Hollow Ascension

Chapter 168: An Unexpected Face

The air grew heavier as they pushed deeper into the forgotten path, the trees closing in around them like silent sentinels. Elda's heart pounded in her chest, her hands gripping her staff tightly as they neared the valley's core. The familiar, comforting energy of the valley had become distorted, warped by the Syndicate's influence, and the further they went, the stronger the sense of unease grew.

Kael's eyes narrowed as he scanned the path ahead. "We're being watched," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. His hand hovered near the hilt of his sword, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Lena, her body tense, glanced over her shoulder. "I've felt it too," she said. "Whoever's out there knows this place as well as we do."

Elda's breath caught as a shadow flickered between the trees, moving too quickly to be seen clearly. She stopped in her tracks, her heart sinking with dread. There was something familiar about the presence—a connection to the valley, but twisted, tainted by darkness.

"I don't like this," Lena muttered, her grip tightening on her sword. "Feels like we're walking into a trap."

Kael moved closer to Elda, his expression grim. "What is it? What do you sense?"

Before Elda could respond, a soft, mocking laugh echoed through the trees, sending a shiver down her spine. The voice was unmistakable—cold, calculating, and far too familiar.

"Mara..." Elda whispered, her eyes widening in disbelief.

A figure stepped out from the shadows, her movements graceful and deliberate. Mara, once one of the valley's most trusted guardians, stood before them, her long cloak trailing behind her as if she had stepped out of a nightmare. Her sharp, piercing gaze locked onto Elda, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Elda?" Mara's voice was smooth, almost pleasant, but there was a coldness in her tone that sent chills through the group. "I see you've grown into your role as guardian."

Elda's throat tightened, her mind reeling from the shock of seeing Mara again. "You... you're supposed to be dead," she stammered, her heart pounding in her chest. "The valley thought you were—"

"Gone?" Mara finished for her, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, well, the valley has a way of burying its mistakes, doesn't it?"

Kael's eyes darkened, his hand already gripping the hilt of his sword. "You were a guardian," he growled, his voice filled with anger. "You betrayed the valley."

Mara's smile widened. "Betrayed?" she repeated, as though the word amused her. "Is that what you think? The valley's magic was always weak, shackled by tradition. The Hollow Syndicate showed me what it could truly become."

Lena stepped forward, her sword drawn, her eyes blazing with fury. "You're working with them," she spat. "You've been helping the Syndicate poison the valley."

Mara shrugged, her expression indifferent. "The Syndicate understands what the valley's magic could be if it were freed from its chains. They offered me power—real power. A chance to reshape this place into something more. Something better."

Elda's heart ached as she listened to Mara's words. This was the woman she had once looked up to, a guardian who had protected the valley alongside Elda's own mentors. And now, she stood before them as an enemy, willing to destroy the very thing she had once sworn to protect.

"How could you do this?" Elda asked, her voice trembling with disbelief. "The valley's magic is a part of us. It's alive. You can't just bend it to your will."

Mara's eyes hardened. "You're naive, Elda," she said coldly. "The valley's magic was never meant to be coddled. It's raw power, and you guardians have been wasting it for centuries, keeping it hidden away like some fragile relic. The Syndicate understands that magic needs to be controlled—harnessed for something greater."

Kael took a step closer, his sword at the ready. "And what is that 'something greater'?" he asked, his voice filled with disgust. "Destroying the valley? Enslaving its magic?"

Mara's smile returned, colder than before. "Not destroying it. Rebuilding it. Reshaping it into a weapon—something the Syndicate can use to change the world."

Elda's chest tightened, her mind racing as she tried to process the full extent of Mara's betrayal. She had feared the Hollow Syndicate's influence, but this—this was worse than anything she had imagined. Mara wasn't just helping the Syndicate drain the valley's magic—she was actively working to turn it into a tool for their twisted plans.

"You're wrong," Elda said, her voice growing stronger, though her heart still ached with the weight of Mara's words. "The valley's magic is tied to the balance of everything. If you corrupt it, you'll throw the entire world into chaos."

Mara's eyes flashed with amusement. "Balance," she repeated, her tone mocking. "That's what the guardians always preach, isn't it? Balance. Restraint. Fear of what magic could be if you dared to push its limits."

Lena's hand twitched at her sword, her eyes blazing with fury. "You talk too much," she growled, her body tensing as though ready to strike.

Mara's smile widened as she raised her hand, a faint glow of magic forming at her fingertips. "And you, Lena, are too predictable."

Before Lena could move, the ground beneath her feet shifted, vines shooting up from the earth and wrapping around her ankles, pulling her to the ground with a vicious force. Lena let out a sharp cry of surprise, slashing at the vines with her sword, but more of them continued to rise, pulling her down.

Kael reacted instantly, rushing forward to cut her free, but Mara flicked her wrist, and a barrier of shimmering magic appeared between him and Lena, blocking his path.

"You really think you can fight me?" Mara asked, her voice filled with amusement as she turned her gaze back to Elda. "I know this valley's magic better than anyone. I've spent years learning how to control it. And now, it bends to my will."

Elda's grip tightened on her staff, her heart racing as she felt the valley's magic stirring beneath her feet. Mara was twisting the energy, manipulating it, using it against them. And she was right—she knew the valley's magic as well as Elda did, perhaps even better.

But Elda couldn't let her win. She couldn't let the Syndicate take the valley.

Taking a deep breath, Elda stepped forward, her staff glowing brightly as she reached out to the valley's magic, trying to wrest control of it back from Mara. "You may know the valley," she said, her voice steady despite her fear. "But you've forgotten what it stands for."

Mara's eyes gleamed with interest as she watched Elda's magic flare. "Is that so?" she asked, her voice dripping with mockery. "Then show me, Elda. Show me what the valley's magic can really do."

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