The moon disappeared.
Not behind clouds.
Not behind smoke.
It simply turned black.
The entire sky above Ravenshade High became darker than anything I had ever seen.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then the school erupted into chaos.
Students screamed.
Doors slammed.
Windows shattered.
Teachers shouted orders.
Magical alarms rang through every corridor.
And beneath all of it was that voice.
THE SON HAS AWAKENED.
I stared at my palm.
The black mark was still moving.
It looked almost alive.
Sofia stepped closer.
"Rohgah…"
"I know."
"No." She shook her head. "You don't."
She reached for my hand.
The moment her fingers touched mine, the mark stopped moving.
The darkness around us weakened.
Everyone noticed.
Nicole's eyes widened.
"So her touch can control it."
Ashbel stared at the necklace around Sofia's neck.
"Maybe not control it."
Bella looked at her.
"Then what?"
Ashbel swallowed.
"Balance it."
Before anyone could respond, the ground shook.
A crack appeared across the floor.
Sofia grabbed my arm.
"Move!"
We jumped backward.
The crack widened.
Black smoke poured through it.
Nicole transformed instantly.
Her eyes turned red.
Her fangs appeared.
Bella drew her sword.
Ashbel raised both hands.
Water rushed from the broken pipes around us.
"Stay behind me!" Bella shouted.
The smoke rose.
Something emerged.
A creature.
It had the body of a wolf but stood taller than a human. Its skin was covered in black scales, and two silver horns curved from its head.
Its eyes were completely white.
It looked at me.
Then it bowed.
My heart pounded.
Sofia whispered,
"The Guardian."
The same creature we had encountered in Blackthorn Forest.
But this time, it wasn't protecting us.
It was waiting.
I stepped forward.
"Why are you here?"
The Guardian lifted its head.
Its voice wasn't spoken.
It entered my mind.
KING.
I froze.
Sofia looked at me.
"What did it say?"
I couldn't answer.
The Guardian bowed again.
KING OF THE HOLLOW.
"No."
The word escaped my mouth.
The creature remained still.
"I am not your king."
It tilted its head.
Then the ground beneath us began glowing.
A circle of silver symbols appeared around Sofia and me.
Ashbel gasped.
"Rohgah!"
I tried stepping away.
I couldn't.
The circle tightened.
Sofia grabbed my hand.
"What is happening?"
"I don't know!"
The Guardian raised one claw.
The symbols rose into the air.
Images appeared.
A woman with silver hair.
Seraya.
She stood beside the river.
She was holding two babies.
Me.
And Sofia.
Behind her stood Machir.
But he looked terrified.
Then another figure appeared.
Vaelor.
Seraya turned toward him.
"Leave my children alone."
Vaelor laughed.
"You know what they carry."
"They carry nothing that belongs to you."
"They carry everything I need."
The image changed.
Vaelor reached toward me.
Seraya screamed.
Machir attacked.
The vision exploded into darkness.
I gasped.
The circle disappeared.
Sofia was crying.
"He took us."
I looked at her.
"Yes."
"But why?"
"I don't know."
Then a voice answered.
"Because your mother made a mistake."
We all turned.
Elena stood at the entrance.
She was breathing heavily.
Her face was pale.
Sofia stared at her.
"Elena?"
Elena slowly entered the room.
"I know where Vaelor is."
Everyone went silent.
Nicole stepped forward.
"How?"
Elena looked at Sofia.
"Because he contacted me."
My blood went cold.
"What?"
Elena lowered her eyes.
"He came to me three nights ago."
Sofia's expression hardened.
"What did he want?"
"You."
Elena's voice trembled.
"He said if I brought you to him, he would return your mother."
Sofia stepped forward.
"You agreed?"
"No!"
Elena shook her head quickly.
"I refused."
"Then why didn't you tell us?"
"Because he threatened my family."
Silence.
Sofia's anger softened slightly.
"What did he say?"
Elena looked toward the black sky.
"He said when the moon turned black, the Hollow would choose its king."
Her eyes moved to me.
"And he said the key would willingly come to him."
Sofia's face went pale.
"He wants me to choose him."
"Yes."
I looked at the black mark on my hand.
"And if she doesn't?"
Elena whispered,
"He kills Seraya."
Sofia closed her eyes.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"No."
I stepped beside her.
"We'll find another way."
She looked at me.
