Hollow Ascension

Chapter 154: A Hidden Betrayal

The valley's heart pulsed faintly, its magic struggling against the corruption that had taken root. Elda stood in the center of the glade, her staff glowing as she pushed deeper into the valley's core, trying to sense where the Syndicate's influence was strongest. But each time she got close, the dark magic shifted, slipping away like smoke, hiding in the depths of the valley's power.

"It's moving," Elda muttered, her brow furrowed in concentration. "The corruption is shifting... almost like it's hiding."

Kael and Lena stood guard on either side of her, their eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger. The vines and roots had grown less violent, but the valley's magic was still unpredictable, lashing out at random intervals as it struggled to regain control.

"Hiding?" Kael asked, his voice tight. "How can it do that?"

Elda shook her head, her frustration growing. "It's like the corruption is woven into the valley's magic. Every time I try to focus on it, it slips away, blending in with the energy. It's not just an attack—it's like a parasite, feeding off the valley's power and using it to hide."

Lena's eyes narrowed. "So, we're dealing with something intelligent. The Syndicate didn't just leave a curse behind. They've embedded their magic deep into the valley, and it's evolving."

Kael's jaw tightened. "Then we need to find where it's strongest," he said. "If we can't pinpoint the corruption directly, we need to track it down some other way."

Elda nodded, her gaze distant as she concentrated. "There's a pattern to it," she murmured. "It's moving, but it's moving toward something... or someone."

Lena exchanged a quick glance with Kael, her eyes hardening. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Elda's hand trembled on her staff as she tried to maintain her connection to the valley's magic. "The corruption isn't just hiding. It's being drawn toward a source of power—something or someone connected to the valley."

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Kael's frown deepened. "You think one of us could be influencing the valley's magic?"

Elda hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know... but I can feel the corruption pulling toward something familiar. It's like it's seeking out an anchor, something that will let it spread faster."

Lena's expression darkened, her grip tightening on her sword. "Are you saying someone has already been compromised by the Syndicate?"

The air around them grew colder, and the shadows seemed to deepen, pressing in on them. The valley's magic pulsed weakly, and Elda could feel the dark influence growing stronger, feeding off their uncertainty.

"I'm not sure," Elda said, her voice strained. "But we need to be careful. The corruption is targeting something—or someone—it can use to fully break the valley's defenses."

Kael's gaze swept over the surrounding glade, his muscles tensed. "Then we need to find out who or what it's after before it's too late."

But even as he spoke, the ground beneath them trembled again, and a surge of dark energy rippled through the air. Elda gasped, her eyes widening as she felt the valley's core shudder, the corruption pressing harder, faster, trying to overwhelm it.

"It's coming from the heart of the valley," she whispered. "The corruption is trying to take control of the core."

Lena's face hardened with resolve. "Then we need to stop it. Now."

Kael nodded, his expression grim. "Lead the way, Elda."

Elda closed her eyes, focusing on the faint thread of magic that still connected her to the valley's core. She could feel the corruption like a cold, dark presence, wrapping around the valley's magic, squeezing the life from it. But there was something else too—something deeper. A presence that felt familiar, but twisted.

"It's close," Elda said, her voice trembling with the strain. "But the valley's magic is fighting back. We need to act quickly, or the corruption will take hold."

Kael and Lena followed Elda as she led them deeper into the glade, toward the heart of the valley. The further they went, the more erratic the magic became. Vines and roots lashed out, confused and panicked, and the air grew thick with the weight of the dark magic pressing in from all sides.

Lena's eyes scanned the trees, her instincts sharp. "This doesn't feel right," she muttered. "It's like something's watching us."

Kael nodded, his grip tightening on his sword. "Stay alert. We don't know what the Syndicate has left behind."

As they approached the valley's core, the ground began to tremble more violently, and the air was thick with the smell of damp earth and decay. The heart of the valley, which had once pulsed with a steady, bright light, was now flickering weakly, its glow dimming as the corruption took hold.

Elda's breath caught in her throat as she saw it—the dark tendrils of magic coiling around the core like a serpent, squeezing tighter with every pulse. "It's worse than I thought," she whispered. "The valley's core... it's almost completely corrupted."

Lena stepped forward, her sword drawn. "We need to cut those tendrils out," she said, her voice firm. "Before they choke the valley completely."

But as they moved closer to the core, something shifted in the air. A cold wind swept through the glade, and the shadows seemed to deepen, wrapping around them like a cloak.

Kael froze, his eyes narrowing as he felt a presence in the air—something dark, but familiar. "We're not alone," he muttered, his voice tense.

Elda's heart raced as she felt the corruption stir. It was no longer just a force—there was something behind it, guiding it. She turned, her eyes scanning the glade for any sign of movement.

And then she saw it.

A figure stepped out from the shadows at the edge of the clearing, their cloak billowing in the wind. Their face was obscured, but the energy that radiated from them was unmistakable. It was the same dark magic that had been corrupting the valley.

Elda's eyes widened in shock. "No... it can't be."

Kael's grip on his sword tightened as he stepped forward, his eyes locked on the figure. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

The figure didn't respond at first, their gaze sweeping over the guardians with an air of quiet confidence. And then, slowly, they lowered their hood.

Lena's breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening as she recognized the face beneath the hood.

It was one of the valley's former defenders—a guardian who had disappeared long ago, presumed dead in the battle against the Hollow Syndicate.

But now, they stood before them, alive... and corrupted.

Elda's voice trembled with disbelief. "You... you were with us. You fought with us. How...?"

The corrupted guardian's eyes glowed with a cold, dark light as they spoke, their voice calm but filled with malice. "The valley's magic was always strong," they said. "But it was weak-willed. It was easy to twist, to turn to our side."

Kael stepped forward, his sword raised. "You betrayed us," he growled. "You gave the Syndicate access to the valley."

The corrupted guardian's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I gave them what they needed. And now, the valley will fall—just as it was always meant to."

Elda's heart pounded in her chest as the realization hit her. The corruption wasn't just an external force—it had been planted from within, by someone they had once trusted.

Lena's jaw clenched, her sword raised. "We're not letting you take the valley," she said, her voice filled with cold determination.

The corrupted guardian's smile widened as they raised a hand, dark magic swirling around them. "Then let's see how well you can fight when the valley itself is on my side."

The ground beneath them trembled violently as the valley's magic lashed out, no longer confused but guided by the corrupted guardian's will. Vines and roots surged toward the guardians, their movements sharp and deadly.

Kael and Lena moved in sync, their swords flashing as they cut through the vines, but the attacks were relentless, driven by the dark magic that had taken hold of the valley's core.

Elda raised her staff, her heart pounding as she fought to push the corruption back, but it was stronger now, anchored by the presence of the corrupted guardian.

The battle for the valley had just begun—and the enemy was no longer just the Hollow Syndicate.

It was one of their own.