The night sky split.
A thin, glowing crack shivered open above the far edge of the city, just beyond the outskirts where old factories rusted in silence. At first it was only a trembling line, no bigger than a scar in the dark. Then the air convulsed. The crack spread, widening into a jagged wound of white light. The sound came next—a sharp, grinding shriek that rattled windows and woke the entire quarter.
Sid felt it before he saw it. His chest burned, the demon core within him thrumming like it wanted to leap out of his ribs.
He staggered against a wall, clutching himself. "Tch… again… it's happening again."
Lucien appeared at his side, calm even as the ground trembled. "The Hollow has opened another breach." His eyes flicked toward the horizon, silver irises reflecting the eerie light. "And it's not a small one."
Kael cursed under his breath, running a hand through his messy blond hair. "Perfect. Just perfect. I was hoping for an easy night." Sparks of static jumped off his fingertips as if his body was already charging up.
Reinhardt cracked his knuckles with a grin too sharp to be friendly. "A real fight, then. Been a while since I crushed something that actually screamed."
Sid straightened his back, forcing air into his lungs. The pulse inside him wasn't calming—it was getting louder, like something on the other side of the breach was calling him by name.
Nox's voice flickered through the comm crystal in Sid's ear. "Arkwood. With me. The breach is your test tonight. You'll stand with the others."
Sid grit his teeth. "Understood."
By the time they reached the outskirts, the world had already begun to unravel.
Shadows spilled from the fracture like liquid smoke, twisting into shapes with too many limbs and empty eyes. The Hollow swarm poured across the abandoned streets, scraping metal and shrieking in voices that weren't their own.
Sid ignited his Blackbind Flame. Dark fire crawled across his hands, coiling into threads that hissed like chains dropped into water. The heat licked his skin, familiar and dangerous.
Lucien stepped forward, summoning his Timeglass Aegis. Sand spiraled around him in glittering arcs, each grain glowing faintly as though lit by a hidden sun. "We move together. Don't break formation."
Reinhardt didn't wait for permission. He leapt into the swarm, his fists glowing with molten crimson as the core of Krannor fed his rage. The first Hollow cracked like stone under a hammer as Reinhardt smashed its chest in.
Kael darted past him, lightning trailing his every step. He swung his blades, each strike splitting air with thunder. The swarms howled and fell in charred heaps.
Sid followed, his chains snapping out, binding Hollow limbs, tearing them apart with bursts of black flame. Yet no matter how many they cut down, more kept crawling out of the fracture, endless and hungry.
And then—
The swarm parted.
A tall figure emerged from the light, each step erasing the sound of battle around him. The Hollows bowed their heads, retreating into shadow as if fearing his presence.
He was cloaked in tattered armor that still carried the faint outline of a knight's crest. His face was half-hidden under a broken helm, but his eyes glowed like hollow lanterns. A heavy greatsword trailed behind him, its edge cracked but still humming with unnatural power.
Lucien froze, his Aegis tightening defensively. "…That's not just another Hollow."
Reinhardt spat. "What the hell is that thing?"
The figure lifted his head. His voice was calm, almost human, yet warped at the edges.
"I am Serrath. The Hollow Warden. Once, I stood where you stand now. A man. A soldier sworn to the seals."
Sid's breath caught. "You… were human?"
Serrath's gaze locked on him instantly, ignoring the others. "Once. But the seal I guarded fractured. The Hollow claimed me, body and soul. Now I am its warden. Bound to ensure the cycle continues."
Lucien narrowed his eyes. "A guardian… of the breach itself?"
Serrath's helm tilted. "Guardian, prisoner, executioner. Names matter little." His gaze sharpened, burning into Sid. "But you… You carry the demon's fire. And something more."
Sid's flame flickered wildly, chains writhing around him like they wanted to break free of his control.
Serrath lifted his sword, not in rage but with a grim certainty. "You are marked. Vessel of the Eighth Flame."
The words hit Sid like a blade through his chest.
"The… Eighth Flame?" he whispered.
Kael scowled, blades sparking. "What the hell is he talking about?"
Reinhardt took a step forward, fists clenched. "Doesn't matter. We put him down before he puts us down."
But Serrath didn't move toward them. He only took another deliberate step closer to Sid, the ruined clocktower behind him casting its shadow over the battlefield.
"The Hollow does not lie, vessel," Serrath said. "The demon is not the only fire within you. The Eighth Flame… waits."
Sid's heart pounded. The demon's voice stirred faintly in his mind, a growl like laughter, but beneath it—something else flickered. Another heat. Another presence.
Before he could answer, the ground beneath them groaned. The breach pulsed, sending shockwaves through the earth. The old clocktower at the city's edge began to collapse, its gears shrieking as centuries of rust gave way.
Serrath turned toward it slowly, then back at Sid. "Come, vessel. If you wish to live, follow me inside. Your chains against my Hollow Step. Let the tower judge which flame you carry."
Without another word, the Hollow Warden walked into the collapsing structure, shadows bending around him.
Sid's hands trembled. Every instinct screamed to chase him.
Lucien's voice was sharp. "Sid! Don't—"
"I have to," Sid snapped, already moving. The demon's flame inside him roared in agreement.
And with that, Sid sprinted toward the collapsing clocktower, where Serrath waited.