The atmosphere in the garden had shifted drastically. What had been a serene setting, with the sun filtering gently through the leaves, was now a scene of chaos. The queen, once composed and regal, now stood in front of her son, Prince Luke, her sword drawn, her eyes sharp with the focus of a seasoned warrior.
But even her considerable skills as a former knight were being pushed to their limits. The attackers were relentless, moving with the precision and lethality of trained assassins. The royal guards, who had sworn to protect the queen and her son, lay lifeless on the ground, their blood staining the grass. The queen knew she was running out of time and options. She couldn't afford to let these men take Luke, but they were too strong, too numerous.
"Stay behind me, Luke," she commanded, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides. The young prince clung to her cloak, his wide eyes reflecting the terror he felt.
Two of the assassins rushed her simultaneously, one aiming high with a dagger and the other low with a blade meant to sever tendons. The queen deflected the first attack with her sword, her movement smooth and practiced, but the second assassin was faster than she anticipated. She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding a potentially crippling blow, but the maneuver left her open for a split second—just enough time for a third attacker to strike.
Before she could recover, she felt the cold steel of a blade graze her arm. Pain shot through her, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to show weakness. She spun around, slashing at the third attacker, but he dodged with ease, his movements fluid and almost inhumanly quick.
The situation was dire. The queen was outnumbered, outmatched, and her strength was waning. The assassins circled her like wolves, waiting for the right moment to close in for the kill. They were toying with her, confident that victory was within their grasp.
One of the assassins stepped forward, his cruel smile visible beneath his hood. "It's over, Your Majesty," he taunted. "Hand over the prince, and I'll make sure your death is quick."
The queen's eyes blazed with defiance. "You'll have to take him over my dead body."
"That can be arranged," the assassin replied coldly, raising his blade for the final strike.
But just as the assassins were about to pounce, the world around them shimmered, like a mirage in the desert. The air seemed to ripple, and for a moment, everything stood still. The queen blinked, her senses suddenly heightened, as if she was seeing the world through a new lens.
The assassin's blade descended, but before it could reach its target, a flash of light caught the edge of the blade—a reflection that shouldn't have been there. The queen's eyes widened in surprise as the reflection solidified, bending and warping until it became a tangible form.
From the distortion of light and shadow, Sam emerged, his figure materializing from the very reflections around them. He stepped forward, placing himself between the queen and the assassins, his expression calm and unbothered, as if he had simply strolled in on a casual walk.
"Your Hollow World was pretty weak," Sam remarked, his voice carrying an almost mocking tone as he surveyed the assassins who now stood frozen in shock. "Let me show you what a real Hollow World looks like."
The assassins hesitated, unsure of how to react to this unexpected development. But before they could regroup, Sam extended his hand, and the air around them began to distort once more. The garden, with its lush greenery and bright sunlight, started to darken as if the light was being sucked out of the world.
The sky above them turned a deep, blood-red, and the ground beneath their feet cracked and splintered, revealing scorched earth. Flames erupted from the ground, spiraling into the sky like fiery serpents. The trees withered and died in an instant, their leaves crumbling to ash as the air filled with the scent of burning.
Everywhere they looked, there was destruction. The once peaceful garden had been transformed into a hellish landscape, where the ground burned and the sky bled. There was no sign of life, only the charred remains of a world consumed by fire.
Sam stood at the center of this apocalyptic vision, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. The power emanating from him was suffocating, a force so intense that it made the assassins falter. Even the queen, who had faced countless battles, felt a chill run down her spine as she took in the sight before her.
"This… is my Hollow World," Sam said, his voice echoing across the desolate landscape. "And here, I'm in control."
The assassins quickly recovered from their initial shock, their faces hardening with resolve. They knew they couldn't afford to underestimate Sam, not after what they had just witnessed. With a series of quick, silent signals, they spread out, attempting to surround him.
But Sam was already moving. In a blur of motion, he dashed toward the nearest assassin, his speed leaving a trail of flames in his wake. The assassin barely had time to raise his weapon before Sam was upon him, delivering a devastating punch that sent him flying across the burning field. The force of the blow was so great that the assassin's body shattered into the crumbling remains of the dying world, disintegrating into nothing.
The second assassin tried to strike from behind, but Sam anticipated the move. Without even turning around, he thrust his hand backward, releasing a wave of energy that engulfed the attacker in flames. The assassin's scream was cut short as his body was consumed, leaving only ashes behind.
