City lights dimmed behind her as Lila Morgan slipped through a narrow alley, boots crunching on broken glass and gravel. She trailed Ethan, whose silhouette was barely visible in the gloom, toward a rusted staircase tucked behind a shuttered deli. The neon sign above sputtered and blinked, casting a sickly pink glow that pulsed like a heartbeat struggling to hold on. Each step downward creaked beneath their weight, the metallic groan echoing off graffiti-scarred walls and mingling with the faint tang of stale grease and rain-soaked concrete. The air below was thick with the scent of mildew and forgotten secrets, a sharp contrast to the distant, muffled hum of the city above. Shadows seemed to press in closer with every step, and Lila's pulse quickened, matching the erratic flicker of the sign overhead as she followed Ethan deeper into the unknown.
The air grew dense, carrying the sharp tang of wet stone and something deeper, primal—magic, unfiltered and wild, seeping into her bones. Lila's shadow, ever-present at her feet, twitched restlessly, its edges curling like smoke sensing a storm. She tugged her hoodie tighter, her pulse quickening. The Hollow awaited below, a subterranean market where supernatural factions bartered power and secrets, and trust was as fleeting as the shadows she commanded.
Ethan moved ahead, his broad shoulders cutting a path through the darkness. His hand hovered near the blade strapped to his thigh, a hunter's instinct never fully at rest. "You ready for this?" he asked, his voice low, barely carrying over the drip of water from unseen pipes. His hazel eyes flicked back to her, sharp with concern but steady, anchoring her in the moment.
Lila forced a nod, though her stomach churned. "Ready as I'll ever be," she said, her voice quieter than she intended. The sanctuary's destruction still burned in her mind—charred walls, lifeless bodies, The Veil's shadow creatures slithering through the chaos. They needed answers about The Veil's next move, and the Hollow was their only lead. But stepping into this underworld felt like walking into a trap, her powers a beacon she couldn't dim. Her shadow pulsed, as if whispering a warning she couldn't quite hear.
Ethan pushed open a steel door at the base of the stairs, its hinges groaning like a dying beast. The Hollow swallowed them whole, and Lila's breath caught at the sight.
The market sprawled across a cavernous chamber, its ceiling lost in a haze of enchanted mist. Stalls lined the uneven stone floor, their wares glowing under lanterns that floated without strings, casting pools of amber and violet light. Vials of luminescent liquid shimmered in neat rows, promising healing or ruin depending on the buyer's intent. Blades etched with runes hummed faintly, their edges glinting with trapped spells. At one stall, a cloaked figure bartered over an orb pulsing with a trapped spirit, its light flickering like a trapped scream. The air buzzed with voices—hushed deals, sharp laughter, and the occasional snarl of a dispute gone sour.
Supernatural beings moved through the crowd, their presence as varied as the market's wares. A vampire with skin like polished marble brushed past, her fangs glinting as she haggled over a vial of blood that glowed faintly green. A shifter, his eyes catching the light like a wolf's, leaned against a stall, claws tapping idly on a crate of phoenix feathers. A witch, her fingers sparking with raw magic, muttered a spell over a cauldron, the steam rising in shapes that twisted into faces before dissolving. At the far end, a hulking troll towered over a merchant, his voice rumbling like an earthquake as he demanded a better price for a sack of dragon scales. The Hollow was a living tapestry of power, danger, and greed, and Lila felt like a thread about to snap.
"Stay close," Ethan murmured, his hand brushing her arm as he guided her through the throng. His touch was brief but grounding, a reminder she wasn't alone. Still, Lila's shadow coiled tighter around her boots, wary of the unfamiliar energy crackling in the air. Every glance from a passing stranger felt like a blade pressed to her skin. Her powers, barely controlled since the sanctuary attack, hummed beneath her surface, threatening to spill out. She clenched her fists, willing them to stay buried, but the Hollow's magic tugged at her, teasing the shadows like a child poking a sleeping beast.
They wove through the crowd, Ethan's stride purposeful but cautious. He knew the Hollow, or at least its rules—unspoken codes that kept this lawless place from descending into chaos. Lila, though, felt like an intruder. Her life as a barista, hiding her abilities behind fake smiles and coffee steam, hadn't prepared her for this. The city above was loud, crowded, human. Here, every shadow held a secret, and hers was the loudest of all.
They stopped at a stall draped in black velvet, its surface cluttered with trinkets that glowed faintly—rings that whispered, mirrors that didn't reflect, and a single black feather that seemed to drink the light. The stall's keeper, a wiry fae named Kael, leaned forward, his silver hair catching the lantern's glow. His eyes, polished obsidian, locked onto Lila with a predator's curiosity. "Hunter," he purred, nodding at Ethan. "And… a Shadowborn, unless my nose deceives me." His grin revealed teeth filed to points, sharp enough to draw blood with a smile.
Lila stiffened, her shadow rippling defensively, its edges sharpening like blades. Ethan stepped closer, his voice cold. "We're here for information, Kael. Not your games."
Kael's grin widened, undeterred. "Games are the currency of the Hollow, hunter. But information…" He tapped a claw on the counter, the sound sharp against the market's din. "That's a rarer coin. What's the prey?"
Lila swallowed, her throat dry. She glanced at Ethan, who gave a slight nod, urging her to speak. "The Veil," she said, forcing her voice to stay steady. "We need to know where they're hiding. And what they're planning."
The crowd didn't hush, but it might as well have. The air around the stall thickened, Kael's eyes narrowing as if weighing her soul. "The Veil," he said, his voice dropping to a hiss. "A ghost, even among ghosts. No one sees them unless they want to be seen." He leaned closer, his breath sour with clove and magic. "But whispers travel. They've been buying void crystals—nasty little things. Amplify power, sure, but they'll burn a soul to ash if you're not careful."
