Thorns of Obsession
The first explosion shook the entire underground chamber.
Stone split apart overhead. Dust and ash rained from the ceiling as distant screams echoed through the Hollow.
The Council had breached the outer defenses.
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Lucen cursed under his breath.
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Lucen:
"They brought execution units."
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Riven's expression darkened instantly.
He already knew what that meant.
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Me:
"What are execution units?"
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Nobody answered immediately.
That alone terrified me.
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Then the First King spoke calmly.
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First King:
"Warriors created specifically to kill Crimson heirs."
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Cold spread through my chest.
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Riven grabbed my wrist immediately.
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Riven:
"You're staying behind me no matter what happens."
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Me:
"I'm not helpless."
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Riven:
"I know."
His voice lowered.
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Riven:
"That's what scares me."
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Another violent crash echoed above us.
The chamber trembled harder this time.
Cracks spread across the ancient walls.
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Lucen stepped toward the exit quickly.
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Lucen:
"If the Hollow falls completely, every protective seal underground collapses with it."
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The First King watched silently from the shadows.
Almost detached.
As if war no longer surprised him.
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Then suddenly—
His gaze shifted toward me.
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First King:
"You should leave."
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Riven laughed coldly.
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Riven:
"You don't get to give orders."
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The king ignored him.
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First King:
"The Seal cannot die before awakening fully."
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Me:
"And what about Riven?"
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For the first time—
The king hesitated.
Just slightly.
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First King:
"The Crimson heir was never meant to survive this story."
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Riven's grip on his blade tightened.
But I stepped forward before he could react.
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Me (firmly):
"Then the story changes."
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Silence followed.
The First King stared at me for several long seconds.
Then—
Very faintly—
He smiled.
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Not cruel.
Not mocking.
Almost proud.
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First King:
"That is exactly what she once said."
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Before I could ask who—
A deafening scream echoed through the Hollow.
Followed by fire.
Real fire.
Crimson flames burst through the corridor entrance.
Hunters.
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They flooded the chamber instantly.
Silver masks.
Black armor.
Weapons glowing with anti-magic runes.
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Riven moved first.
Shadows exploded around him violently as he drove his blade through the first attacker before the others could even react.
Blood splattered across the stone floor.
Then chaos erupted.
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Lucen unleashed blue flame through the chamber.
Hunters screamed as the fire swallowed them whole.
The Hollow shook harder with every collision of magic.
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I ducked as a blade shot toward me—
But someone intercepted it instantly.
Riven.
Always Riven.
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He killed the attacker with terrifying speed.
Then turned toward me immediately.
Checking.
Making sure I was alive before anything else.
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Riven:
"Stay close!"
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But something was wrong.
The more he fought—
The darker his magic became.
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The crimson mark had spread fully across his neck now.
Shadows poured from his body unnaturally, twisting like living creatures.
The curse was consuming him.
Fast.
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The First King noticed too.
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First King (quietly):
"He's losing control."
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Another hunter charged toward me from behind.
I reacted instinctively this time.
The golden mark on my chest flared—
And the hunter was thrown backward violently by a burst of light.
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The entire chamber froze for half a second.
Including me.
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The power came easier now.
Too easy.
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Hunters immediately shifted their attention toward me.
That terrified Riven instantly.
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Riven (furious):
"DON'T LOOK AT HIM!"
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His magic detonated outward.
The entire chamber darkened.
Windows shattered.
The floor cracked beneath us.
Hunters were thrown violently against the walls.
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But then—
Riven suddenly staggered.
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The shadows around him twisted uncontrollably now.
No longer listening.
No longer stable.
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Me:
"Riven!"
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He looked at me slowly.
And my heart stopped.
His eyes—
They weren't fully his anymore.
One crimson.
One completely black.
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The curse had reached his mind.
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Riven (strained):
"…Run."
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Fear hit me instantly.
Not fear of him.
Fear for him.
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He dropped to one knee hard, gripping his head violently.
The shadows screamed around him.
Actually screamed.
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The First King stepped forward immediately.
For the first time, his calm expression cracked.
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First King:
"The corruption's accelerating too quickly."
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Lucen turned sharply.
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Lucen:
"Can you stop it?!"
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The king's silence gave the answer.
No.
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Riven looked up again slowly.
Pain twisted across his face.
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Riven:
"I can't…"
His voice cracked.
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Riven:
"…hold it much longer."
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My chest tightened painfully.
No.
This couldn't happen.
Not like this.
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Another hunter lunged toward us—
But before anyone could react—
Riven lost control.
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Darkness exploded through the chamber.
Violent.
Monstrous.
Alive.
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The hunters screamed as shadows swallowed them whole.
Walls shattered instantly.
The Hollow itself began collapsing around us.
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And in the center of it all—
Riven stood motionless.
Consumed by darkness.
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Then he looked directly at me.
And whispered the words that shattered me completely.
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Riven:
"If I hurt you…"
A broken breath.
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Riven:
"…kill me."
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The chamber collapsed.
And the night descended fully into blood and fire.
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[End of Chapter 37]