The wraiths knelt before Ellie, their silver eyes dimming in submission. The air in the throne room hummed with power, thick and heavy with the weight of what had just transpired.
The golden-eyed man stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"You have done what few could, but this is only the beginning."
Ellie's grip on the throne's armrests tightened. She could still feel the lingering shadows curling around her like unseen chains, their whispers brushing against the edges of her mind.
"What now?" Malcolm's voice cut through the silence. His sword was still in his grip, bloodstained from the battle against the wraiths.
Ellie exhaled, her fingers tracing the cold stone beneath her.
"We secure the throne," she said. "And we find out who else is coming for it."
A New Threat Rises
The wraith leader, still on one knee, lifted its head.
"There are those who will not accept you as queen. The Hollow Court was not always fractured. There were others—rivals. And they will come."
Ellie's eyes narrowed.
"Who?"
The wraith's voice was little more than a whisper.
"The Hollow Sovereigns."
A chill slid down her spine.
Before she could ask more, the ground trembled.
A deep, distant sound rumbled through the ruins—like something awakening.
The wraith's silver eyes flickered.
"They already know you are here."
Ellie rose from the throne, her heart hammering.
Outside, the sky darkened unnaturally, shadows gathering at the far end of the ruins. A storm of black mist rolled in, and within it, figures emerged.
Figures clad in obsidian armor, their faces hidden beneath silver masks.
The Hollow Sovereigns had come.
And they were not here to kneel.
The Hollow Sovereigns Arrive
The air twisted, thick with shadows as the first of the Hollow Sovereigns stepped forward.
Ellie felt the weight of their presence before she even saw them. It was an unnatural pressure, like a force pressing against her bones, daring her to submit.
But she didn't.
Instead, she stood at the base of the Hollow Throne, her fingers curling around its cold stone armrests. The wraiths who had sworn to her remained kneeling, but even they shuddered at the presence of the new arrivals.
The golden-eyed man was silent beside her, watching.
Malcolm and Sam tensed, their hands on their weapons.
And then—they emerged.
Through the swirling black mist, six figures stepped forward, each clad in obsidian armor, their silver masks glinting in the dim light of the ruined throne room.
Each Sovereign carried themselves with an air of absolute authority, their very presence a reminder that they had once ruled this realm before it had fallen into ruin.
Ellie met their gaze—cold, unwavering.
She would not bend.
The Voice of the Sovereigns
One of the figures stepped forward. Their silver mask was more elaborate than the others, etched with ancient runes that glowed faintly in the darkness.
"The Hollow Throne was never yours to take, child."
The voice was distorted, layered with echoes, as if multiple beings spoke at once.
Ellie's grip tightened, her heartbeat steady.
"I didn't take it," she said. "It claimed me."
A ripple of unseen energy passed through the room.
The other Sovereigns shifted, their movements almost inhuman—fluid and unnatural.
The leading Sovereign tilted their head.
"You believe yourself worthy?"
Ellie didn't hesitate.
"I don't just believe it." She took a step forward, shadows curling at her feet. "I know it."
A moment of silence stretched between them, heavy with tension.
And then—laughter.
It was low at first, but then it spread, echoing through the throne room like a chorus of distant voices.
The leading Sovereign lifted a hand, and the laughter stopped instantly.
"Then prove it."
A sudden shockwave of force exploded outward. The wraiths behind Ellie cried out, their forms flickering as they collapsed to their knees. Malcolm and Sam staggered back, barely staying on their feet.
Ellie gritted her teeth as the weight of the Sovereign's power slammed into her chest.
But she did not fall.
Instead, she embraced it.
The shadows around her rose like a living storm, pushing against the Sovereign's force with her own.
She would not bow.
She would not break.
The Trial of the Hollow Queen
The leading Sovereign lowered their hand, the unseen pressure easing—but only slightly.
"Very well," they said. "If you are to rule, you will not do so without challenge."
They gestured, and the five remaining Sovereigns stepped forward, forming a half-circle around Ellie.
