The training room was silent except for the rhythm of Alex's fists against the heavy bag.
He had been at it for hours. Pushing himself. Testing his limits. Trying to drown out the voice that had been whispering in his mind for the past three days.
*Alexander. You can't hide from me. I am the First. The beginning of all things. And I have been waiting for you.*
He punched harder. Faster. The bag swung wildly, its chains groaning under the strain.
"Shut up," Alex growled.
*Make me.*
Alex stopped punching. His chest heaved. Sweat dripped from his brow.
The voice was still there. Whispering. Taunting. Waiting.
He closed his eyes and reached for the Hollow. The stillness. The quiet.
But the Hollow was harder to find now. The First was too strong. Too persistent.
*You can't run from me
