Within a Hollow Heart

Chapter 172: Volume 2, Chapter 116: "Into the Deadlands"

The morning came early, the sun barely peeking over the horizon as they broke camp. The chill in the air hadn't lessened, and the wind had picked up, carrying with it the scent of something distant and foreign—the void, perhaps, or the desolation of the Deadlands that lay ahead.

Cole tightened his pack and glanced at the others. Marcus was already scanning the mountainside, his eyes sharp and alert as always. Selene was stretching, loosening her muscles for the long trek ahead, while Elara seemed more distant, her mind still preoccupied with the task at hand. She had said little since they decided on their path toward the Deadlands, but Cole knew her well enough now to sense the weight of her thoughts.

"We need to move quickly," Marcus said, cutting through the early morning quiet. "The longer we stay here, the greater the chance the Severed are already ahead of us."

Elara nodded. "We'll be vulnerable as we cross the foothills. If the Severed are tracking us, they'll try to ambush us before we even reach the Deadlands."

Cole's stomach churned at the thought. The Severed had been relentless in their pursuit of the Knots, and now, with the void pushing against reality at every turn, their enemies were growing more desperate—and more dangerous. He could feel it in the air, the pressure of something coming, something they weren't fully prepared for.

"Let's not waste any more time, then," Selene said, pulling her blade from its sheath and testing its weight. "We've come too far to let the Severed beat us to that archive."

The path southward was rough, the terrain uneven and treacherous as they descended from the mountains. The snow had given way to bare rock and loose gravel, the landscape gradually transforming into something harsher, more barren. The further they traveled, the more the land itself seemed to change, as though the void's influence had seeped into the very earth.

Hours passed in silence, the tension between them growing as they approached the edge of the Deadlands. The mountains loomed behind them, casting long shadows across the cracked ground, and ahead, the horizon was a haze of dust and ash, the sky tinted with a sickly orange glow. It was as if the world itself was rotting, decaying under the weight of the void's corruption.

"This place feels wrong," Cole murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's like the air itself is... twisted."

"You're not imagining it," Elara replied, her eyes scanning the horizon. "The Deadlands have been like this for centuries, ever since the first breach in the Veil. The void's presence lingers here, even though the Knot that once held it has long since unraveled."

Marcus frowned as they continued walking. "That means we're walking into a place where the void's influence is strongest. We'll need to be careful."

"The Severed will thrive here," Selene added, her tone grim. "They've been drawing power from the void for years. This place will only make them stronger."

Cole's hands tightened into fists. He could feel it too—the pull of the void, the subtle pressure it exerted on the world around them. It was like a hum, always in the background, growing louder with every step they took toward the heart of the Deadlands.

As they reached a rise overlooking a vast, cracked expanse of earth, Cole stopped, his breath catching in his throat.

There, in the distance, stood the ruins of the Guardian sanctuary.

It was nothing more than a skeletal structure now, the remains of tall stone towers rising from the ground like the bones of some ancient creature. The walls were crumbling, the stone darkened by centuries of exposure to the elements and the void's corruption. Around the ruins, the ground was blackened and cracked, fissures snaking across the earth like scars left behind by a terrible wound.

"That's it," Elara whispered, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and fear. "The Guardian archive."

"Not much left of it," Marcus said, his tone matter-of-fact. "But if the records are still inside, we'll find them."

Selene scanned the horizon, her eyes narrowing. "We need to move quickly. If the Severed are here, they'll be waiting for us."

Cole's pulse quickened as they began their descent toward the ruins. The air grew colder as they neared the structure, the wind carrying with it the faintest sound—a distant hum, low and ominous, like the beating of a drum just out of sync with reality. The void's presence was stronger here, and the weight of it pressed against Cole's mind, making it harder to think clearly.

As they reached the entrance to the ruins, Elara held up a hand. "Wait."

The others stopped, their senses immediately on high alert.

"There's something here," Elara said, her voice tight. "Something... watching us."

Cole's eyes darted to the shadows that clung to the crumbling walls. The ruins were vast, their twisted corridors and collapsed chambers filled with dark corners and hidden spaces. It was the perfect place for the Severed to lie in wait.

"We split up," Marcus said, his voice low but firm. "Elara, Cole—you head for the central archive. That's where the records will be. Selene and I will cover the perimeter. If the Severed are here, we'll keep them off you."

Selene nodded, her expression steely. "We'll give you as much time as we can."

Cole felt a surge of adrenaline as he and Elara stepped through the broken archway that had once been the main entrance to the sanctuary. The air inside was musty, thick with dust and the scent of decay. The walls were lined with broken shelves and crumbling stone tablets, the remains of the Guardian's knowledge scattered like debris.

Elara moved quickly, her eyes scanning the room. "The central archive will be further in. It's where they would have kept the most important records, including the locations of the Knots."

Cole followed her through the winding corridors, the sound of their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of dust on the floor. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. The air grew colder, the hum of the void louder, and Cole could feel the threads of the Veil trembling at the edge of his awareness.

Finally, they reached a large chamber, the ceiling high above them, its walls lined with broken shelves and scattered books. In the center of the room, a massive stone pedestal stood, its surface carved with intricate symbols that glowed faintly in the dim light.

"This is it," Elara said, her voice hushed. "The central archive."

Cole stepped closer to the pedestal, his eyes tracing the symbols etched into the stone. The air around it was charged with energy, the threads of the Veil humming just beneath the surface. He could feel the knowledge contained within, the secrets of the Guardians waiting to be uncovered.

"Elara," he whispered, his voice trembling. "This is it. We've found it."

But before Elara could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed through the chamber.

They weren't alone.

Cole's heart raced as he turned toward the entrance, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword. The shadows in the doorway shifted, and from the darkness, figures emerged—cloaked in the familiar black robes of the Severed.

"They've found us," Elara said, her voice tight with fear.

Cole drew his sword, his grip tightening as the Severed moved closer, their eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. The air around them crackled with dark energy, the void's presence seeping through the walls of the sanctuary like a living thing.

"We have to protect the archive," Cole said, his voice firm despite the fear rising in his chest. "We can't let them destroy it."

Elara nodded, her eyes locking onto the Severed as they advanced. "We hold them here. No matter what."

The battle was about to begin.