The world seemed to hold its breath.

  Aeris could only stare.

  The man who had stepped through the Gate looked like Sorin. But he wasn’t.

  The armor he wore gleamed with an unsettling radiance, the plates edged in blackened gold, bearing sigils Aeris didn’t recognize—or perhaps didn’t want to. His posture was rigid, his presence suffocating, as if the very air around him bowed under his weight.

  But it was his eyes that unsettled her the most.

  They burned with a deep, golden light—cold, calculating, ancient.

  This wasn’t the man she had fought beside.

  This was the Hollow King.

  Aeris’ heartbeat pounded in her ears.

  “…Sorin?”

  The Hollow King tilted his head slightly at the name, his expression unreadable.

  Then he spoke.

  "That name holds no meaning for me."

  Aeris’ fingers curled into fists.

  No.

  This wasn’t right.

  Sorin was in there—he had to be.

  But before she could say anything else, the Exiled One stepped forward.

  "And so," he murmured, "the Gate has made its choice."

  Aeris shot him a glare.

  "You knew this would happen, didn’t you?"

  The Exiled One didn’t answer.

  The Hollow King turned his gaze to him, his expression cool, detached.

  "You," he said. "I remember you."

  The Exiled One did not flinch.

  "And do you remember what you lost?"

  A long silence.

  Then, to Aeris’ horror—the Hollow King smiled.

  "I lost nothing."

  And with a single step, he moved.

  Faster than thought, faster than sight.

  One moment, he was standing at the Gate.

  The next—he was in front of the Exiled One.

  Aeris barely had time to react before the Hollow King’s hand was at the man’s throat.

  Lifting him off the ground.

  The Exiled One barely struggled, his face tense but otherwise composed.

  "You should not be here," the Hollow King said softly.

  His grip tightened.

  Aeris didn’t think.

  She moved.

  Blade flashing.

  She struck at the Hollow King’s exposed flank, aiming to at least force him to release his hold—

  But before her sword could make contact—

  His other hand caught her wrist.

  Her entire body locked.

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  A shockwave of sheer force rippled through her limbs, like she had been grabbed by something far beyond human.

  Her knees buckled.

  Her breath caught in her throat.

  What… is this power?

  The Hollow King slowly turned his gaze to her.

  "Do not interfere," he said.

  And with a single motion—he released her.

  Aeris collapsed to the ground, gasping, limbs shaking.

  She barely had time to register what had happened before—

  He threw the Exiled One aside.

  The man’s body slammed into the stone ruins with a brutal crack, dust exploding in the air.

  The Hollow King did not even spare him a second glance.

  Instead, his golden gaze settled back on Aeris.

  And for the first time, his expression shifted.

  "You," he murmured, as if seeing her for the first time.

  Something flickered in his eyes.

  Something Aeris couldn’t quite place.

  Then, his expression hardened.

  "You are in my way."

  And then—he drew his sword.

  Aeris barely had time to react.

  The Hollow King moved.

  One moment, he stood before her—calm, composed, distant.

  The next—he was upon her.

  His blade sang through the air, a streak of silver and gold, a blow meant to end her.

  Aeris threw herself backward.

  The sword missed her by a hair’s breadth, splitting the ground where she had just been standing.

  Too fast.

  She barely had time to get her footing before the Hollow King pressed forward.

  A second strike—this time horizontal.

  She raised her sword to block, but the moment their blades met—

  A shockwave tore through her body.

  She skidded back, feet scraping against stone, barely staying upright.

  Her hands ached from the force of the impact.

  This isn’t Sorin.

  Sorin was a powerful fighter—one of the best she had ever known.

  But this?

  This was something else entirely.

  This was power honed over centuries, a king who had fought wars and carved empires with his own hands.

  Aeris steadied herself, forcing her breath to even out.

  She had fought countless battles. She had stood against monsters, assassins, warlords.

  She would not be defeated here.

  She surged forward, blade flashing, aiming for his unguarded side—

  Only for the Hollow King to counter effortlessly.

