The cavern shook as cracks spread wider across the stone floor and walls. Dust rained down in thin streams. From the cracks, green light leaked out, glowing like veins of fire under the rock. The light pulsed again and again, as if following the rhythm of a heartbeat. But it was not human. It was something older, darker, and wrong. The circle of runes on the ground glowed and throbbed like a living thing. Smoke curled from the markings, filling the air with the smell of burned metal, then a shadow rose.At first, it was only a shape. Tall. Thin. Too thin. Its body looked jagged, like broken stone stitched together by ash. Its head was worse, a mask, but cracked straight down the middle, only half-formed. Behind the mask, hollow eyes burned with a green, sickly light. The creature’s arms hung long, ending in claws sharper than knives. When the claws touched the stone floor, sparks leapt out.The air dropped colder and colder until every breath stung. The rebels shivered. Even Olive

The tunnels grew narrower as they pressed forward, walls slick with damp stone and streaked with veins of black mold. The air was heavy, carrying the faint stench of rot, as if something long dead lingered deeper inside.Torchlight stretched thin across the passage, shadows crawling and twisting like restless things clinging to the stone. Every flicker seemed alive.Oliver walked at the front, sword drawn, his steps steady though every inch of his skin crawled. Beneath his armor, the mark on his chest pulsed faintly, an ugly, steady throb that beat in rhythm with his heart.[Status Effect: Hollow Seed Active][Corruption Progression: 61%, 62%]His jaw clenched as he forced his focus ahead. Yet no matter how tightly he tried to shut them out, the whispers seeped back in, slithering through the cracks of his thoughts like venom. “They don’t trust you. They never will. End them now, before they betray you.”Behind him, the rebels muttered among themselves. Their voices, low and harsh,

The group moved slowly into the left tunnel. The walls seemed to press in on them, damp and rough, the stones wet with dark streaks of moss. The moss gave off a faint green glow, just enough to light the narrow path. The air was heavy, carrying a sharp smell of iron and rot, like blood that had been left too long in the open. Every sound, boots scraping the ground, water dripping from the ceiling, echoed in the tight passage, making the tunnel feel alive.Oliver walked at the front. His shoulders were tense, and every step felt heavier than the last. Inside his chest, the Hollow Seed pulsed, pulling him forward like a chain dragging him deeper into the dark. His heart beat hard, and each beat made his vision blur.[Corruption Progression: 74%, 76%]Faces flickered in the shadows. White masks, hollow eyes, and thin hands that reached for him from the stone. He blinked, but the images did not go away.Then, for one terrifying second, he saw Elias lying on the ground ahead of him. The

The ground shook as the tunnel behind them collapsed. Rocks slammed together with a deafening roar, sealing the way they had come. Dust exploded into the air, filling their mouths and noses. The rebels coughed, shielding their faces with their arms, their eyes wide with panic.The heavy echo of falling stone faded, leaving only the sound of tiny pebbles rolling across the ground. But another sound slithered through the silence, a low hiss, like smoke breathing.Oliver lifted his head, his hand tightening on his sword. The air grew colder, the light dimmer, as though even the torches struggled to stay alive in this place. From the deep black ahead, dozens of glowing eyes appeared. They blinked, then narrowed, and one by one, the shapes around them shifted into sight.The Wraithborn Spawn emerged. Their cracked masks grinned with jagged teeth, and their twisted bodies flickered like smoke shaped into cruel forms. Their claws dragged along the stone floor, sparks scraping as they move

The cavern stretched wide, its ceiling lost in shadow. The Anchor floated at the center, an enormous shard of crystal, cracked and bleeding black light. Its pulses were slow and steady, like the heartbeat of something ancient.Each throb sent a ripple through the air, warping the stone around it. The ground shuddered faintly, like the whole chamber was alive.Oliver’s chest burned with each pulse. His knees buckled, his sword clattering against the floor before he forced himself upright again.[Corruption Progression: 96%, 97%][Warning: Hollow Seed approaching irreversible state.]The whispers filled his skull, louder now, every word like claws against his mind. “Closer. Touch it. It’s waiting for you. It’s yours.”Mara gripped his arm, pulling him back. “Don’t look at it too long. It wants you.”Her voice was firm, but he saw the strain in her eyes. The glow touched everyone, twisting their features. Shadows deepened around their faces, making them look less human.Even Elias, clutc