Solene's legs burned as she ran through the quiet streets the streets were deserted meaning the place where she was was far from the town, her breath ragged, her body screaming in pain. The air was heavy with smoke and the stench of burned flesh, but she couldn't stop. Behind her, the sound of guards' boots slammed against the stone streets, closing in fast." Shouts echoed through the alleys, Shouted orders filled the air as they hunted her down.
Her vision blurred, but she forced herself to move faster. The place was unfamiliar, with abandoned towering buildings, and narrow alleyways."
A sharp pain hit her ribs as she tripped over the loose cobblestones, her knees slamming into the ground. She barely had time to breathe before a blast of energy struck the ground beside her, sending dust and debris flying. She coughed, she scrambled to her feet, feeling the heat from the attack on her back. The guards were definitely getting closer.
She quickly twisted away and ran down a side street. She couldn't keep running forever. Her body was failing her. The memory of the arena, of the flames bursting from her mouth, the glowing sigil on her back it all flooded her mind. What had happened to her? What had she become?
Up ahead, the path split in two. She veered left, nearly crashing into a stack of crates. She used the boxes to push heerself foward. Her lungs burned. Her vision darkened at the edges. But she could not stop. Not yet.
The city's bells rang loudly in warning, announcing her escape to the entire capital. More guards would be coming. She needed to get out disappear before they surrounded her.
Solene ran through the streets, her body on fire with exhaustion. Every step was a struggle, her ribs aching with each breath. The sounds of guards and sorcerers chasing her echoed through the night, getting closer with every second. She was a hunted animal now, and the city was a labyrinth of stone roads and narrow alleyways, trapping her with every turn.
The sound of the guards grew louder. She could hear their heavy boots pounding the stone behind her. She needed to get away. She needed to disappear before they caught up. But the city was alive with the noise of their pursuit, and more guards were on the way..
.
.
.
In the grand halls of the palace, two elders walked with urgency, their robes flowing behind them as they approached the king's chamber. Mordain Havarr, his face hard with anger, his heavy steps echoing through the halls . Sylvain Maelis, calm but concerned, walked beside him.
"Your Majesty," Mordain said, his voice filled with urgency, "the Hollow girl is a threat to the kingdom. We cannot let her roam free. She must be destroyed before she brings ruin to us all."
Sylvain frowned. "We don't fully understand what she is. Acting in fear won't help. We need to investigate, not rush to judgment. The sigil on her back, it's unlike anything we've seen. There may be answers, not just danger."
Mordain snorted. "Answers? She killed beasts with power no Hollow should possess. She survived when no one else could. That's not a mystery, it's a threat!"
Sylvain stepped forward, his voice calm. "And if we're wrong? If she's more than just a Hollow? We need to know before we condemn her."
King Malrik Draven sat silently, his golden crown catching the light. The argument was serious, and he knew it. The decision had to be made.
After a moment, Mordain spoke again. "She awakened in a way no Hollow should. What I saw in the arena... it was beyond understanding. She must be stopped."
Sylvain responded, "While unexpected, it's still too soon to judge her. She may not be our enemy."
Mordain's voice rose, "She burned those creatures to the ground! She survived things no Hollow ever could. She's not a girl, she's a weapon! We must capture her before she destroys everything."
Sylvain, unfazed, countered, "What if we're wrong? What if she's not a threat? What if she holds the answers we've been searching for?"
King Malrik raised a hand to silence them. His expression was hard, his voice cold. "Enough. This is too important to rush. Summon the rest of the Elders. We will decide what to do after we have all the facts."
Soon, the other Elders, Zephiron Rael, Cassius Veldane, and Ithros Velkaar,entered. They all took their seats, and the room filled with tension.
Cassius Veldane, ever the opportunist, spoke first. "Why debate? She's powerful, more powerful than any Hollow we've seen. We could use her abilities to strengthen our kingdom. Imagine what she could do for us!"
Zephiron Rael shook his head. "You would enslave her? Haven't we learned the dangers of cruelty? The people already hate Hollows. Using her as a tool will only make things worse."
"A tool?" Cassius sneered. "She's not just a girl,she's a weapon. If we don't control her, someone else will. We can't let her run free."
Ithros Velkaar, who had been silent, finally spoke. "We don't even know what she is. Before we act, we must understand her fully. We cannot let fear and greed dictate our decisions."
King Malrik sat back in his throne, deep in thought. He exhaled slowly, his fingers tapping against the armrest. "It seems we are divided. But one thing is clear. Solene must be found. Whether we destroy her, control her, or seek to understand her, we must capture her first."
The room fell silent. The hunt for Solene had begun.
Meanwhile, Solene's flight through the city grew more desperate. Her breath was ragged, her body aching. The sound of footsteps behind her was getting closer. A voice shouted, "There she is! Don't let her get away!"
A sorcerer raised his hand, summoning chains of glowing light. They shot toward her, aiming to bind her, but as they wrapped around her, something unexpected happened. Pain shot through her body, and her mind was flooded with a memory that wasn't hers.
A young boy, bound by the same chains, his face twisted in pain. The chains burned into him, his screams filling the air as his soulmark burned with agony.
Solene gasped, her heart pounding. She felt the pain and then, something inside her stirred. The chains melted away as if they were nothing. The power that had tormented her now surged through her veins.
The sorcerer recoiled, shocked. "Impossible!"
Solene's rage ignited. Another guard lunged at her, his hand glowing with power. But as he touched her, the same thing happened again, a vision, a memory of torment, this time of a soldier consumed by fire. His screams echoed in her mind.
Her eyes burned with fury. She exhaled, and a wave of fire erupted from her hands, engulfing the nearest guards in an instant. The fire burned with the same intensity that had once destroyed him. The streets shook with the power she wielded.
More sorcerers stepped forward, casting ice and shadow. But as their magic hit her, she felt their pain, their suffering, and instead of breaking, she absorbed it.
The ice began to freeze her skin she felt the icy pain freezing her nerves as she fell to her knees, but Solene didn't collapse.
The sorcerers thought they had a chance to attack again.
She didn't stop. The ice shattered, her body unharmed. The shadows recoiled, bending to her will.
Her rage boiled over. She lifted her hands, and with a scream, she unleashed the combined power of everything she had absorbed, fire, ice, darkness. It exploded outward, throwing her enemies back.
One by one, they fell. The city around her burned with destruction. The guards who had once pursued her now lay broken, unconscious, or writhing in pain.
Solene stood amidst the chaos, her body glowing with power. She was no longer just a Hollow. She was something else entirely.
And the kingdom would soon know what that meant.