Hollow Ascension

Chapter 156: After the Battle

The air in the valley was still, but it wasn't the calm of victory—it was the silence of exhaustion, the moment after chaos when everything felt heavy, broken. Kael wiped the sweat from his brow, his sword hanging loosely at his side. The ground was littered with the remnants of the fight—wilted vines, scorched earth, and patches of darkened magic that still hummed faintly, reminders of the Syndicate's corruption.

Lena leaned against a tree, her chest rising and falling heavily as she tried to catch her breath. She sheathed her sword, the blade still coated in the dark, viscous energy from the corrupted guardian. "We won," she muttered, almost to herself. "But it doesn't feel like a victory."

Elda stood at the heart of the glade, her staff glowing faintly as she surveyed the damage. Her face was pale, and the weight of the battle still hung over her. She could feel the valley's magic struggling to heal, like a wounded animal licking its wounds. The core was intact, but it was fragile, vulnerable.

"The valley's safe for now," Elda said, her voice quiet, but there was a heaviness to her tone. "But the damage is deep. The corruption... it went further than we realized."

Kael moved to her side, his eyes scanning the charred earth and twisted vines. "How long will it take for the valley to recover?"

Elda shook her head, her gaze distant as she tried to feel the pulse of the valley's magic beneath her feet. "It's hard to say. The valley is strong, but it's... shaken. The magic is still unstable. It will heal, but it needs time."

Lena pushed off the tree, brushing dirt from her hands as she joined them. "Time we might not have," she said, her voice filled with frustration. "The Hollow Syndicate won't just give up because we stopped their little experiment. They'll be back. And next time, they'll hit harder."

Kael's expression darkened, his jaw clenching as he thought of Ithran and the forces the Syndicate still had at their disposal. "We can't afford another attack like this," he muttered. "Not with the valley in this state."

Elda nodded, her face grim. "I know. The valley is vulnerable right now. We need to strengthen its defenses—reinforce the wards around the core. But it's not just the valley we need to worry about."

Kael glanced at her, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Elda looked up, her eyes filled with concern. "The Syndicate's corruption didn't just attack the valley's magic. It attacked us—tried to break our minds, make us doubt ourselves. They're not just trying to take the valley. They're trying to weaken us, from the inside out."

Lena's jaw tightened, her eyes flashing with frustration. "Then we need to be ready. We can't let them get into our heads like that again."

Kael ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing as he thought of their next steps. "We need a plan. The valley's magic is fragile, and we can't count on it to protect us like it did before. If the Syndicate comes back, we'll need more than just our swords."

Elda took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the responsibility pressing down on her. She could sense the valley's uncertainty, its magic flickering as it struggled to find balance. "We'll need to reinforce the wards around the heart," she said. "Strengthen the valley's connection to its core. But that's not all."

Lena looked at her, her eyes narrowing. "What else?"

Elda hesitated, her mind racing. She didn't want to admit it, but there was something deeper, something she hadn't shared with them yet. During the battle, when she had connected with the valley's core, she had felt something—a presence, an ancient power that had stirred beneath the surface. It was faint, but it had been there, watching, waiting.

"There's something else in the valley," Elda said slowly. "Something older. I felt it during the fight, but I couldn't reach it. It's... deep, buried under layers of magic. I think the valley has been protecting it for centuries."

Kael's eyes sharpened, and he turned to face her fully. "What are you saying? Is it a threat?"

Elda shook her head, uncertain. "I don't know. But it's powerful, and if the Syndicate is after the valley's magic, they might be looking for whatever this is."

Lena's gaze darkened, her hand instinctively moving to her sword. "So, we're sitting on something even more dangerous than we thought. Great."

Elda sighed, her expression troubled. "We need to figure out what it is. If the Syndicate knows about it, they'll try to use it against us."

Kael nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities. "Then we don't have much time. We'll reinforce the valley's defenses, but we need to find this power before the Syndicate does."

The valley pulsed faintly beneath them, its magic still weak but alive. It was a fragile peace, and they all knew it wouldn't last long. The Hollow Syndicate would return—and next time, the fight would be even more dangerous.