Solstice took a deep breath, his chest still rising and falling with the lingering effects of his encounter with the creature. The air around him seemed heavier now, charged with an oppressive force. The ground beneath his feet, once solid and firm, now felt like it could give way at any moment. His mind was racing, the weight of the trial pressing down on him.
The creature—no, the sentinel—had vanished into dust, but the landscape had shifted in its wake. The chasm before him grew wider, the crack in the earth splitting like a wound that refused to heal. A low hum resonated from the depths, an eerie vibration that rattled through his bones.
Solstice's heart quickened as he approached the edge of the chasm. The darkness within it seemed endless, an abyss that threatened to swallow everything in its path. The air smelled faintly of sulfur, and the shadows below seemed to move, as if alive. But there was something more—something deeper—calling him forward.
With a final glance over his shoulder, he steeled himself and took a cautious step toward the chasm's edge.
The moment his foot touched the ground, a violent wind erupted from the crack, sending a chill through his spine. The gusts howled like spirits, whispering in a language he couldn't understand. But there was no time to waste. He had no choice but to move forward.
Solstice took another step, then another, until the ground beneath him seemed to vanish altogether. The wind tugged at him, threatening to pull him into the abyss, but he held on, drawing strength from the flickering light inside of him—the energy that had begun to grow more familiar, more powerful with each passing trial.
Then, with a sudden surge, he leapt. The moment his feet left the edge, the world around him seemed to warp and bend. The stars above him stretched like ribbons, the darkness below threatening to swallow him whole.
As he fell, his mind flickered back to Nyx's words—Find your purpose, Solstice, or everything will be lost. What did it mean? What was he truly meant to do here?
The questions swirled in his mind as he plummeted, but he couldn't afford to dwell on them. The wind whipped past him with a deafening roar, and he felt the strange energy within him thrumming louder, as if it recognized the danger ahead.
He braced himself for impact.
But it never came.
Instead, the air around him shifted, solidifying into something tangible. The ground beneath him reformed, and suddenly, he was no longer falling. He was standing on solid ground once more, the chasm behind him now distant and unreachable.
He glanced around, disoriented. This new place was unlike anything he had seen before.
The landscape was a twisted reflection of the world he had known. The sky was a sickly shade of green, veiled by dark clouds that writhed like living things. The earth was cracked and barren, but there were remnants of what once might have been a great city—ruins that stretched across the horizon, their jagged outlines half-buried in the earth.
A faint whisper echoed in the wind, calling his name. The voice was familiar, but distorted, as though it were coming from both the past and the future. Solstice…
He tensed, his hand instinctively reaching for the energy within him. But this time, there was no immediate threat. It was different. This place—this realm—felt… alive. Like it was waiting for him.
"Is this… a dream?" he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible in the silence that surrounded him.
The wind shifted again, carrying a heavy, mournful sigh. And then, from the shadows of the ruins, a figure appeared.
It was a man, tall and cloaked in dark robes, his face obscured by a hood. His presence was overwhelming, and the air seemed to crackle with power as he stepped forward. Despite the mystery surrounding him, Solstice could feel the weight of his gaze—an ancient, knowing gaze.
The figure's voice, when it came, was like a thunderclap, deep and resonant. "You have arrived at the Hollow Path, Solstice."
Solstice's heart skipped a beat. The Hollow Path?
The man took another step closer, his hooded figure towering over him. "This place is a trial, one that few have ever survived. It is here that you will face your deepest fears, your greatest weaknesses. Only by confronting them will you be able to continue on your journey. The path forward is not clear. But you have no choice but to take it."
Solstice's breath hitched. The Hollow Path—a trial of fear and weakness. He had no idea what that would entail, but the certainty in the man's voice sent a chill through him.
"What… do you want from me?" Solstice asked, his voice tense but steady.
The figure didn't answer right away. Instead, he tilted his head, studying Solstice with an inscrutable expression.
"I want nothing from you," the man finally replied. "You are here because you must be. The Hollow Path is a journey of self. To continue, you must confront what lies within. It is not something that can be avoided, only endured."
Solstice swallowed, the weight of the words settling heavily in his chest. Confront what lies within? What did that even mean?
Before he could ask further, the man extended his hand. "If you are ready, then take the first step."
Solstice hesitated, his pulse quickening. The energy inside him stirred once more, the crackling static building in the air. He had no choice. He had to move forward, no matter what it meant.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward, reaching out to take the man's hand.
The moment their hands touched, the world around him exploded into light and shadow. The ground beneath his feet vanished, and he felt his body being pulled into the very fabric of reality. His mind whirled, caught in a tempest of emotions, memories, and fragmented visions.
And then, as quickly as it had begun, everything stopped.
He found himself standing in a different place now. The man was gone. The Hollow Path had just begun.
And with it, Solstice was forced to face what he feared most.