The descent beneath Valemere was like stepping into the bones of a forgotten god. The tunnel the group had found beneath the church had widened into a cathedral-sized chamber, carved out of raw black stone. Strange symbols pulsed faintly across the walls — not written in any known language, but something older, almost alive.
Liam led the way, his torch flickering in the dense air. Each footstep echoed like thunder. Nyra followed close behind, summoning tiny spheres of light that hovered and danced around them. Aeris and Kael brought up the rear, weapons drawn, their expressions tight.
They had passed beneath a rusted iron archway marked with a sigil resembling a fractured eye. It radiated unease.
"This is older than anything I've ever seen," Nyra whispered. "Older than the realm… older than the veil."
Kael frowned. "Then why is it here — in the human world?"
Liam touched the wall. It pulsed under his fingers like skin. "Because something was buried here. Or sealed."
They reached the bottom of the slope where the floor opened into a vast platform surrounded by a chasm of black nothingness. At its center stood a dais of crystalline stone — and upon it, a flame. It hovered in midair, not touching any surface. Small, blue, and trembling… yet it radiated immense energy.
Aeris stepped forward, her voice barely above a breath. "The Hollow Flame."
Kael looked at her. "You know what it is?"
She nodded. "It's mentioned in only one ancient scroll — something the Guardians buried. A creation spark from before the split of realms. It wasn't supposed to exist in either world. And if it's here… then this is more than a prison."
Nyra's eyes widened. "It's a lock. The kind that guards monsters."
And then — the shadows moved.
A tall figure stepped from the dark, his eyes glowing silver. Clad in armor made of mirror shards, with a jagged crown of bone — the same being who had once shattered their path to the second fragment.
Kael cursed. "Ravion."
Ravion grinned, showing jagged, glass-like teeth. "How touching, that you made it this far. I expected you to crumble after the forest. But here you are. Led by a boy who doesn't even know what he is."
Liam stepped forward. "We're not here to fight you. We want answers."
"Answers?" Ravion chuckled. "Very well. You seek your precious Elira. But you do not know her. You seek Nytherion, but you do not know him either. He was mine before he was hers. He wore my crown before he wore her love."
Aeris froze. "You're lying."
Ravion's smirk widened. "She was supposed to save him from me. But all she did was give him more reason to hate. So tell me, little travelers… if the next fragment is hidden behind the truth — will you survive it?"
With a roar, Ravion raised his hand and the Hollow Flame flared — and the chamber shifted. Suddenly, they were no longer in the cavern but in a reflection of it. A realm between light and shadow. Illusion and truth twisted together.
Nyra screamed as a shard of mirror split from the air and nearly struck her shoulder. Liam grabbed her, spinning away just in time. Kael leapt at Ravion, blades drawn, but struck only an illusion — the real enemy moved behind Aeris, fast as smoke.
She whirled around, blocking with her dagger, but Ravion was too quick. He touched her chest with a single finger — and her body convulsed.
Aeris collapsed.
"NO!" Liam ran to her, grabbing her before she hit the floor. Her eyes were rolled back, lips trembling, breath shallow.
"She's not dead," Ravion said, voice echoing all around. "But I have shown her a memory. One she will never forget."
Kael pulled Liam and Aeris behind a broken column. "We have to end this now."
Nyra's eyes glowed. "Then I call on Aetherun, Guardian of Silence!"
A circle of violet light erupted at her feet. A tall, robed figure emerged — faceless, armored, holding a sword made of mist. With a silent motion, it charged Ravion.
The battle was chaos. Mist and mirror clashed, reflections shattered and reformed. Nyra collapsed after the summon, drained. Kael pressed the fight, managing to land a blow on Ravion's arm — it cracked like porcelain, revealing black smoke beneath.
But it was Liam who moved next — not with power, but with intention. He stepped toward the Hollow Flame, ignoring the chaos. As he did, it reacted to him. It grew brighter. Stronger. The light danced across his skin.
Ravion turned. "No. NO! You cannot touch that!"
But Liam did. He placed his palm on the flame.
There was silence.
And then a pulse — like a heartbeat felt across dimensions.
Images flashed through Liam's mind: a city of gold, Elira as a child in a garden of silver trees, Nytherion bound in chains forged from regret, a gate locked by seven fragments… and a pair of hands — his — holding a mirror that cracked as he looked into it.
He gasped and stumbled back. The flame flickered… and split.
Half of it floated toward him, fusing into his chest.
Ravion screamed. "You FOOL!"
The rest of the Hollow Flame burst, releasing a shockwave that knocked Ravion back — and with a howl, the mirror lord shattered into a thousand shards that vanished into the dark.
Silence returned.
Kael pulled Aeris into his arms. She was waking slowly, whispering something.
"…he's waiting… behind the veil… but it's not him anymore."
Liam stood over her, feeling the flame now within him.
"We have to keep going," he said, voice distant. "Because the truth is worse than I imagined."
And somewhere far above, something watched through the cracks in the world… and smiled.