The sky above the camp had turned strange — a sickly violet haze that pulsed like the breath of something alive. It stretched from the far forests toward the horizon where the Hollow's influence clawed deeper into the land. Even the wind seemed heavier, thick with ash, and carrying whispers that Sid could feel crawling at the edges of his senses.
It was at dawn that Velgrin arrived.
He didn't come like a conqueror with fanfare, nor like a god's emissary demanding reverence. He appeared from the shifting mist, tall and lean, his dark robes flowing like liquid night. His eyes glimmered with cold intelligence, but there was warmth behind the calculation — the warmth of someone eager to witness change.
Beside him strode the Ashen Architect, a gaunt figure with pale skin stretched taut over sharp bones, whose eyes reflected light as if made from obsidian shards. The creature's hands, long and delicate, hovered above the ground as though reading patterns invisible to others.
"Velgrin," Nox growled from the edge of camp, stepping forward with Reinhardt at his side. "This isn't the time for more constructions."
Velgrin's lips curved in amusement. "Time?" he replied smoothly. "Time is already gone, Nox. It slips between cracks you pretend don't exist."
Sid stood behind them, his scar pulsing with both flames.
The Ashen Architect bowed its head toward Sid but didn't speak. Its eyes, pale and unreadable, flicked over the burning fracture as if memorizing it.
Velgrin raised a hand, his fingers forming sigils that danced briefly in the air like threads of light before dissolving.
"This is not merely construction," he said. His voice was calm but reverberated strangely, like stone echoing across an empty hall. "It is anchoring. The Hollow must root in this world if it is to grow… if it is to become whole."
Reinhardt growled low. "Root it where? In the heart of the realm?"
"In its seams," Velgrin replied softly. "Where flesh meets stone. Where memories meet void. Here."
His eyes locked on Sid's burning arm, and for a fleeting moment, his gaze softened with recognition.
The Ashen Architect stepped forward and traced lines in the air, mapping paths that shimmered briefly before sinking into nothingness. "The Mirror Spire's first stage is complete," it intoned. "We have found the correct geometry where worlds overlap. Here, the Hollow's essence will seep most deeply."
Nox's eyes narrowed. "You mean to carve open the world itself."
"Open?" Velgrin smiled faintly. "No. It is already open, Nox. You merely refuse to see it."
Sid's jaw tightened. "What is this 'geometry'? Why here?"
The Architect's head tilted, as if amused by the question. "Because cracks do not obey your rules," it rasped. "They obey hunger."
The wind stirred, carrying with it the scent of rot and ozone.
Lucien stepped forward cautiously, his hand hovering near the hilt of his blade. "You risk everything," he said. "The mortal lands… the people. Do you care for any of it?"
Velgrin's eyes turned on him, sharp as razors. "Care? Care is a luxury," he said. "Power is necessity."
Reinhardt growled. "You speak like a demon lord."
Velgrin's lips curved again, this time with something darker. "And you speak like a man afraid to burn."
Nox slammed his fist against his chest. "Enough! We didn't come here to watch the Hollow spread."
Velgrin lifted his hand to silence him. "You will watch. You will endure. The world is dying regardless of your hesitation."
For a moment, the camp stood frozen — the only sounds were the rattling of dry leaves and the distant crackle of corrupted forests.
Then the Ashen Architect spoke again, its voice lower, almost hypnotic. "We begin today. The Hollow's veins will be anchored, the boundaries thinned, and the next stage set in motion."
Velgrin turned to Sid.
"You… carry the flame that can guide this new order," he whispered, almost gently. "The burning scar is the mark of destiny. With it, you can reshape reality."
Sid's eyes narrowed. "You speak as if I have no choice."
Velgrin's smile deepened. "Do you?"
The words sliced deeper than any blade.
Sid's fists clenched at his sides, his veins flaring. He wanted to shout that he wouldn't become their tool, wouldn't be another pawn in their designs. But the truth whispered back — the corruption was spreading. The Hollow was already bleeding through forests, rivers, and minds. Fighting it alone seemed impossible.
Nox's eyes softened for a moment. "Sid…" he said, his voice hoarse. "Do what you must to survive. But remember who you are."
Sid's lips parted, but before he could reply, the ground shuddered violently beneath their feet.
The Mirror Spire's foundation pulsed once, as if awakening, and from its core rose faint tendrils of dark smoke laced with golden sparks. They slithered outward like roots seeking soil, curling into cracks in the stone.
The Ashen Architect smiled, as if feeding them personally.
Velgrin's eyes glinted. "The Anchor stirs," he murmured.
A low growl rippled through the earth.
Lucien's grip tightened on his sword.
Reinhardt bared his teeth in a snarl.
Nox's eyes flared with both fury and helplessness.
Sid stood frozen, watching as the dark veins reached toward the ground — his scar burning hotter with each pulse.
He whispered to himself, "If this is how it begins… then I will learn to fight fire with fire."
Velgrin's smile lingered.
The first stage of the Mirror Spire's anchoring had begun.
And the world's fracture widened.