The forest was silent, save for the rustle of dead leaves underfoot as Alaric and Calia moved cautiously through the gloom. Each step took them deeper into the Hollow King's territory, where shadows stretched like clawed hands and the air was thick with an eerie stillness.
Alaric's every sense was on edge, his hand never straying far from the staff glowing faintly with Emberlight. It was both his weapon and his burden, a power that both protected and threatened to consume him. He knew that each time he used it, he was giving up a piece of himself. Yet, he couldn't afford to hold back—not with the fate of their world hanging in the balance.
Calia was close beside him, her eyes scanning their surroundings with quiet vigilance. She was as tense as he was, and he could feel her apprehension in every glance she cast his way. Despite her brave front, he could tell the darkness of this place was wearing on her too.
Without warning, a low growl cut through the silence, and a pair of gleaming eyes appeared in the shadows ahead. Then another pair, and another, until the forest around them was alive with movement.
"Alaric…" Calia's voice was barely a whisper, but he could hear the tension in it.
"I see them," he replied, steadying his grip. "Get ready."
From the shadows emerged monstrous creatures—hound-like beasts with twisted bodies, matted fur, and eyes glowing with a sickly yellow light. These weren't ordinary animals; they were creations of the Hollow King, twisted by his dark magic into relentless predators.
One of the creatures lunged, teeth bared, and Alaric swung his staff, releasing a burst of Emberlight that incinerated the beast mid-leap. But even as it disintegrated, two more took its place, advancing with snarling ferocity.
Calia drew her dagger and moved with practiced precision, slipping past one creature and slicing through another's hide with a deadly arc. She moved like a shadow, swift and deadly, but for every beast they felled, more seemed to emerge from the trees.
"We're getting surrounded!" she shouted, back-to-back with Alaric as they fought off the encroaching horde.
Alaric could feel the Emberlight pulsing, desperate to be unleashed. But he knew the cost. If he gave in completely, he risked losing control—and he couldn't afford to lose himself, not here, not now.
Yet as another beast lunged at him, he had no choice. With a shout, he let the Emberlight surge through him, its blazing warmth spreading from his core to his fingertips. He unleashed a wave of fire that seared the ground, incinerating everything in its path. The creatures shrieked and fell back, retreating into the shadows.
But as the light faded, Alaric dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. He felt hollow, like the Emberlight had drained him from the inside out, leaving only a fragile shell behind.
Calia knelt beside him, her eyes filled with worry. "Alaric, are you alright?"
He nodded, though the world swayed around him. "I… I'll be fine." But even as he said it, he could feel the Emberlight's toll. His hands trembled, and a dull ache pulsed through his chest. He had used too much, and the darkness within him was stirring, feeding off his weakness.
They had barely escaped, and yet, they were still only at the edge of the Hollow King's domain. Alaric knew that this was only a taste of what awaited them deeper within.