Lila's chest tightened. Void crystals. The word alone sent a shiver through her, her shadow pulsing as if it recognized the danger. If The Veil was collecting them, their attack on the sanctuary was just the beginning. "Who's selling?" she asked, her voice sharper now, desperation creeping in.
Kael's eyes gleamed, predatory and amused. "That'll cost you, Shadowborn."
Ethan slid a pouch of coins across the counter, the clink muffled by the velvet. Kael barely glanced at it, shaking his head. "Not coin," he said, his gaze fixed on Lila. "A favor. One task, no questions asked."
"No deal," Ethan snapped, his hand tightening on his blade's hilt. His body shifted, shielding Lila, but she held up a hand, stopping him. Time was slipping away, and The Veil's shadow creatures were already hunting. She couldn't afford to walk away empty-handed, not when lives hung in the balance.
She met Kael's gaze, her shadow coiling like a snake ready to strike. "One favor," she said, ignoring Ethan's low curse. "But I set the terms. Nothing that harms my allies or forces me to betray them."
Kael laughed, a sound like breaking glass that sent a chill down her spine. "Clever girl," he said, his claws scribbling an address on a scrap of parchment. He slid it to her, his eyes never leaving hers. "The crystal supplier. A dealer named Vryn, deep in the Hollow's underbelly. But tread lightly. The Hollow doesn't forgive mistakes, and Vryn forgives even less."
Lila pocketed the parchment, its weight heavier than it should have been. Ethan grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the stall. "That was reckless," he hissed, his voice low but fierce. "Kael's favors come with strings you can't see."
"I know," Lila admitted, her shadow pulsing with her unease. "But we're out of options. The Veil's moving, and we're playing catch-up."
Ethan's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. He led her deeper into the market, the crowd parting around them like water around a stone. The air grew colder, the lanterns dimmer, as they moved toward the Hollow's fringes. Shadows flickered on the walls, unnatural and alive, their movements too fluid to be cast by the market's light. Lila's own shadow stirred, reacting, and a memory flickered at the edge of her mind—a child's silhouette, clutching a doll, standing in a moonlit attic. She shoved it down, but the Hollow's magic was relentless, tugging at the threads of her past.
They reached a narrow tunnel, its entrance flanked by two shifters, their claws glinting like daggers in the dim light. The address pointed here, to a den rumored to house the market's most dangerous dealers. Ethan paused, scanning the guards, his hand hovering near his blade. "This is it," he said, his voice grim. "Vryn's territory. Stay sharp."
Lila nodded, her heart pounding. The shifters' eyes followed her, their gazes heavy with suspicion. Her shadow hummed, its energy spiking, and she clenched her fists, willing it to stay calm. The Hollow was a pressure cooker, amplifying every emotion, every fear. She couldn't afford to lose control—not now, not when they were so close.
Before they could approach the tunnel, a scream tore through the market, sharp and unmistakably human. Lila spun, her shadow flaring instinctively, its tendrils lashing out like whips. The crowd parted, revealing a young witch stumbling forward, her arm clutched tightly, blood seeping through her fingers. Above her, a shadow writhed, formless and wrong, its edges fraying like torn fabric. It wasn't a natural shadow, nor one of Lila's—it was The Veil's work, a creature born of void and malice.
Panic rippled through the market, stalls overturning as merchants and buyers scrambled. The witch collapsed, her eyes wide with terror, and the shadow lunged, its form splitting into jagged spikes. Lila's shadow surged, meeting it mid-air, their collision sending a shockwave through the chamber. Pain lanced through her, her powers straining under the strain, but she held her ground, her shadow tearing the creature apart until it dissolved into wisps of smoke.
"Lila!" Ethan shouted, grabbing her arm. The shifters at the tunnel snarled, blocking their path, but Lila's shadow was already moving, lashing out with tendrils of darkness. The guards staggered, clutching their eyes, and Ethan pulled her through the gap, into the tunnel's gaping maw.
The market's chaos faded behind them, replaced by the tunnel's oppressive silence. Lila's breath came in ragged gasps, her shadow still humming with power she barely understood. Ethan's grip on her arm was firm, his eyes fierce. "You okay?" he asked, his voice cutting through the fog in her mind.
She nodded, though her hands trembled. "That shadow… it was like mine, but twisted. The Veil's getting stronger."
Ethan's expression darkened. "Then we're running out of time. Vryn's our shot at stopping them. But you…" He hesitated, his gaze softening. "Your powers are spiking. The Hollow's messing with you. Talk to me if it gets bad, alright?"
Lila managed a weak smile, touched by his concern but unwilling to admit how shaken she was. "I'll be fine," she said, though the lie tasted bitter. The shadow creature's attack had stirred something in her, a memory she couldn't quite grasp—a basement, a man's scream, shadows leaking like blood. It was the same feeling that had gripped her in Chapter 12, when the Hollow's magic had dragged her into her past.
The tunnel stretched ahead, its walls carved with symbols that glowed faintly, some scorched as if burned by a rogue spell. Ethan adjusted his lantern, its rune-etched light revealing the path forward. "We're in deep now," he said, his voice grim. "No turning back."
Lila's shadow pulsed, echoing her resolve. The Hollow was a maze of danger, but so was her life. She'd made a deal with Kael, faced a shadow creature, and survived. Whatever lay ahead—Vryn, The Veil, or the truths buried in her past—she'd face it head-on. The tunnel's darkness closed around them, but for the first time, Lila felt her shadow not as a burden, but as a part of her, ready to fight.