The warmth of Hope's light slowly faded into a faint shimmer, leaving behind only the steady, poisoned thrum of the Shatterveil.
Nero stood silent, letting the weight of everything he had seen and learned settle into his mind.
The stakes were clear.
The enemies were clear.
Now he needed the method.
He met Hope's gaze, voice calm and direct.
"How do we end this?"
Hope's glow pulsed faintly, gathering strength.
"To heal the Shatterveil…
You must bring me to the Hollow Tree, to the heart where Despair festers.
There, if I can reach the fragment of what remains…
If light and darkness can reunite…
Balance can be restored."
Hope's voice carried no desperation, only a grave, enduring certainty.
"Despair must not be destroyed.
It must be balanced.
Only then can the wound Euthymios created be closed."
Nero absorbed the words, frowning slightly.
It was not destruction that would heal the land.
It was restoration.
But reaching that would not be simple.
"What stands in the way?" he asked.
Hope's light dimmed slightly, the chamber darkening with old, heavy magic.
"The Hollow Tree itself is the seal," Hope said, voice low.
"It is not merely a monument to Euthymios' failure.
It is the prison, the binding that holds the creature, the curse, and the fragment of Despair together."
Hope's form shimmered faintly as the old carvings along the walls pulsed with memory.
"When you touched the roots before, you grazed only the surface.
The true heart, where Despair lies, is buried deep within the tree's hollow core."
Hope's light flickered grimly.
"But the creature, the mindless hunger born from Euthymios' mistake, guards the heart.
It exists only to consume.
It will not reason.
It will kill anything that nears the core."
Nero's expression did not change. He simply listened, sharp and cold.
"You must weaken it, or slip past it, long enough to reach the core and forge the fusion."
Hope's voice softened slightly.
"When Hope and Despair reunite...
The Hollow Tree will wither.
The creature's hunger will falter.
And what was born from sorrow will finally be allowed to die."
The path was brutally clear.
Reach the Hollow Tree's heart.
Face the mindless guardian.
Endure Despair's assault.
Bind the fragments together.
Or watch the Shatterveil consume the world.
Hope's light darkened further, the air growing heavier with urgency.
"But know this, Nero, none of it is possible while Malrik stands.
His will is woven into the Shatterveil.
His magic strangles the Hollow Tree, feeding the hunger within."
Hope turned slightly, facing the distant shadows where the Hollow Tree's pulse still throbbed.
"Malrik must be defeated.
His anchors must be broken.
Only then can the true battle begin."
The finality of it resonated through the broken stone chamber.
Nero's hand tightened around his wand.
There was no fear in him now, only cold determination.
Break the anchors.
Strike down Malrik.
Breach the Hollow Tree's core.
And face the broken soul waiting inside.
Hope's form dimmed, his light sinking lower into the darkness.
"The path ahead will test everything you are.
It will seek to twist strength into weakness, hope into despair.
But remember. You are not alone."
Hope's form flickered, its light dimming drastically.
The chamber shuddered.
Shadows coiled along the walls, whispering in voices sharp and jagged.
The air grew colder, a chill that seeped into Nero's bones.
Hope's eyes widened, its voice trembling.
"No... they've found us... Malrik's Shadow Hunters... they are here. You must go. Now!"
A pathway tore open before him, jagged and narrow, shadows clawing hungrily at its edges.
Nero didn't hesitate.
He sprinted forward, his heart pounding, the whispers of the Shadow Hunters echoing behind him.
The ancient magic of the Shatterveil pressed down, thick and suffocating.
His footsteps echoed, the darkness tightening with every stride.
The air sharpened, cutting against his skin like a thousand invisible blades.
He heard them now, hollow voices, soft murmurs weaving through the air like broken prayers.
He pushed harder, refusing to slow, even as the temperature dropped, the chill seeping into his bones.
The path widened, opening into a clearing bathed in dim, sourceless light.
Nero skidded to a halt, instincts screaming.
The air grew frigid, colder than death itself.
He ducked just in time as a jagged blade of shadow cut through the space he had just occupied, shattering the ground behind him.
Rolling smoothly to his feet, Nero raised his wand, his eyes scanning the darkness.
Six figures emerged from the shadows, moving in perfect, unnatural harmony.
Their hollow eyes gleamed with ghostly light, faces hidden behind masks of swirling smoke.
The shadows curled around them, whispering in a chorus of hollow voices.
The lead figure stepped forward, voice cold and empty.
"Lord Malrik commands your capture...
Do not resist... or you will be consumed."
Nero's gaze hardened.
Blue frost-light danced along his wand as he lifted it.
"You'll have to try harder than that."
The Shadow Hunters surged forward as one
A tide of twisting, devouring darkness.
Their magic flooded the chamber, bitter cold sinking into every stone.
Nero moved, fast, precise, his wand carving through the air.
A shimmering barrier snapped up before him, but the shadows struck like a hammer, shattering it in an explosion of darkness.
Magic coiled around him, pulling at his limbs, gnawing at his mind.
The despair woven into their curses pressed against him, thick and corrosive.
He gritted his teeth, his Occlumency barriers snapping into place like a steel cage, forcing the invading magic back.
Nero's eyes flared with blue light.
He slashed his wand, voice sharp.
"Sectumsempra!"
Invisible blades of magic sliced through the chamber, cleaving through the shadows.
Two Hunters staggered, their forms flickering, smoke pouring from their wounds.
But they did not fall.
They twisted, their bodies reforming, the smoke stitching itself together.
Their existence was not flesh.
The Shadow Hunters' hollow voices echoed through the chamber, a mocking whisper that sent chills down Nero's spine.
"Useless... You cannot harm us... You cannot destroy despair..."
Their eyes gleamed, their bodies trembling as they pulled themselves whole again.
Nero's gaze narrowed, his mind racing.
His spells were powerful, yet they could not break through the despair that bound the Shadow Hunters.
He Apparated back, landing gracefully a few paces away, wand still raised.
His eyes were cold, determined.
"Good," he murmured. "There's something I've been meaning to try."
His voice was calm, resolute.
The shadows clawed at him, despair whispering inside his mind.
Surrender, failure, futility.
But he pushed it away.
He could feel warmth in his chest.
He focused on it, letting it expand, filling his heart, his mind.
Memories flooded his thoughts.
Moments of joy, friendship, courage.
Faces flashed before his eyes.
His loved ones.
His allies.
Those who believed in him.
His grip tightened on his wand.
He could feel the magic humming beneath his skin, resonating with his heartbeat.
He took a deep breath, his voice rang through the dark, steady and powerful.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
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50 chapters ahead on Patreon (Suiijin): Chapter 209: The Stasis Loop