The Hollow Realms

you are, scream back louder w

een the sun rise over A

like it knew her secrets. Below her, the ruins of her village still smoldered-charred wo

uld hav

, arms wrapped around

o tears. No mag

like something inside her had snapped

one of the

n her mind. The Hollow had spared he

idn't feel en

e she was

and stood up, wobbling sl

he hadn't spoken in one. But he

other had always warn

e mist," her mother once wh

lls the br

as brok

e village never was. Magic buzz

s, and wild lights-tiny glowing insects-f

es, a bell rang. Soft. Di

mal sound. It r

adel is

y, she f

evealing an ancient stone gate co

carved in gl

have felt too

idn't feel too much. S

gate, the stone burned warm beneath her

not what sh

school-spiraling towers, glass bridges, floating pla

courtyards. Soul marks glowed faintly on their exposed skin-w

er hands in

ngry crimson swirl-flared on his jaw as he

ed with a soft blue teardrop. She g

ept wa

belong.

" came a voic

urned s

, green cloak shimmered slightly. His eyes flicked down to her

Kael.

.El

asked, not cru

ook he

didn't flinch. He

Come on. They'll

es

re they enter. They wan

rors was colder

made of reflection-raw, magical, emotional energy that

you couldn't l

or stood in

and place your ha

ra

hed the liquid surface,

adn't felt in weeks. Grief

gainst her lik

s fol

scream. The maske

ge engulf

en...

in turn

r stepped bac

eres

oes it

d, her voi

ked," the instruc

unrea

frow

hat w

ared at h

on who's

er a bronze pin shaped

t. Until we underst

oked dow

diti

w on your skin. But they

.. unstable. We

tab

e a bruise. She s

that shimmered with light. Ela

wing orb floated above the desk, respondi

taye

knees. The Citadel was supposed to hold answers. Instead

oor c

ue eyes that sparkled like storm clouds. She wore a s

arked girl, rig

.Ye

next to mine. I, uh...

stayed

against th

ons make you strong, but most of us

everything?" Ela

," Rina w

wish I didn't

d up, her v

s I wish

invisible threads-and in that moment,

tr

riend

recog

, the bell

soft c

ath the Citadel, a forg

the stud

en by the

creatur

... with