The Hollow King had vanished, but his presence still lingered.

  The air felt wrong—too still, too heavy. Like the ruins themselves had witnessed something they were never meant to see.

  Aeris stood in the aftermath, heart pounding in her chest. The weight of her sword felt unfamiliar in her grip, her body aching from the force of their battle. But the pain was secondary—her mind was racing.

  He said my name.

  That shouldn’t have mattered.

  That shouldn’t have been possible.

  But it had been his voice. Not the Hollow King’s, not some ancient ruler’s, but Sorin’s.

  Even now, the echo of it refused to fade.

  She exhaled sharply, forcing herself to focus. There was no time to dwell—she needed to act.

  Behind her, the Exiled One stirred, dragging himself upright. He had taken the worst of the Hollow King’s assault, yet there was no bitterness in his expression—only understanding.

  He studied Aeris for a long moment.

  "...You're going after him."

  It wasn’t a question.

  Aeris wiped the sweat from her brow, straightening. "Of course I am."

  The Exiled One nodded, as if he had expected nothing else. He glanced toward the stone where the Hollow King had disappeared, his gaze unreadable.

  "Then you need to know what you're truly facing."

  Aeris turned toward him sharply. "You keep talking like you have all the answers. If you know something, say it."

  The Exiled One was silent for a long moment.

  Then, with a sigh, he sat down on a broken pillar, wincing as he adjusted his posture.

  "...You ever wonder why the Hollow Kingdom fell?"

  Aeris frowned, caught off guard by the shift in conversation.

  "It was lost to time," she said, hesitant. "There are no records of its final days—only myths."

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  The Exiled One chuckled, but there was no humor in it.

  "That’s no accident."

  Aeris felt a cold weight settle in her stomach. "...What are you saying?"

  The Exiled One’s gaze darkened.

  "I’m saying that the Hollow Kingdom wasn’t conquered."

  Aeris blinked. "Then what—"

  "It was sealed away."

  The ruins felt even quieter in the wake of his words.

  Aeris stared at him, waiting for the punchline, the absurdity of the statement to crack. But the Exiled One only held her gaze, utterly serious.

  "...That doesn’t make sense," she said slowly. "An entire kingdom—sealed?"

  "Not just the kingdom."

  The Exiled One leaned forward.

  "The king."

  Aeris felt a chill crawl down her spine.

  The Hollow King.

  Not a name. Not just a title.

  A prison.

  The Exiled One’s voice lowered.

  "That’s what the Gate was made for, Aeris. Not to keep people out."

  He met her eyes.

  "To keep him in."

  Aeris took a step back. "You’re telling me we didn’t just wake Sorin up—we released something that was never supposed to return?"

  The Exiled One nodded. "And now he’s free."

  Aeris clenched her fists. "Then why did he hesitate? If he’s just some monster, why not kill me? Why leave?"

  The Exiled One exhaled. "Because Sorin’s soul is fighting back."

  Aeris’ breath caught.

  The Exiled One’s gaze was solemn.

  "Sorin is still in there, but he’s trapped inside something far older, far more powerful than you can imagine. And if we don’t act fast—"

  He looked out toward the vast, darkened sky.

  "—he’s going to disappear completely."

  Aeris’ grip on her sword tightened.

  No.

  She wouldn’t let that happen.

  She wouldn’t lose him.

  Not again.

  Her next move was clear.

  She had to find the Hollow King—before it was too late.

  Aeris didn’t hesitate.

  "We need to move. Now."

  The Exiled One exhaled, shaking his head. “You don’t even know where he went.”

  Aeris turned, gaze sharp. “Then tell me.”

  The Exiled One studied her for a long moment.

  “You don’t understand what you’re asking.”

  Aeris took a step closer, her voice steady. “I understand better than you think.”

  The Exiled One scoffed. “Really? You understand that the thing we’re chasing isn’t just some lost soul? That it’s something far worse?”

  Aeris didn’t waver.

  Sorin is still in there.

  That was all that mattered.

  The Exiled One sighed, rubbing his temple. “You’re relentless.”

  Aeris crossed her arms. “I’ve been told that before.”

  A pause. Then—

  “The Hollow King is drawn to places of power,” the Exiled One admitted. “Places where the old world still lingers.”

  Aeris frowned. “And where’s the nearest one?”

  The Exiled One hesitated.

  “…You’re not going to like the answer.”

  Aeris didn’t blink. “Try me.”

  The Exiled One’s expression darkened.

  “The City of Ash.”

  Aeris stiffened.

  The name alone sent a chill through her bones.

  The City of Ash was a graveyard.

  A place where the remnants of the old war still burned, where reality itself had been fractured beyond repair.

  Few who entered ever returned.

  And those who did came back wrong.

  Aeris swallowed hard. “He’s really there?”

  The Exiled One nodded. “If he’s looking for answers—that’s where he’ll go.”

  Aeris took a slow breath. Then that’s where I’m going, too.

  The Exiled One gave her a long look.

  "You won’t be the same when you come back."

  Aeris met his gaze. "Then I’ll just have to make sure I come back as myself."

  The Exiled One smirked faintly. "You really are stubborn."

  Aeris exhaled, tightening the straps on her gauntlets. "Let’s go."

  And with that—

  They turned toward the horizon.

  Toward the City of Ash.

  Where the Hollow King awaited.