The Choice
402 Words
Lorien’s breath came in ragged gasps as the Hollow King’s voice coiled around her mind, a whisper of shadow and hunger. Run, or stay? The choice burned through her, every instinct screaming for her to flee.
But something deeper, something ancient inside her, held her still.
"Come to me, child. And I will show you what you are."
The words slithered through her bones.
"Lorien!" Ronan’s voice cut through the chaos. He swung his blade at the clawed hands emerging from the rift, severing fingers that bled black smoke. But it wasn’t enough. The fissure widened, and the thing beneath stirred.
Elder Riven smirked. "The blood moon has chosen."
Lorien turned on him, her pulse hammering. "Chosen for what?"
"To awaken."
The altar crumbled completely, and the darkness surged upward. A massive shape, draped in writhing shadows, began to rise. It wasn’t fully formed—not yet—but its power was suffocating.
"RUN!" Ronan roared.
This time, she obeyed.
She turned, legs propelling her into the trees, Ronan at her side. The air behind them rippled as a force like a thunderclap blasted outward. Trees splintered, their roots wrenching free from the ground. Lorien barely ducked as a branch snapped overhead, missing her by inches.
"We can’t outrun this!" she gasped.
"Then we stop running," Ronan growled.
They burst into a small clearing, moonlight casting eerie silver light over the twisted roots and thick fog. Ronan yanked her behind a boulder, gripping her shoulders. "Lorien, listen to me. Whatever that thing is, it’s tied to you."
Her stomach twisted. "I know."
"Then we need to stop it."
She swallowed. "How? We don’t even know what it is."
Ronan’s jaw clenched. "That thing—whatever it is—it’s not fully here yet. It’s emerging. That means it needs something to complete the ritual."
His eyes burned into hers.
"It needs you."
Lorien shuddered. "So what do we do?"
Ronan hesitated. Then, reluctantly: "We go back."
She stared at him. "Back? To the thing that just tried to kill us?"
"Not to die. To stop it."
Lorien exhaled sharply, her mind racing. The shadows were still stretching through the trees, whispering her name. She didn’t know if she could fight whatever was coming. But she knew one thing—
She couldn’t let it win.
She met Ronan’s gaze and nodded.
Together, they turned back toward the chaos.
The Hollow King was waiting.
- Writer
