Hollow Monarch - Riftborn

The ruins felt colder now.

Kael's breath came slow and measured, his body tense. The masked noble stood before them, unhurried, poised, his cane tapping lightly against the cracked stone. The sound echoed through the dead city, a metronome of unease.

Varian shifted beside him, eyes wary.

Kael didn't move.

And then—A faint rustling behind him.

Hollow-Eye was still alive.How they didn't knowOr at least… something that used to him was.

Kael turned slowly.

Hollow-Eye stood in the shadows, his body twitching, his milky-white gaze

Hollow-Eye, however, had gone utterly still. The madman's usual twitches and murmurs had ceased. His blind, milky gaze was locked onto the noble, recognition flickering beneath his broken expression.

The man paused, regarding Hollow-Eye with… amusement?

"A failed experiment," the noble murmured. "How unfortunate."

Kael's fists clenched.

Hollow-Eye's lips curled into something almost human.

Kael noticed the change instantly. The fear. The deep, visceral dread in Hollow-Eye's posture, in the way his fingers spasmed at his sides.

The noble chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You remember me, don't you?"

Hollow-Eye didn't respond, but his throat bobbed in a dry, convulsive swallow.His mouth suddenly opened. And for the first time, his voice was clear.

"I remember you."

Kael's stomach dropped and looked towards the visitor while clenched his fists and asked "Who the hell are you?"

The noble turned his masked face toward him. "Ah. Introductions. A necessity among civilized men, yes?" He lifted his cane, tapping it once against his open palm. "You may call me Lord Ashen."

The name meant nothing to Kael, but the way Varian stiffened told him enough. This wasn't just some noble. This was someone dangerous.

"And you," Ashen continued, gaze settling on Kael. "You are quite the curiosity. The Rift has touched you, yet you still stand. How fascinating."

Kael's pulse pounded. "Get to the point."

Ashen chuckled again. "Straight to business. I admire that." He took a slow step forward. "I am not your enemy, Riftborn. In fact, I come with an opportunity."

Kael's instincts screamed at him. This man was dangerous. But he also knew better than to lash out blindly. Information was power, and right now, Ashen held all of it.

"Opportunity?" Kael repeated.

Ashen tilted his head. "You are new to this… condition of yours. You do not yet understand its nature. The hunger, the whispers. They frighten you."

Kael's grip tightened on his dagger.

Ashen smiled beneath his mask. "I can teach you. Guide you. Help you survive what is to come."

Varian scoffed. "Oh, let me guess. You want something in return. That's how these deals always go, right?" He smirked, though there was no humor in it. "So what's the price?"

Ashen tapped his cane against the ground. "A small thing. Your loyalty."

Kael's stomach turned.

Varian let out a sharp laugh. "Yeah, that's gonna be a no from us."

Kael said nothing. His mind was racing. Ashen wasn't lying about the Rift's whispers. About the hunger. But serving him? That was out of the question.

Ashen sighed, as if disappointed. "A shame. I had hoped you would see reason."

The air grew heavier. Shadows thickened around Ashen's feet, stretching unnaturally.

Kael moved before he could think.

His dagger flashed forward, aimed for Ashen's throat.

It never reached.

The world twisted.

One moment, Kael was striking. The next, his own shadow lurched, pulling him back. A force he couldn't see slammed into his chest, sending him staggering. His vision blurred, his breath ragged.

Ashen didn't even flinch.

"Ah," he murmured. "You are more instinctive than I thought. Impressive. But reckless."

Kael gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay standing. The Rift inside him seethed, but he held it back. Losing control now would be a death sentence.

Varian had drawn his own blade, but he hadn't moved. Smart. He knew this wasn't a fight they could win.

Ashen took a slow step forward. "You misunderstand me, Riftborn. I do not wish to fight you. I only wish to prepare you."

Kael wiped blood from his lip. "Prepare me for what?"

Ashen's shadow curled at his feet. "The inevitable."

He gestured towards Hollow-Eye, who still stood motionless, lips parted in some silent horror.

"Tell me, Riftborn," Ashen continued, "do you know what happens to those who refuse to evolve?"

Kael stayed silent.

Ashen chuckled. "They break. The Rift does not care for the weak. It does not pity those who resist it. It only devours."

His masked gaze turned back to Kael.

"And you are standing on the edge of that abyss."

The words struck deep.

Kael knew the Rift was changing him. He had felt it. The whispers. The hunger. The temptation.

He could feel it now.

A sharp, insistent pull at the edge of his mind.

Take. Consume. Become.

Kael exhaled slowly. "And what? You think you can help me control it?"

Ashen smiled. "I know I can."

A beat of silence stretched between them.

Then, softly, Ashen added, "But if you refuse… you will end up like him."

He gestured once more to Hollow-Eye.

Kael didn't look. He didn't need to.

He could still hear the madman's laughter from before.

Could still feel the raw, broken thing he had become.

A fate Kael refused to share.

Varian spoke first. "Yeah, well, forgive us if we don't take a masked creep's word for it."

Ashen sighed again. "Such defiance. Very well. You will learn the hard way."

The shadows around him stirred.

Kael braced himself.

Then, just as quickly as he had appeared—Ashen was gone.

The oppressive weight in the air lifted. The ruins returned to silence.

For a long time, neither Kael nor Varian spoke.

Hollow-Eye finally moved, collapsing to his knees, breath ragged.

Kael wiped his face, mind still spinning. "What the hell was that?"

Varian shook his head. "Bad news. That's what."

Kael exhaled sharply, then turned toward the ruins ahead.

"We keep moving."

Varian groaned. "After that? Are you insane?"

Kael didn't answer. He didn't trust his own voice right now.

Because Ashen's words still echoed in his mind.

You are standing on the edge of that abyss.

And worse?

A part of him wondered if Ashen was right.