Aria's POV
The Hollow was not a place of life.
It was the space between worlds. A thin, trembling veil that separated the known and the unknown. And as Aria stepped into its borders, she felt the chill of its absence settle deep in her bones. The air was thick with silence, broken only by the occasional whisper of a distant scream or the rustling of something unseen.
The Hollow existed in the space where time lost its meaning, where shadows bled into light, and where even the strongest souls could break.
But this was where she had to go. To find the truth. To find her mother.
Kael was at her side, his presence a comforting weight against the darkness. But she could sense the unease in him, his every step deliberate, his eyes scanning every movement in the shadows.
"Are you sure about this?" Kael asked quietly, his voice echoing strangely in the stillness.
"I have to be," Aria said, her voice barely above a whisper. "If my mother's soul is truly here… I need to know why she left me. Why she disappeared."
Kael's gaze softened, though the worry never left his eyes. "You know I'll follow you anywhere. But this place… it's not natural. The Hollow takes from you."
"I've already lost so much," she replied, her heart tightening. "I can't lose myself now."
They walked deeper into the Hollow, the light from the glowing obsidian shard Aria held illuminating the path ahead. The shadows shifted around them, as if the land itself were alive, watching, waiting.
As they descended further, the temperature dropped, and the air grew thick with the scent of earth and ash. The further they went, the more oppressive it became, as if the very weight of forgotten souls pressed down on them.
They reached the heart of the Hollow, where the ground split open like a jagged wound. From it, a dark river flowed, its waters black as ink, reflecting the eerie glow of the obsidian shard. The bridge that crossed the river was made of bones—some ancient, others still fresh.
Aria swallowed hard. "This is it."
Kael stepped forward, his hand reaching for her. "I'll go first."
"No," Aria said quickly, shaking her head. "We'll go together. We face this together."
He nodded, his jaw tight. "Together."
---
Aria's POV — The Vision
The moment their feet touched the bone bridge, everything changed.
The world around them fractured like glass, and Aria's body was pulled from the Hollow and thrust into a vision—a memory—a place between the past and the present.
She saw her mother standing in a circle of flame, the shadows of the Eclipse dancing around her. Her mother's face was older than Aria remembered, but the fire in her eyes was the same. It burned with intensity, with determination.
"You have to go, Aria. They'll come for you when you're born." Her mother's voice echoed through the darkness. "The power inside you is too much for them to handle."
Aria's breath hitched. "Mother, I don't understand. Why didn't you—"
"I didn't want to leave you." Her mother's voice cracked with pain. "But I couldn't protect you and the world. If they knew what you were, they would kill you."
Aria's vision blurred. The flames in her mother's eyes shifted, twisting into something darker, something more dangerous. "You will be tested. The crown you bear, the power you hold, they will try to take it. You are the last of the Eclipse line, Aria. And the Hollow will consume you if you are not careful."
The world around Aria twisted again, and she saw a dark figure standing in the shadows. It was a man—a wolf, with eyes like molten gold. A familiar presence. Kael.
"Kael..." she whispered.
But as soon as she spoke his name, her mother's voice grew louder. "He is not your savior. He is your downfall."
---
Kael's POV — The Choice
Kael's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Aria sway on her feet. He reached out to steady her, but she was lost in the vision. Her eyes flickered with fire, the glow of her power mingling with the shadows around them.
He had seen her strong. He had seen her fight with the ferocity of a lioness.
But this was different.
The Hollow wasn't just testing her. It was pulling her apart. And every time she moved deeper into its heart, Kael felt something else slip away from her.
He couldn't lose her.
But the more he watched, the more he realized that the Hollow was offering Aria a choice.
One that could destroy everything they had.
He stepped forward, his voice breaking through the silence. "Aria!"
Her eyes snapped to his, glowing with the power of a thousand suns. "Kael… I…"
She was struggling. He could see it.
He reached for her. "You don't have to do this. Whatever it is, we can face it together. But not here. Not in this place."
But the moment his hand touched hers, the world around them shifted again.
The vision was gone, and they were back in the Hollow.
But now, something else stood in front of them.
A shadow, taller than the trees, cloaked in midnight.
The air grew heavy with the scent of blood and flame.
And then it spoke.
"You are not ready for the truth, Aria Draven. You are not ready to wield the Eclipse power."
---
Aria's POV — The Unveiling
The figure's voice was like a thousand whispers at once—too many voices, too many lives, all crammed into a single, suffocating presence.
"Who are you?" Aria demanded, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her insides.
The shadow laughed, a sound that rattled her bones. "You should already know, dear daughter."
And then the figure stepped into the light.
Aria's blood ran cold.
It was her mother.
But it wasn't the woman she remembered. This version of her mother was twisted. The flames around her were dark and unholy. Her eyes glowed with a malevolent light.
"I…" Aria couldn't finish her sentence. The woman before her was a stranger, yet familiar.
"You thought you knew who I was, but I am not the woman you think I am," her mother said, her voice dripping with malice. "I am the one who birthed you into darkness. I am the one who forged the Eclipse bloodline."
Aria felt her knees weaken. "No. No, this can't be true."
The shadow of her mother smiled cruelly. "You are the last of the Eclipse line, Aria. But what you don't understand is that your power was never meant to be wielded by one soul. It was meant for two."
Her heart stopped.
Kael.
Her gaze shot to him.
He was watching her, his face pale, conflicted.
And then, the shadows closed in around them.