"What if there isn't one?"
"There is."
"You don't know that."
"I don't care."
I held her hand.
"We're getting her back."
Nicole stepped beside us.
"So are we."
Ashbel nodded.
Bella lifted her sword.
"We're five."
Elena looked at us.
"Against Vaelor?"
Bella smiled.
"We've survived worse."
Elena shook her head.
"You don't understand what he is."
"I understand enough," Bella replied.
"He stole magic."
Elena looked at her.
"No."
She lowered her voice.
"He stole souls."
The room became silent.
Nicole's expression changed.
"What?"
Elena continued.
"Every magical being Vaelor defeated became part of him."
Ashbel's eyes widened.
"That is impossible."
"That's what everyone thought."
Elena looked at me.
"Until people started disappearing."
I felt cold.
"That's why there are missing students."
Elena nodded.
"Some were never killed."
Sofia whispered,
"Then where are they?"
Elena pointed toward the floor.
"Under Ravenshade."
A terrible silence followed.
I looked down.
"You mean…"
"The school was built over an ancient magical prison."
My heart pounded.
"The Hollow."
Elena nodded.
"Ravenshade wasn't built to protect students."
She swallowed.
"It was built to contain the Hollow."
Suddenly, every light in the room went out.
Darkness swallowed us.
Then someone laughed.
Vaelor.
His voice came from everywhere.
"You finally understand."
Sofia screamed,
"Show yourself!"
His laughter grew louder.
"You think Ravenshade is your sanctuary?"
The walls began bleeding black liquid.
"It has always been my prison."
I raised my hand.
Silver magic filled the room.
"Where is my mother?"
Vaelor answered immediately.
"Come and find her."
"Where?"
A door appeared in the wall.
It had not been there before.
Across it was carved one word.
BELOW.
Sofia stared at it.
"What is beneath the school?"
Vaelor whispered,
"Your childhood."
The door opened.
A staircase descended into darkness.
Nicole stepped closer.
"This is obviously a trap."
Bella nodded.
"Definitely."
Ashbel looked at me.
"We shouldn't go."
Sofia stared down the stairs.
"We have to."
I nodded.
"We're going."
Nicole sighed.
"Of course we are."
Bella raised her sword.
"Then let's finish this."
We began descending.
One step.
Then another.
The deeper we went, the colder it became.
The walls were covered with ancient symbols.
Some were written in vampire language.
Others belonged to mermaids.
Some were Babylonian.
And others…
I recognized.
Wizard symbols.
Machir's symbols.
I stopped.
"What?"
Sofia turned.
I touched the wall.
A memory flashed.
A little boy.
Me.
Standing in this exact corridor.
Holding someone's hand.
A little girl.
Sofia.
She was crying.
"Don't leave me."
I heard my childhood voice.
"I'll come back."
The memory disappeared.
Sofia stared at me.
"You remembered."
I nodded.
Then I heard something else.
A woman's voice.
Soft.
Broken.
"Rohgah…"
I looked down the corridor.
"Mom?"
Sofia heard it too.
She grabbed my hand.
"That's her."
We ran.
The others followed.
At the end of the corridor stood a massive iron door.
Behind it, someone was crying.
"Please…"
Sofia pressed her hands against the door.
"Mother!"
Silence.
Then a weak voice answered.
"Liora?"
Sofia collapsed against the door.
"Mom…"
I placed my hand beside hers.
"Mother."
The door began glowing.
Then a message appeared.
THE CHILDREN HAVE RETURNED.
The locks began opening.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then all at once.
The door slowly swung inward.
A woman stood inside.
Silver hair.
Pale skin.
A scar beneath her left eye.
The necklace's twin around her neck.
She looked at us.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Rohgah…"
Then she whispered the name Sofia had forgotten for eighteen years.
"Liora."
Sofia began sobbing.
"Mom."
Seraya reached toward them.
But before she could touch either child…
Vaelor appeared behind her.
His hand wrapped around her throat.
"Beautiful reunion."
I stepped forward.
"Let her go."
Vaelor smiled.
"Come closer, little king."
The black mark on my palm opened again.
Seraya's eyes widened.
"No!"
She screamed.
"ROHGAH, DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!"
Vaelor laughed.
"It's already too late."
The Hollow roared beneath us.
And every supernatural kingdom heard it.
The war had begun.