The third and fourth assassins, realizing the futility of their efforts, attempted to retreat, but Sam wasn't about to let them escape. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a wall of fire that encircled them, trapping them in place. The flames roared higher, forming a ring of destruction that closed in on them with every passing second.
"You thought you could take on a Hollow World and win?" Sam's voice was calm, but there was a dangerous edge to it. "You have no idea what kind of power you're dealing with."
The assassins, their faces twisted with fear and desperation, made a final, desperate attempt to break through the wall of flames. But it was no use. Sam's Hollow World was relentless, its fiery tendrils reaching out to claim them.
The queen watched in awe and horror as Sam dispatched the assassins with terrifying efficiency. This was no ordinary magic—this was something far more potent, far more dangerous. She had heard tales of Hollow Worlds, but never had she seen one wielded with such devastating power.
Sam stood at the center of his apocalyptic Hollow World, the flames of his creation licking the air around him as the assassins lay in ruins. The queen and Luke, who had been paralyzed with fear moments ago, now stared at Sam with a mixture of awe and disbelief. The world had returned to its peaceful state, but the tension in the air was palpable. Sam knew the battle wasn't over—far from it.
As the ashes of the fallen assassins settled, a chilling silence fell over the garden. The queen sheathed her sword, her eyes still on Sam, trying to comprehend the immense power she had just witnessed. But before anyone could speak, the air crackled with a new, sinister energy.
The remaining assassin, who had been directing the attack from the shadows, stepped forward. Unlike the others, he wasn't cloaked in fear. Instead, there was a cruel smile on his face as he pulled out a small, ominous-looking capsule. Without hesitation, he crushed it in his hand, releasing a dark, swirling mist that quickly enveloped his body.
Sam's eyes narrowed. He had seen this before—the same transformation that had turned a mere man into a formidable beast during the terrorist attack. But this time, the power emanating from the assassin was far greater, almost matching Sam's own.
The mist coalesced around the assassin, warping his body into something monstrous. His limbs elongated, his muscles bulged, and his skin turned a sickly gray. His eyes glowed with a malevolent light as his form solidified into a humanoid beast, towering over Sam with an aura of pure malice.
The creature let out a low, guttural growl, the sound reverberating through the Hollow World. It flexed its newly formed claws, which gleamed like polished obsidian, and fixed its gaze on Sam. The queen instinctively moved closer to Luke, shielding him with her body, but Sam held up a hand, signaling for them to stay back.
"Get ready to run," Sam said quietly, his voice devoid of its usual humor. The queen nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.
The beast moved first, lunging at Sam with terrifying speed. Sam barely had time to react, dodging to the side as the creature's claws tore through the ground where he had been standing. The force of the attack created a shockwave that rippled through the air, sending debris flying in all directions.
Sam countered with a powerful kick aimed at the creature's midsection, but the beast was ready. It blocked the kick with its forearm, the impact causing the ground beneath them to crack and splinter. Sam flipped backward, using the momentum to put distance between himself and the beast, but the creature was relentless, closing the gap in an instant.
The beast swung its claws in a wide arc, and Sam barely managed to duck under the attack. He retaliated with a series of rapid punches, his fists glowing with red energy as they connected with the creature's torso. Each blow landed with a thunderous impact, but the beast seemed unfazed, its body absorbing the damage with ease.
Realizing that brute force wouldn't be enough, Sam shifted his tactics. He summoned flames from the ground, directing them in a concentrated stream toward the beast. The flames roared to life, engulfing the creature in a fiery inferno. But as the flames subsided, the beast emerged, unharmed, its body regenerating almost instantly.
The creature's eyes gleamed with sadistic delight as it charged at Sam again, this time with even greater ferocity. Sam braced himself, blocking the creature's first strike with his forearm, but the force of the blow sent him skidding backward, his feet digging into the ground to keep his balance.
The beast followed up with a heavy swing of its claw, aiming for Sam's head. Sam ducked under the attack and retaliated with a powerful uppercut, his fist glowing with red energy as it connected with the creature's jaw. The impact lifted the beast off its feet, sending it crashing to the ground with a deafening thud.
But before Sam could capitalize on the advantage, the beast's body twisted unnaturally, its limbs contorting as it flipped back onto its feet. The eight-handled wheel on the creature's back began to spin, and as it did, all of its injuries healed instantaneously.
Sam's eyes narrowed. "So, you can regenerate too," he muttered under his breath. This was going to be more difficult than he had anticipated.