Chapter 4 Four

The Hollow Gate

The morning came too soon, with a sky washed in a muted, ashen light. Lira stood at the edge of the circle's camp, her eyes locked on the dense fog that clung to the trees. The silence around her was unsettling, broken only by the distant calls of birds and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. Her mind raced as the gravity of their situation settled deeper within her chest. The Hollowborn weren't just a threat anymore, they were an unstoppable force. They weren't just looking for conquest, they were searching for something far darker and far more dangerous.

Lira's fists tightened, her pulse quickening as the image of the Hollowborn figure that had spoken to her in the night flashed before her mind's eye. The promise of the Hollow Gate, the rift between worlds, the nightmare that was coming for them all. It was no longer a myth, It wasn't just an old tale whispered by elders to scare children. The Gate was real and the Hollowborn would stop at nothing to open it.

Beside her, Kade's voice broke through her thoughts, his low growl a constant reminder that she wasn't alone in this. "You're quiet today," he observed, his tone gruff, his face drawn with exhaustion. "Planning your next move?"

Lira didn't respond immediately, She couldn't afford to let her thoughts wander too far. The situation was dire, and every decision had weight. The Hollowborn were more organized than they had ever been before and the fact that they were hunting for the Hollow Gate made them even more dangerous. "I'm trying to understand how they found it," she muttered, "The Gate, I mean, No one even knows where it is anymore."

Kade's expression darkened. "Maybe you're thinking about it all wrong, They didn't just find it, They're trying to open it."

Her eyes narrowed, "Same difference, If they succeed, it will mean the end of everything. The circle, the land, everything. They won't stop until they have it and then, it's not just us they'll destroy, It's the world itself."

Kade stepped closer, his presence steady and reassuring, His hand rested briefly on her shoulder, "You're carrying a heavy load, Lira. We're all in this together, but if you burn yourself out, you'll be of no use to anyone."

Lira shook her head, she appreciated Kade's concern, but the truth was, there was no one else who could carry this burden. "I can't fail," she said quietly, her voice tinged with a quiet desperation. "Not when the stakes are this high and the circle's survival depends on it."

Kade didn't answer right away, He could see the resolve in her eyes, the weight of the responsibility that crushed her from the inside out. Finally, after a long moment, he sighed, "Just be careful, Lira. You're not invincible."

Lira kept quite, she couldn't afford to think about her own limitations not now, not when everything they had fought for was on the line.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the circle gathered in their war tent, the atmosphere was heavy with the urgency of the situation. Lira met the eyes of her trusted allies Kade, Maelen, Rheya, and Orin. They were all leaders in their own right, their strength and loyalty unwavering, but even they couldn't deny the fear that lay beneath their composed facades. Lira had never seen the circle so on edge.

Maelen, the warrior and strategist was the first to speak. "The Hollowborn have always been a threat, but they've never been this organized, They're not just scattered bands of rogue wolves anymore. They're united, and they know what they're doing."

Rheya, the circle's healer, clenched her fists. "If they've figured out how to breach the Hollow Gate, then nothing can stop them. We're facing an enemy like no other, They'll bring ruin to this world."

Lira nodded, her gaze turning to the map that hung on the wall of the tent. She traced a line with her finger, following the ancient paths of the Hollow lands, the place where the Hollowborn were born and where their power still lingered. "If the Gate is to be opened, it has to be somewhere within the Hollow lands," she said, "It's the only place they could hide it and we need to get there before they do."

Kade's voice was low but resolute, "And how do we get there? The Hollow lands are a death trap, Even the bravest of us would be lucky to make it through."

"We have no choice," Lira replied, her tone fierce. "If we don't stop them now, we'll never have another chance, The Hollowborn will unleash hell on this world, and we'll be wiped out before we can even fight back."

Orin, ever the skeptic, raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure? What makes you think we'll even survive the journey? The Hollow lands are unlike anything we've ever encountered and if they're already there... we'll be walking right into their trap."

Lira met his gaze, her eyes hard. "Because we have no other choice and we can't let fear guide us, Orin. Fear will only weaken us, We move forward, We fight and we win."

The room fell silent for a moment, The weight of Lira's words hung in the air like a heavy storm, but there was no room for hesitation. They had already lost too much and If they didn't act now, they would lose everything.

Maelen spoke again, her voice tight. "I'll lead a group of scouts to find any sign of the Hollowborn. We need to know exactly where they're coming from."

Rheya nodded, stepping forward, "I'll prepare what supplies we'll need for the journey. It won't be easy, but we'll manage."

Lira nodded in approval, "Kade, you'll be with me. We need to move quickly and quietly. If we can get ahead of them, we may still have time to close the Gate before they can open it."

The group moved quickly, preparing for the journey ahead. The air was thick with urgency and the Circle had no time to waste, every moment that passed only made the threat of the Hollowborn feel more real.

Lira's mind was spinning as she packed her things. The weight of the decision, of the responsibility she carried, threatened to crush her, but she couldn't let it, Not yet, Not when there was still a chance to stop them.

As night began to fall, the Circle set out. The land around them became increasingly hostile as they neared the border of the Hollow lands. The trees grew twisted, their branches gnarled and sharp, reaching out like clawed hands. The air grew colder, the wind sharp and biting.

Lira led the group, her senses heightened. She could feel the dark magic in the air, the malevolent presence of the Hollowborn lingering just beyond the edges of their awareness. Every shadow seemed to move, every rustle of leaves a harbinger of something terrible.

Kade walked beside her, his presence a constant comfort in the growing darkness. "How far are we from the Hollowlands?" he asked, with his voice low.

"Not far," Lira replied, her eyes scanning the landscape. "We'll reach the border by dawn but I can feel them getting closer, The Hollowborn are already here."

The journey into the Hollowlands was perilous. The ground beneath their feet was uneven, and the forest around them seemed to close in with every step they took. Lira's mind was a whirl of thoughts and plans, trying to anticipate every possible outcome. She couldn't afford to make any mistakes now.

And then, just as the moon rose high in the sky, the first signs of danger appeared.

A scream pierced the night, shattering the eerie silence. Lira's heart skipped a beat, the sound was followed by the sharp crack of a branch, and then, in the blink of an eye, the first of the Hollowborn leapt from the trees.

Their forms were a grotesque distortion of wolf and man, their eyes glowing with an unearthly light. They moved faster than anything Lira had ever seen, their claws and teeth sharp enough to rip through flesh and bone with ease.

"Stay together!" Lira shouted, drawing her blade, "Fight back!"

But the Hollowborn were upon them before they could react, their savage forms clashing with the circle's warriors in a blur of blood and snarls. Lira fought with every ounce of strength she had, her blade flashing through the air as she cut down the first of the creatures that came too close.

Kade was at her side, his own blade singing through the air as he took down another Hollowborn, But they just kept coming, more and more, emerging from the shadows like a flood of death.

Lira's heart raced as she realized they were vastly outnumbered.

"Fall back!" she commanded, her voice steady despite the chaos around her, "We need to regroup!"

But it was too late, The Hollowborn had them surrounded.