**Chapter 52: The Source of Agony** The labyrinthine depths of Forsaken Hollow seemed to stretch endlessly as Zami pushed forward, his body aching with every step. The *Silent Agony shard* pulsed in his hand, its dark energy acting as a guide, pulling him toward an unseen destination. Around him, the air grew heavier, filled with the oppressive wails of countless souls. The closer he got, the louder their cries became, piercing his mind and rattling his focus.
Zami's breath was ragged, his movements sluggish. The last battle had left him battered and drained, and even with his evolved body, the fatigue weighed heavily on him. His wounds throbbed, some still bleeding, but he couldn't afford to stop. *Flow State* became his only refuge, a trance-like focus that allowed him to slip past the wandering creatures blocking his path.
Despite his skill, the exhaustion began to take its toll. He miscalculated a leap over a crumbling pillar, a clawed limb scraping across his side. Another beast lunged from the shadows, its jagged fangs tearing at his shoulder. Zami grimaced but pressed on, his katana cutting through anything that dared to slow him.
Finally, the shard's pulsing grew frantic, guiding him to the mouth of a cavernous chamber. The screams of souls became almost deafening now, a cacophony of despair that threatened to drown his thoughts. Zami staggered forward, clutching his side, his silver eyes narrowing as he gazed into the abyss ahead.
There, at the center of the chamber, was something grotesque and nightmarish: a massive, pulsating heart-like structure, veined with dark tendrils that stretched across the room. The tendrils burrowed into the walls, floor, and ceiling, emitting a sickly purple glow. Faces of agony appeared and vanished within its surface, mouths silently screaming as they were consumed by the entity.
Zami's mind raced as he pieced together what he was seeing. This was the source. The heart was the anchor of the Silent Agony's power, feeding on the agony of the colony's souls.
Karesh's earlier words echoed in his mind: "It lives off the agony of the colony."
Zami tightened his grip on his katana, his body trembling from both pain and determination. If he could sever the heart from the colony, destroy its connection to the suffering souls, then perhaps he could finally end this nightmare.
But the heart seemed alive, its tendrils writhing as if sensing his intent. The ground beneath him trembled, and the air grew colder. Zami could feel the presence of the Silent Agony, its essence coiling around him like a predator ready to strike.
He took a shaky step forward, his voice low but resolute.
"This ends now."