The house began sinking.
Not collapsing.
Sinking.
The wooden floor beneath our feet turned black as darkness spread across it like ink poured into water.
Sofia grabbed my hand.
"Rohgah!"
"I've got you."
Vaelor stood in the doorway, completely calm.
"The heir has finally returned."
I stared at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You will."
Seraya stepped between us.
"Stay away from my children."
Vaelor smiled.
"You still call them children."
"They are my children."
"And that is precisely why you failed."
Seraya's expression hardened.
I looked between them.
"What does 'heir' mean?"
Neither answered.
I turned toward my mother.
"Mom."
She looked at me.
"You said the Hollow chose me."
"Yes."
"And now he's saying I'm its heir."
Seraya's eyes filled with sadness.
"The Hollow has no king."
Vaelor laughed.
"Not yet."
The floor cracked beneath him.
Black energy rushed through the house.
Seraya raised her hands.
A silver barrier surrounded us.
The darkness struck it.
The entire house shook.
"Get out!" Seraya shouted.
We ran.
Nicole, Ashbel, and Bella followed.
The staircase began collapsing behind us.
We rushed downstairs.
The front door was gone.
In its place stood a wall of black stone.
Bella struck it with her sword.
The blade bounced back.
"It's sealed."
Ashbel raised her hands.
Water slammed into the wall.
Nothing.
Nicole tried to break it with her strength.
Still nothing.
I looked at my palm.
The black mark had returned.
Only this time, it wasn't burning.
It was glowing.
Seraya noticed.
"Don't touch it."
"Why?"
"Because it's responding to the Hollow."
I stared at it.
"What if I use it?"
"You may not be able to stop."
Vaelor's voice echoed through the house.
"You're afraid of his power because you know what he can become."
I looked toward the ceiling.
"Come out."
"No."
"Coward."
He laughed.
"You're beginning to sound like your father."
I froze.
"My father."
Seraya's expression changed.
"Vaelor…"
"Tell him."
Seraya shook her head.
"Tell him what?"
Vaelor's voice became softer.
"Tell your son who Kael really was."
I turned toward Seraya.
"Who was my father?"
She closed her eyes.
"Kael was the Guardian of the Hollow."
Everyone went silent.
I felt my stomach drop.
"My father protected the Hollow?"
"He protected the balance."
Vaelor corrected her.
"Until Seraya betrayed him."
Seraya turned sharply.
"That's not true."
"You chose the children."
"Yes."
"And Kael died because of it."
Seraya's eyes filled with tears.
"He died protecting them."
I stepped toward her.
"How?"
She looked at me.
"Vaelor tried to awaken the Hollow eighteen years ago."
Vaelor smiled.
"Because I discovered its true power."
"Kael stopped you," Seraya continued.
"He sacrificed himself."
I swallowed.
"And me?"
"You were born that same night."
She touched my cheek.
"The Hollow sensed your birth."
"And chose me."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because Kael's blood and mine created something the Hollow had never seen."
"What?"
Seraya hesitated.
"You."
The house shook again.
Vaelor's voice thundered through the walls.
"The first heir."
A black symbol appeared beneath my feet.
Sofia grabbed my arm.
"Rohgah, move!"
I tried.
I couldn't.
The symbol locked me in place.
Black energy climbed my legs.
Seraya screamed.
"No!"
She attacked the symbol.
It threw her across the room.
"Mom!"
Sofia ran toward her.
I tried to move.
Nothing.
The darkness climbed higher.
My chest tightened.
I heard whispers.
Heir.
King.
Blood.
Then another voice.
Sofia.
"Rohgah!"
She grabbed my hand.
The darkness stopped.
Silver light spread from her fingers.
The symbol cracked.
Vaelor's laughter disappeared.
Sofia pulled me free.
I fell against her.
"What did you do?"
She stared at her hand.
"I don't know."
Seraya slowly stood.
She looked at Sofia.
"You activated the blood bond."
"What does that mean?"
Seraya's face was pale.
"It means the prophecy is changing."
Before anyone could speak, the black wall disappeared.
Vaelor was gone.
The house stopped shaking.
Silence returned.
Then something dropped from the ceiling.
A small silver box.
I picked it up.
It had my father's name engraved across the top.
KAEL.
I opened it.
Inside was a single piece of parchment.
Seraya saw it.
"Don't."
I unfolded it.
Three sentences were written in blood.
THE HEIR SHALL NOT RULE THE HOLLOW.
THE HEIR SHALL BREAK IT.
BUT ONLY AFTER THE KEY IS LOST.
Sofia read the last line.
Her face went pale.
"What does 'the key is lost' mean?"
Seraya didn't answer.
I looked at my mother.
"Mom?"
She whispered,
"It means the prophecy may require you to lose Sofia."
"No."
Sofia squeezed my hand.
"We'll find another way."
I stared at the final sentence.
Because somewhere deep inside me…
I was terrified that there wasn't one.