Click.
Nora froze instantly.
The shift was sudden, but immediate.
Every trace of exhaustion vanished from her face as she grabbed Vira's arm and hissed in a whisper.
"Get down...!"
Before he could even react, she yanked him behind the remains of a collapsed RV buried in ash.
"What—"
Nora quickly turned toward him and brought her finger to her lips.
"Shh! Quiet."
Her voice coming out as a harsh whisper... Vira's heart immediately began pounding.
The expression on Nora's face terrified him more than the command itself.
Click...
Click...
Click...
The sound was coming from somewhere nearby.
It sounded like a bone popping in and out of its socket continuously, It was slow— and almost had a liquid sound to it.
It was simply unnatural.
Vira carefully peeked over the edge of the RV, at first he saw nothing... and then a faint shadow. He saw movement.
Something impossibly tall stepped between the distant buildings, its limbs were wrong... they were so tall, so thin.
The skin stretched tightly across its body like wet paper wrapped around bone while its arms nearly dragged against the ground under it.
'There... there's no face...'
Vira nearly gagged at the sight of it... it's face had hollow holes all around it, like charred cheese.
The sound it was making was coming from inside its throat.
"What is that…?"
Mouthing the words towards Nora, who lowered her hand and gripped tightly at his sleeve. Whispering:
"Don't let it see you."
The creature moved slowly down the street ahead of them… almost lazily, then suddenly—
"I can… see you…"
The voice echoed across the ruins.
Vira's blood ran cold… his face turning more pale than it already was, almost porcelain.
The voice sounded human… but it wasn't at the same time.
It had a reverberating sound to it, almost like a robot trying to mimic the voice of a woman.
More silence followed.
Then—
"…please…"
click
click
click
"heLp me…"
Vira heard its voice malfunction.
It didn't have any emotion, no understanding, just repetition.
Vira realized with horror that the ghastly abomination wasn't speaking, it was mimicking.
Nora slowly covered his mouth with her hand before leaning close enough for him to hear her whisper.
"If it sees you…"
Her voice trembled for the first time since he met her.
"…It follows you forever, there's no escaping it."
Vira's lips quivered before whispering:
"W-what is it…?"
Nora's eyes looked bloodshot as she shook her head no to keep him quiet.
"It's a Hollow…"
The Hollow suddenly stopped moving, making Vira's entire body lock up.
Slowly, its head turned toward their direction.
Vira could tell it wasn't directly at them, but it still made his stomach drop.
click…
click…
"I know… you'RE there…"
Vira could feel his heartbeat hammering against his chest as the creature took another slow step toward.
This time, towards them.
Each movement sounded damp and heavy.
It's limbs seeming to almost leak their own flesh.
Nora's breathing remained controlled, but Vira could feel the tension radiating off her body.
Then somewhere far behind the entity, a distant metallic crash echoed through the streets.
The Hollow's neck snapped behind its body so quickly… compared to the slowed movements it was making before it was almost nausea inducing.
Without hesitation it began walking away slowly.
The voice continued echoing long after it disappeared.
"…help meE…"
"…please…"
"…I knOw you'RE there…"
Silence returned gradually… neither Nora or Vira moved.
After what felt like eternity, she finally removed her hand from his mouth carefully before standing.
"We need to move. Now."
Vira stared toward the empty street where The Hollow vanished, his entire body still shaking.
"Nora… what the hell was that?!"
Nora avoided looking at him as she scanned the area.
"I told you, it was a Hollow."
Vira gulped hard and rose to his feet.
'a Hollow…?'
He had so many questions, and none of which he truly knew how to ask.
"I thought only Nullborns were out here?! That… thing sounded human!"
Finally looking at Vira, Nora scoffed and folded her arms.
"You really thought Nullborns were the only things out here? The most complex thing… debatable. But there are far more corrupt beings out here in The Remnants."
Vira grabbed his elbow and rubbed his arm in discomfort.
"Its face… it was like an abyss of corrupted, swirling flesh."
Vira could see Nora recoil at the thought, what they saw was truly horrifying. How was he supposed to live out here?
"Come on, we're almost close to the town… we need to make it there before dark."
Nora began walking away, Vira not falling far behind.
The mood grew somber as they walked, while the town lights flickered quietly in the distance ahead of them.
For the first time since seeing civilization again—
Vira wasn't sure if he wanted to keep moving forward.