The Hollow Below

Chapter Four: Down Below

The deeper they went, the quieter the world became. Richard led the group through the narrow tunnel that opened from the altar chamber, the strange crystal still pulsing faintly in his pocket. The glowing thread on the ground -the one they'd seen in the holographic map-was barely visible now, like a thin trail of stardust guiding them through the Hollow.

No one had spoken in over five minutes. Their faces were pale, damp with sweat, and streaked with ash and slime. Loret limped steadily behind Richard, supported by Davis, While Jake scribbled frantically in a small notebook, recording symbols and sketches from the walls as they passed. " Do you realize what this means?" Jake finally whispered. "There's a whole civilization down here. Architecture. Energy sources. Maybe even language. We've uncovered something no one else ever has."

Let's survive it before we celebrate it,' Loret muttered, rubbing his temple. Richard stopped suddenly, raising a hand. "Do you feel that?' The others paused. There it was again - a low pulse under their feet, like a faint heartbeat coming from the earth itself. It throbbed rhythmically, sending a shiver through the soles of their shoes.

"It's coming from up ahead," Richard said. "That direction.' I'm beginning to think your map is taking us to a heart," Davis muttered. "Like the literal heart of this place." "No turning back now,' Richard replied.

The tunnel opened into a massive cavern - large than anything they'd seen yet. The ceiling, covered in vines that shimmered with colorless light. But it wasn't the size of the place that stopped them in their tracks. It was what they saw beneath. The path led to a narrow ledge overlooking an enormous underground gorge. Far below, a sea of fog churned gently like liquid cloud. Faint shapes moved through it - large shapes - though none of them wanted to know what exactly.

Suspended above the mist, like a bridge across a dream, was a long stone walkway, ancient and cracked but still intact. "That's the way forward,' Richard said, pointing to the bridge. "That's the way to death," Davis snapped. "What if it breaks under us?' 'Then we fall,' Jake said quietly, 'into whatever lives in that fog.' They stood at the edge of the ledge for a long moment. Then Loret stepped forward, one hand against the wall to steady himself. "We keep going. We didn't come this far to turn around.' One by one, they crossed the narrow bridge.

Each step echoed slightly, but the structure held. The air was colder here. Heavier. And though no one mentioned it aloud, they all sensed something-watching. About halfway across, Richard froze. A soft hum buzzed from his pocket. He pulled out the crystal. It pulsed rapidly now, the light inside it spinning like a trapped flame. "What's it doing?" "Jake asked. "I don't know. It's never done this before." Suddenly, the crystal projected another trail of light-this time arcing downward, pointing into the fog. "Nope," Davis said instantly. "Nope, nope, nope. Not going there.' "It's showing us something," Richard said, breathless. "Maybe it's the core - maybe it's the way out.' "Or maybe it's a trap.'

Loret was already squinting through the mist. "Look. There's something down there. A platform.' The bridge ended at another ledge, leading into another tunnel. But the Crystal's trail clearly wanted them to descend-toward a circular platform just visible through the fog. A spiral staircase carved into the side of the gorge descended towards it. "Split up?" Davis offered weakly. ' No way," Richard said. 'We stay together."

As they descended, the fog thickened. The shapes they had seen earlier now became clearer - statues, perhaps, or petrified creatures. Tall, hunched forms stood frozen in the mist, arms stretched upward as if trying to escape. "Are they... alive?" Jake whispered. Richard shook his head. "I don't think so. Not anymore.'

The platform was made of black stone, perfectly circular, with markings etched in a language that none of them recognized. At its center was a strange altar, different from the first one -this one shaped like an open eye, and above it hovered a stone orb, floating steadily in place, glowing faintly with the same energy as Richard crystal. He stepped forward. ' Richard, wait-' Loret said, but he was already at the edge of the altar.

The crystal in his palm lifted on its own and flew into the eye -shaped recess. A loud chime rang through the cavern, and the fog retreated instantly, sucked down into cracks in the floor like steam being vacuumed. And then - A voice. Not from the air, not through sound, but inside each of their minds.

"You have awakened the Hollow. You seek escape. But first - you must survive." The ground trembled. The stone orb shattered into shards that hovered in mid-air, spinning faster and faster. Lights spiraled around them. The platform shuddered. Then, slowly, from the walls, panels slid open. And from them emerged... creatures.

Not like the blind one they'd encountered earlier. These ones walked upright - slender, skeletal, with long arms and translucent skin. Their faces were smooth, featureless except for two sunken holes where eyes might have been. The moved with eerie grace, their limbs swaying as if underwater. The kids backed toward each other, forming a circle. "What are they?" Davis hissed. "Guardians," Jake whispered. ' Or judges. We activated something sacred.' One of the creatures raised its arm and pointed at Richard.

The voice returned. "The light you carry does not belong to you. Return it-or be claimed by the Hollow.' Richard looked down at the socket. The crystal hovered above it, still spinning. "I can't return it," he said aloud. "We need it to find the way out." The creatures began to move - slowly, stepping towards them. Loret raised his sling. "Back off!" Davis picked up a loose shard of stone. The first creature lunged. Richard snatched the crystal midair and shouted, "RUN!' They scattered. The creatures moved faster now, gliding across the platform. Richard led the way up the spiral stairs, the crystal burning hot in his hand.

As they ran, the voice screamed in his mind. "You are not chosen! You are not the blood!" Richard gritted his teeth. "Then why did it respond to me?" They reached the top of the stairs and dove back into the tunnel. The path was closing behind them -stone grinding as the Hollow reshaped itself. Jake turned, breathless. ' It's protecting something. That crystal - it's a key." "To what?" Davis wheezed. Richard looked down at it. "I don't know yet.' But he felt it -deep in his bones. Whatever they were waking up down here... It had been asleep for a long time. And it wasn't happy to see them.