The fire-breathing beast towered over Solene's beaten body, its massive chest rising and falling with each breath. The crowd cheered for her death, but the creature didn't attack right away.
Instead, it grabbed her.
Solene let out a weak gasp as the monster's burning claws wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground. Her body hung limply, too battered to fight back. The heat from its skin scorched her, but when her trembling hand brushed against its molten chest.....
A vision hit her.
She saw a young man, about her age, shaking in pain. He held his head, breathing heavily. His clothes were torn and covered in dirt and blood. His arms trembled as if something inside him was breaking. Tears ran down his face.
His dull mark, a faded Sigil on his chest started glowing, flickering like it was being forced awake. His gasps turned into screams. His back arched. Fire exploded from his body, burning his skin as he clawed at himself in agony.
Then another memory flashed.
A blast of magic hit him. He staggered, his burning body flickered. More attacks followed as guards surrounded him, their weapons glowing with power. Lightning struck him, and glowing chains wrapped around his limbs, forcing him to his knees. He struggled, but the fire inside him kept raging.
His eyes darkened.
His body twisted.
His screams faded into monstrous growls.
And then he was no longer a man
He was no longer human.
He had become the monster in front of her.
The vision vanished.
Solene gasped, her mind snapping back to reality. The beast still held her, its fiery eyes staring into hers. Her whole body trembled.
This creature.....this monster...
Was once a person....
Then, without warning, it threw her to the ground.
She hit the ground hard, pain jolting through her body. She gasped, trying to push herself up, but something felt wrong.
Her body was hot....
Too hot.
She shut her eyes tight thinking the flames were about to consume her.
But..
There was none. Instead, an unbearable heat ran through her veins, as if her very blood had turned to fire. Her skin tingled, her muscles trembled.
Her body was burning, not from the outside, but from within. Heat surged through her veins, as if her blood had turned to fire. Her skin tingled, her muscles shook....
And then she screamed.
The sound was raw, piercing. The arena went silent.
The spectators who had been cheering a few moments ago all fell silent, their faces etched with confusion.
Even the monsters circling her took a step back.
They sensed something.
A threat.
Then, suddenly...
Flames erupted from her body.
Fire burst from her skin, twisting wildly around her. The flames swirled violently, burning the ground beneath her, twisting and curling in unnatural shape. The nearest creatures recoiled, their snarls turning into wary growls. Solene's screams echoed through the arena, sharp and unnatural.
The crowd started cheering again in excitement, believing she was finally consumed by the beast. And that this was the end for the stubborn Hollow.
But it wasn't over.
A bright light shone from her back. It pulsed, glowing stronger, brighter that even the nobles from their seats had to shield their eyes from the brightness.
It became brighter and stronger until the fire around her died down. The flames no longer consumed her,they belonged to her.
On her back, a glowing Sigil, beautifully designed patterns slowly appeared, its intricate patterns shimmering like diamonds. Gasps echoed from the people in the stands.
Gasps echoed from the highest elites who watched from their private booths, their faces pale with shock. Whispers ran through the nobles, their voices filled with disbelief.
This wasn't possible.
Hollows are not supposed to awaken.
They are never expected to have powers
And yet, here she was.
Before anyone could react, the monsters attacked again.
They lunged at her from all sides. But Solene didn't even think, her body moved on its own.
She opened her mouth—
And fire shot out.
A massive wave of flames roared from within her, swallowing the creatures in midair. They didn't even have time to touch her. The monsters let out agonized shrieks as their bodies burned instantly, turning to ash before they hit the ground.
The arena, once full of deafening cheers, fell into stunned silence.
Solene stood in the middle of the destruction, her body still burning like a living flame. The roaring fire faded, leaving only the blackened remains of the monsters.
No one spoke. No one cheered.
Then her knees buckled.
Her strength drained away, her vision swam. She barely noticed as the guards rushed in, grabbing her arms and binding her again. One of them placed his hand on her to pull her up...
And pain hit her like a storm.
Her body froze. Her vision blurred.
And suddenly, she wasn't in the arena anymore.
She was inside his memories.
The guard had a terrifying ability—Pain Transference. He could make others feel physical and emotional torment. The moment he touched her, his memories crashed into her mind.
She saw a young boy, chained and beaten. Whips slashed his back. Fire burned his skin. He was starving, freezing, suffering endlessly. Days, weeks...he had lost count. She felt his hopelessness, the moment he gave up on being human.
The moment he broke.
Solene gasped, her hands clawing at her face as if she could tear the pain away. But she couldn't. It was inside her, crushing her.
Then something snapped.
The Sigil on her back blazed with light. Her power reacted instinctively. Instead of being crushed by the pain...
She absorbed it.
Her eyes snapped open, glowing like molten gold.
The pain became her strength.
With a guttural cry from the guard, she released a shockwave of pain and emotional torment on the guard. , throwing the guard backward.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Solene didn't wait. She ran.
Fire burst from her feet as she pushed forward, dodging guards trying to block her. The gates slammed shut ahead of her, but she raised a hand....
And the guards screamed.
Their bones twisted, their bodies forced aside as the gates burst open.
Solene wasn't herself anymore. She felt angry, sad. Anger washed over her.
The crowd watched in shock as she ran, her burning form reflecting in their wide eyes.
For the first time in history, a Hollow had survived.
And now, she was escaping.