The Resonant Hollow trembled as cracks of pale light ripped through its air like veins of glass. The echoes of battle—the roar of collapsing earth and the fading wails of monsters—folded into silence. One by one, the heirs and their shadows emerged from the blinding rift that served as their exit.
Saphine stumbled forward, clutching the faintly glowing orb that recorded their trial. Eris caught her before she fell. His calm expression belied the exhaustion gnawing beneath his eyes, his Flare Garment dimming to a faint shimmer. Behind them, Seloria and Lyssandra stepped out with their shadows, Cyrinth and Melina close behind, each bearing the scars of their survival.
The sky above the exit shimmered with stormlight, yet the true storm was waiting outside.A row of figures stood before them—four silhouettes radiating unmistakable power and authority.
At the front, High Matron Vale leaned upon her silver-topped cane, her wrinkled face unmoving but her eyes gleaming like sharp daggers beneath her veil. The mere weight of her presence made Saphine instinctively bow her head.
Beside her stood Elder Aurelion, his robes immaculate, his golden eyes reflecting nothing. His expression was calm—too calm.
To his right, Valari Ka'tarel, draped in deep crimson and gold, regarded them with measured grace. The echo of command clung to her every movement, an authority born not of threat, but of inevitability.And standing just behind them, arms crossed, was Professor Raukher Myr, her expression unreadable—a silent witness to what was about to unfold.
"You've returned," High Matron Vale said at last, her voice sharp and low. "And with you… a burden the world thought long erased."
Saphine stiffened. "You mean—"
"The Saintess' daughter," Aurelion interrupted softly, his tone polite but edged. "A relic of a past better left buried."
The girl they had rescued trembled behind Saphine. Even her shadow could not mask the faint divine radiance that clung to her. Saphine stepped in front of her, instinctively shielding her.Eris remained still beside her, eyes closed, as though calculating every breath taken in this exchange.
Valari Ka'tarel's voice sliced through the tension. "You all understand the weight of what you bring. The Saintess' bloodline was a pillar. Its survival could reignite conflict among the Great Families. If she lives, the world may bleed again."
Saphine's jaw tightened. "She's just a girl. You'd kill her because you fear what she represents?"
"That representation destroyed a nation," Valari replied coldly. "Fear is wisdom when the past still echoes."Eris finally opened his eyes. "And wisdom, Lady Valari, often mistakes caution for control."
Aurelion's gaze shifted to him. "You speak freely for one whose family serves silence, boy."
"Silence," Eris said, eyes glinting faintly, "is only useful when others mistake it for obedience."
The air thickened. Even the grass seemed to still beneath the suffocating aura of the elders' power.
High Matron Vale's voice cut through the standoff. "You will hand over the Saintess' child. This is not a request, Saphine. It is the will of your House."Saphine lifted her head, trembling but resolute. "Then your will is wrong."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Even the other heirs behind her—Seloria, Lyssandra, and their shadows—did not move. None dared to.
But Eris stepped forward.
"If you want her," he said, his tone unnervingly casual, "then you'll have to take her."
The High Matron's eyes narrowed, but before she could speak, Professor Raukher finally raised a hand. Her voice, though calm, resonated like thunder behind a curtain.
"That is enough."
Four pairs of eyes turned toward her, but even the elders seemed reluctant to oppose her outright."The Resonant Hollow has not yet finished its evaluation. You may see what the heirs have brought back, but you will not touch it. Interfere now, and the Hollow will reject your families in the next cycle."
Valari's lips tightened, displeasure faintly shadowing her composure.
"You speak as though the Hollow has will."
"It does," Raukher said simply, her eyes flicking briefly to Eris. "And it listens."
The tension didn't fade so much as it shifted, heavy and uncertain. The elders exchanged long, wordless glances. Aurelion turned away first, brushing invisible dust from his sleeves.
"Very well," he murmured. "But this is not over."High Matron Vale's eyes lingered on her granddaughter—sharp, disappointed, but faintly… curious.
Then the four figures departed, their presences peeling away like retreating storms.
Only when they were gone did Saphine finally exhale.
Her hands shook, but when she turned to Eris, his expression hadn't changed. Calm. Silent. Watching. Always watching.
"What now?" she asked softly.
He adjusted his glasses, looking at the fading ripples in the air where the elders had stood. "Now," he said, "we prepare for the next echo."