The door beneath the river opened slowly.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
A darkness deeper than the night itself spread across the water.
Ashbel stepped backward.
"I can't control this."
Bella tightened her grip on her sword.
"Then we don't let it come out."
Nicole looked at Seraya.
"Can it be stopped?"
Seraya's face was pale.
"Yes."
Hope rose in me.
"How?"
She looked at me.
"By closing the seal."
I stepped forward.
"Then let's close it."
Seraya grabbed my arm.
"Not yet."
"Why?"
"Because you don't understand what is inside."
I stared at the opening.
"What is inside?"
"The original Hollow."
I frowned.
"I thought the Hollow was already here."
"What you've seen is only a fragment."
Everyone went silent.
Seraya continued.
"The real Hollow has been sleeping beneath this river for thousands of years."
"And Vaelor wants to awaken it."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because he believes he can become its master."
A deep roar came from beneath the water.
The river rose.
Then a massive eye opened inside the darkness.
Sofia grabbed my hand.
"Rohgah…"
"I see it."
The eye moved toward us.
HEIR.
The word shook the water.
I felt the mark on my palm burning.
Seraya stepped in front of me.
"Do not answer it."
The Hollow spoke again.
COME TO ME.
I remained silent.
YOUR BLOOD BELONGS TO ME.
I raised my hand.
"No."
The creature roared.
The river exploded.
A wave slammed into us.
Ashbel tried to stop it.
"Hold on!"
Water crashed against the shore.
Bella grabbed Nicole.
Seraya created a shield around Sofia and me.
Then something hit the shield.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Cracks appeared.
Seraya screamed.
"Get behind me!"
The shield shattered.
Black tendrils rushed toward Sofia.
I stepped in front of her.
One wrapped around my waist.
I was pulled toward the river.
"Rohgah!"
Sofia grabbed me.
She held on with both hands.
"I won't let you!"
The tendril pulled harder.
I slid across the ground.
Bella grabbed Sofia.
Nicole grabbed Bella.
Ashbel grabbed Nicole.
Together, they formed a chain.
Seraya raised her hands.
"Now!"
Silver magic struck the tendril.
It released me.
I fell onto the ground.
Sofia rushed toward me.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
Then I noticed her wrist.
The black mark was glowing again.
I looked at Seraya.
"It's reacting to the seal."
"Yes."
"Can we destroy it?"
Seraya shook her head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because Sofia is part of it."
Sofia froze.
"What?"
Seraya looked at her.
"You carry the bloodline that created the key."
Sofia's eyes filled with fear.
"Then what happens if the seal opens?"
"You become its doorway."
I immediately shook my head.
"Then we don't let it open."
Seraya looked at me.
"It's already opening."
The ground shook.
The black door rose higher.
Something moved behind it.
Vaelor appeared on the other side.
He stood inside the darkness.
His silver eyes were fixed on us.
"You're too late."
I stepped forward.
"Let her go."
He laughed.
"I haven't touched her."
"Then what do you want?"
"You."
I shook my head.
"You already lost."
"Have I?"
He raised his hand.
The black mark on my palm opened.
Pain exploded through my body.
I fell.
"Rohgah!"
Sofia caught me.
Vaelor smiled.
"You surrendered your magic."
I gritted my teeth.
"Yes."
"And you thought that would make you useless to me."
I looked at him.
"What are you doing?"
"I don't need your magic."
He pointed toward the seal.
"I need your blood."
My heart stopped.
"You can't have it."
Vaelor smiled.
"Every drop of your blood carries the power you surrendered."
Seraya's expression changed.
"No."
Vaelor laughed.
"The power didn't disappear."
I stared at my hands.
"It went into the Hollow."
"Yes."
"And now…"
"It belongs to me."
He raised his hand.
The river began glowing silver.
My body lifted from the ground.
"Rohgah!"
Sofia grabbed me.
Black energy pulled at my chest.
I felt something leaving me.
Not magic.
Blood.
A thin silver line emerged from my chest.
Seraya screamed.
"STOP!"
Vaelor pulled harder.
Sofia refused to let go.
"Rohgah!"
I reached for her.
"Don't…"
"I'm not letting you go!"
The silver line stretched between me and the seal.
Then Sofia grabbed it.
The moment she touched it, the entire river exploded with light.
Vaelor screamed.
"No!"
The connection broke.
I crashed into the ground.
Sofia fell beside me.
The seal began closing.
Vaelor stared at us in disbelief.
"What did you do?"
Sofia slowly stood.
"I don't know."
Seraya looked at her.
"You returned the power."
I looked at my mother.
"What does that mean?"
She stared at the closing seal.
"The power you surrendered has chosen a new path."
"Where?"
Seraya looked at Sofia.
"Into the blood bond."
Sofia looked terrified.
"No."
The seal slammed shut.
Vaelor disappeared.
The river became still.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then the black mark on Sofia's wrist transformed.
It became silver.
A symbol appeared.
Two circles intertwined.
The same symbol from the pendant.
Sofia stared at it.
"What does this mean?"
Seraya whispered,
"The Hollow can no longer claim you."
Relief flooded through me.
Then Seraya looked at me.
"But now it can see through you."
I frowned.
"Through me?"
She nodded.
"You are no longer its vessel."
My heart sank.
"You're saying…"
"The Hollow can use your connection to find Sofia."
Sofia looked at me.
"So I'm safe…"
"But you're the map," Seraya said.
Silence.
Suddenly, a scream echoed from the far side of the river.
We all turned.
A figure stood on the opposite shore.
Vaelor.
But he wasn't alone.
Behind him stood dozens of shadowy figures.
Students.
Supernatural beings.
People who had disappeared.
Nicole whispered,
"Those are the missing people."
Vaelor smiled.
"You wanted to know where they were."
He spread his arms.
"Now you know."
Sofia stepped forward.
"Let them go."
Vaelor's smile disappeared.
"Bring me the key."
I shook my head.
"No."
Vaelor looked at me.
"Then watch them die."
The shadows began moving toward the river.
And among them…
I saw someone I never expected.
Machir.