked from her lungs. Ronan hit the ground beside her with a grunt.
A second later, the door above them slammed shut, plunging them into near-total darkness.
Ronan groaned. "Tell me we didn’t just fall into a damn trap."
Lorien coughed, pushing herself up. "We’re alive, aren’t we?"
The passage they had fallen into stretched forward, lit only by faintly glowing runes etched into the walls. The air was thick with magic, pulsing in a way that made her bones ache.
"This place is ancient," Ronan muttered, running a hand along the stone.
Lorien nodded. "Older than the monastery. Older than Ebon Hollow."
A chilling realization settled over her.
"This isn’t just a tunnel," she whispered. "It’s a tomb."
The Hollow King’s tomb.
And they were trapped inside it.
- Writer