"Face us. Survive. And we will acknowledge you."
Ellie's pulse quickened, but she did not hesitate.
She stepped forward, the power of the Hollow Throne swirling around her like a second skin.
Her trial had begun.
The First Strike
Without warning, one of the Sovereigns vanished, their form dissolving into the mist.
Ellie's instincts screamed, and she barely dodged as a blade of pure shadow sliced through the air where her head had been.
She twisted, summoning the throne's power, and countered.
A wave of darkness erupted from her fingertips, lashing out like a serpent. It collided with the Sovereign, forcing them back.
But another moved.
A second strike came from behind—fast, brutal.
Ellie turned just in time to parry with a wall of shadow, but the impact sent her staggering.
They were testing her.
They weren't fighting to kill.
They were fighting to break her.
But Ellie had already been broken.
She would not fall again.
The Hollow Beasts Awaken
The throne pulsed beneath her, and Ellie felt something shift.
She wasn't alone.
A deep, guttural roar filled the throne room.
The Hollow Beasts—massive, spectral creatures with glowing eyes—rose from the darkness, responding to their queen's will.
The Sovereigns paused.
And Ellie smiled.
"You wanted a fight?" she said, her voice laced with power.
"Then let's end this."
Clash of the Sovereigns
The Hollow Throne pulsed beneath Ellie as the Sovereigns advanced, their shadows twisting like tendrils of living night. The Hollow Beasts she had summoned snarled, their massive forms coiling protectively around her.
The lead Sovereign raised a hand.
"You call upon the Hollow Beasts?" Their voice carried amusement, but beneath it was something more—curiosity.
Ellie smirked.
"They answered me."
A pause.
Then—the attack began.
The Sovereigns Strike
The first Sovereign moved like lightning, their blade an extension of the shadows themselves. Ellie barely managed to twist away as the black steel slashed through the air beside her, cutting deep into the stone floor.
Another Sovereign lunged, their form splitting into two, each mirage moving in perfect sync. Ellie raised a hand, summoning a barrier of darkness, but the attacks came faster than she could react.
A blow caught her in the side.
She stumbled, but she did not fall.
The Hollow Beasts roared, lashing out at the Sovereigns with claws of pure void. Their attacks collided, sending ripples of power through the throne room.
But the Sovereigns were ancient, their strength immeasurable.
The golden-eyed man remained silent, watching.
Sam and Malcolm fought at Ellie's side, but they were outmatched, barely keeping the wraith-like figures at bay.
Ellie gritted her teeth.
She couldn't just defend.
She had to dominate.
Awakening the Throne's Power
Closing her eyes, Ellie reached deep into the Hollow Throne's power. The whispers of the past rulers clawed at her mind, their voices urging her to take more—to become more.
"Do not hold back," the throne whispered. "You are the Hollow Queen."
A surge of power exploded from her core, spreading outward like wildfire.
The very air cracked with energy as shadows crawled up Ellie's arms, forming intricate markings across her skin.
Her eyes glowed, the same eerie silver as the wraiths.
When she opened them, the Sovereigns hesitated.
For the first time, they recognized her.
Not as an intruder.
But as a contender.
Ellie smirked.
"Now, let's try that again."
The Hollow Queen Ascends
The battle began anew, but this time—Ellie was the one on the attack.
Her shadows moved with purpose, weaving through the air like a second set of limbs. She dodged, countered, and struck, forcing the Sovereigns to retreat.
One of them growled, their voice layered with rage and something almost like pride.
"You are learning quickly."
Ellie didn't answer. She was too focused.
A Hollow Beast lunged, clamping its massive jaws around one of the Sovereigns. The figure vanished into mist, reforming across the room—but slower than before.
Ellie's power was taking hold.
The throne room shuddered as its very foundations responded to her presence.
And then, the lead Sovereign stepped forward, unsheathing their true weapon.
A blade of pure void, pulsing with energy older than the Hollow Throne itself.
Ellie's heart pounded.
This was far from over.
It had only just begun.