  He turned, twisting his sword in an arc that caught her weapon mid-strike.

  Disarmed her.

  Aeris’ eyes widened as her sword spun from her grip, clattering across the stone.

  And then—

  He was behind her.

  The cold edge of his blade pressed against her throat.

  The world slowed.

  Aeris could feel his breath at her back, hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

  She had lost.

  But—

  The Hollow King did not strike.

  He did not press the blade forward, did not finish the kill.

  Instead—he hesitated.

  For the briefest of moments, his grip on the hilt slackened.

  A flicker of something else crossed his expression.

  And in that instant—

  Aeris moved.

  She slammed her elbow backward, striking his ribs. Hard.

  The Hollow King barely reacted, but it was enough.

  Aeris twisted free, rolling to the side, and lunged for her fallen sword.

  Her fingers closed around the hilt just as the Hollow King turned to face her again.

  But he didn’t attack.

  Not immediately.

  He stood still, watching her.

  Studying her.

  As if something in him was… conflicted.

  Aeris’ breath was ragged.

  "If you’re going to kill me," she said, tightening her grip on her sword, "do it."

  The Hollow King’s eyes narrowed slightly.

  Then, for the first time, he spoke her name.

  "Aeris."

  Aeris froze.

  Because the way he said it—

  It was Sorin’s voice.

  Not cold.

  Not distant.

  Not a king addressing an enemy.

  It was him.

  For a moment, she saw it—a crack in the armor, a flicker of the man she had fought beside.

  But before she could say anything, the Hollow King exhaled, stepping back.

  "...Not yet."

  And then—

  He turned.

  A golden shimmer rippled around him.

  And before Aeris could react—

  He was gone.

  Silence.

  Aeris remained still, her breath coming in sharp, uneven gasps.

  The Hollow King was gone.

  But he had spoken her name.

  That single word had unraveled everything she thought she knew.

  She forced herself to stand, gripping her sword tighter than necessary, her knuckles turning white. Her body trembled—not from exhaustion, but from something far worse.

  Doubt.

  What if Sorin was still in there?

  What if he was fighting to come back?

  The Exiled One stirred from where he had been thrown. His movements were slow, but when he sat up, his piercing gaze was already on her.

  "...You saw it, didn’t you?"

  Aeris turned sharply to face him.

  "Saw what?" she demanded.

  The Exiled One wiped blood from his mouth, exhaling. "The hesitation. The fracture in his mind. That was not just the Hollow King speaking."

  Aeris swallowed hard, unwilling to acknowledge the hope creeping into her chest.

  She wasn’t sure she could afford to.

  "You knew this would happen," she accused. "You knew the Gate wouldn’t return him the same."

  The Exiled One was silent for a moment. Then—

  "Yes."

  Aeris felt a surge of anger. "And you didn’t think to warn me?"

  He sighed, shaking his head. "Would you have listened?"

  She opened her mouth to argue—then closed it.

  Because deep down, she knew the answer.

  No. She wouldn’t have.

  She would have fought to bring Sorin back no matter what.

  The Exiled One watched her carefully. "You have to understand, Aeris. The Hollow King is not just a title—it is a force. A will that has existed for centuries, one that should have never been woken."

  Aeris clenched her fists.

  "But Sorin is still in there," she said, voice barely above a whisper.

  The Exiled One hesitated. "Perhaps."

  That wasn’t enough.

  It would never be enough.

  Aeris took a step forward, her jaw set with determination.

  "Then we bring him back."

  The Exiled One met her gaze, something unreadable in his expression.

  "You say that as if it will be simple."

  Aeris exhaled sharply, shoving her emotions down.

  "He didn’t kill me," she said, more to herself than to him. "He could have. He should have. But he didn’t."

  She turned to face the ruins, the place where the Hollow King had disappeared.

  Sorin had hesitated.

  Which meant—there was still something left to save.

  And she would not abandon him.

  Not now.

  Not ever.

  No matter what it took—

  She would bring Sorin back.