The Ashen Hollow seemed quieter after the Devourer's defeat, but Ravok knew better than to trust the silence. The Hollow was alive, and its trials weren't over. The pit where the beast had once drawn its power now lay dormant, but the faint hum of residual energy still prickled against his senses.
Ravok adjusted the grip on his dagger as he scanned the surroundings. The weight of the Void's energy within him was ever-present, a tool waiting to be mastered but carrying a cost he was yet to fully understand. Beside him, Lara exhaled sharply, her expression a mixture of relief and irritation.
"So," Lara began, her voice cutting through the stillness, "any other death traps waiting for us, or is that pit the grand finale?"
Ravok smirked faintly but didn't answer immediately. His crimson eyes lingered on the runes carved into the stones around the pit. The patterns were different from the ones in the previous chambers—less chaotic, more deliberate.
"We're close to something," Ravok said, his voice calm but edged with certainty. "The Hollow wouldn't send a creature like that without a purpose."
"Great," Lara muttered, her daggers still drawn. "Because nearly getting eaten wasn't enough. Lead the way, oh wise one."
---
The Shifting Ruins
The path ahead was treacherous, with jagged stones and cracks splitting the ground. As they moved deeper, the air grew colder, and the mist thickened, swirling unnaturally. The Hollow's whispers returned, faint but persistent, their fragmented words gnawing at the edges of their minds.
"Do you hear that?" Lara asked, her voice hushed.
"Yes," Ravok replied, his tone unbothered. "It's the Hollow."
"Comforting," Lara muttered. "You sound like you know it personally."
"In a way, I do," Ravok said, his gaze steady. "Places like this have a will of their own. They don't just test strength—they test resolve. And they adapt."
Lara shot him a sidelong glance. "You keep saying that. What exactly do you think it's adapting to?"
Ravok didn't answer. He couldn't explain it—not yet. But the Hollow's presence was undeniable, and it felt as though it was watching him specifically. Testing him, not as a participant, but as something far more significant.
---
A Hidden Gate
They came to a dead end—a crumbled wall covered in glowing blue runes. The symbols pulsed faintly, forming an intricate design that radiated power. At its center was a hollowed-out indentation shaped like a sphere.
Lara frowned. "Let me guess. Another trap?"
"No," Ravok said, stepping closer. "It's a gate."
He reached into his pouch and withdrew the Void fragment he had claimed earlier. The artifact pulsed faintly, its energy rippling like liquid shadow. As he brought it closer to the indentation, the runes flared, and the wall began to shift.
Stone grated against stone as the wall opened, revealing a dark corridor lined with faintly glowing crystals. The air beyond was colder, denser, and filled with a palpable tension.
"Tell me this isn't a terrible idea," Lara said, her voice tight.
"It's the only path forward," Ravok replied, stepping through the gate without hesitation.
---
The Hall of Reflections
The corridor led to a vast hall, its walls lined with mirrored surfaces that reflected the faint glow of the crystals. The reflections were distorted, shifting unnaturally with every step they took. It was disorienting, the kind of place designed to unsettle even the most focused mind.
"This feels… wrong," Lara said, her voice quieter than usual.
"It is," Ravok replied, his eyes scanning the mirrored walls. "The Hollow wants us to question what's real."
As they moved deeper into the hall, the reflections began to change. They no longer mirrored their movements but instead displayed fragmented images of the past. Ravok saw glimpses of himself in his former life—a battlefield drenched in blood, the face of his master, Veynor, looming above him, and the moment of his betrayal.
Lara froze as one of the mirrors showed her own past—a scene of a broken battlefield, her bloodied hands clutching a lifeless body. She clenched her fists, her breath hitching.
"What is this?" Lara demanded, her voice shaking.
"A test," Ravok said, his tone steady. "The Hollow forces you to confront your regrets. Your failures."
"And if I don't want to?" she snapped, turning away from the mirrors.
"Then it will consume you," Ravok said simply, his gaze fixed on his own reflection.
---
Facing the Past
Ravok stepped closer to one of the mirrors, his distorted reflection shifting until it showed a clearer image. He saw his former self standing among the disciples of Veynor, weaker than the rest, the target of their mockery. The memory of his final moments as a god—a vessel drained of power and discarded like trash—burned in his mind.
The mirror rippled, and his reflection spoke, its voice dripping with scorn. "You were nothing. A tool. A failure. Do you truly think you can rise again?"
Ravok's crimson eyes narrowed. "I'm not the same as I was then."
The reflection sneered. "You are cursed. Weak. You'll never break free."
Ravok's lips curled into a faint smile. "Weakness is temporary. What matters is how you use it."
He raised his dagger and drove it into the mirror. The glass shattered, and the distorted whispers around him fell silent. He turned to see Lara watching him, her expression unreadable.
"Done reflecting?" she asked, her voice laced with tension.
"For now," Ravok replied. "Let's move."
---
The Observer's Warning
As they exited the hall, the air shifted again. The mist thickened, and the faint sound of footsteps echoed from somewhere ahead. Ravok's hand tightened on his dagger as he scanned the path, but it wasn't a beast or disciple that emerged.
It was the cloaked figure.
The figure's glowing eyes regarded Ravok with an unsettling intensity. "You've come far, cursed one. But the Hollow hasn't shown its teeth yet."
"Who are you?" Ravok demanded, his voice calm but firm.
"A messenger," the figure said, its voice cold and resonant. "And a witness."
"To what?" Lara asked, stepping beside Ravok.
"To your downfall," the figure said with a faint chuckle. "The Hollow doesn't test for strength alone. It tests for purpose. And you, Ravok, are an enigma it seeks to unravel."
Before either of them could respond, the figure stepped back into the mist and vanished. The air grew colder, and the path ahead seemed darker than before.
"Great," Lara muttered. "Cryptic warnings. That's exactly what we needed."
Ravok's gaze lingered on the spot where the figure had disappeared. "The Hollow isn't the only thing watching us," he said quietly. "And that means we're getting close."