Deep beneath the jagged obsidian mountains of the Forbidden Veil, where sunlight had never touched and never would, lay the Eternal Hollow.

This was no mere cavern. It was a scar ripped into the fabric of the world by the raw fury of creation itself an abyss that breathed, pulsed, and remembered every sin ever committed in the name of power.

Towering stalactites hung like the fangs of some ancient, slumbering beast, slowly dripping viscous shadow essence that glowed with sickly veins of crimson and violet.

The walls throbbed with glowing runes written in a language older than the stars, each symbol beating like a dying heart.

Black mist slithered across the uneven floor in lazy, serpentine trails, carrying broken whispers of forgotten curses, betrayed oaths, and sealed prophecies that no mortal ear was meant to hear.

The air hung heavy and metallic, thick with the scent of ozone, old blood, and time slowly rotting. Every breath burned the lungs, as if the Hollow itself resented being disturbed. No torches burned here. Light was an intruder. Only a dim, unnatural luminescence radiated from the massive cracked crystal obelisk at the center of the chamber, humming with unstable celestial and void energy that could tear reality apart if fully awakened.

Before the obelisk stood three thrones arranged in a perfect triangle, massive seats carved from blackened bone and star-forged iron, cruel and majestic.

Upon them sat the Three Sages, the Wise Ones, ancient guardians of forbidden knowledge and ruthless enforcers of the old celestial order. They had not stirred in centuries until now.

A violent surge of power ripped through the Hollow like a thunderclap. The obelisk flared with blinding white-violet light, forcing the darkness to recoil, before it died completely, plunging the cavern into an even deeper, suffocating black. All three Sages jerked upright in perfect unison.

Their milky-white eyes snapped open, burning with cold inner starfire that pierced the gloom.

"She is alive," the first Sage rasped. His voice sounded like grinding stones echoing across a tomb.

Before the words could fade, a dark shape burst violently through the cavern’s entrance.

It twisted and spun mid-air, wrapped in swirling black mist, before slamming hard into the stone floor directly before the thrones.

The mist coiled like living smoke, then melted away to reveal a woman dressed in form-fitting black leather and silk that clung to her lithe frame like liquid night.

A cloak shrouded most of her face, revealing only a sharp jaw and pale, bloodless lips.

She dropped instantly to one knee, pressing her forehead close to the cold stone in reverence and terror.

"My lords..." she breathed, voice trembling. "You are finally awake. So many things have happened in your long slumber..."

A crackling bolt of dark energy shot from the second Sage’s outstretched hand without hesitation. It struck her square in the chest with a wet, vicious impact.

The woman cried out sharply, staggering backward on her knees as blood sprayed from her lips onto the misty floor.

The third Sage rose slowly from his throne. The simple motion made the entire cavern tremble. Stalactites shivered overhead.

His towering frame seemed to swallow what little light remained, deepening the shadows around him until they felt almost solid.

"Where is Selina?" he growled, each word low and dangerous. "Where... is... Mireya?"

The woman coughed violently, wiping blood from her chin with a shaking hand. Her hood slipped back slightly, revealing wide, frightened eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Selina is dead, my lord," she whispered hoarsely. "And Mireya... She has been arrested by King Ryker. She’s been thrown into the palace dungeons. I tried to reach her, but..."

Another bolt slammed into her shoulder. She screamed, her body jerking sideways as fresh blood trickled down her arm and soaked into her dark attire.

The first Sage leaned forward on his throne, long fingers curling like claws over the bone armrest. His milky eyes narrowed.

"And what exactly were you doing while our plans unraveled?" His voice was deceptively calm, yet it carried the quiet menace of a blade pressed against skin.

"Why do I still feel Elena’s blood pulsing warmly through the veins of this world? Speak quickly."

The woman pressed her forehead harder against the stone, breathing fast and ragged. Her voice came out in a desperate, broken rush.

"Because... her daughter is still alive." A crushing silence fell over the Eternal Hollow.

Even the constant dripping of shadow essence seemed to pause.

The second Sage shot to his feet, his throne scraping loudly against the stone. "Ryker didn’t kill the girl?!" he snarled, fury crackling around him like dark lightning.

Before she could respond, the third Sage’s roar shook the cavern walls. Dust and black mist rained from the ceiling. "Kill her! Kill her now!!"

The woman’s eyes widened in pure terror. She flattened herself completely against the floor. "Please, my lords, it’s not that simple anymore! Her power was sealed long ago by Elena herself. She was blinded and bound to protect the realm from what she might become. But the seal has broken. She can see clearly now. She sees everything." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Abomination," the first Sage hissed, disgust twisting his ancient features.

The woman continued, barely above a whisper, as if afraid the words themselves might condemn her. "As we speak... she has been named Crown Princess of the Celestial Realm. The ceremony is complete. She now holds the Seal."

For a long, terrible moment, none of the Sages moved.

Then, as one, they rose from their thrones. The synchronized motion sent a deep tremor through the Hollow. Runes on the walls flared violently.

The cracked obelisk pulsed and cracked further, sending tiny fractures spiderwebbing across its surface. The black mist fled to the edges of the chamber as if terrified.

A low, chilling laugh began deep in the first Sage’s throat. It spread slowly to the second, then the third, until their voices merged into one single, monstrous harmony cold, ancient, and ravenous.

The laughter rolled through the vast darkness like the awakening of long-forgotten gods who had just remembered their hunger for destruction. It shook the stalactites, made the runes burn brighter, and caused the very air to tremble.

The Three Sages stood tall, their combined presence filling the Hollow with overwhelming menace. Their starfire eyes glowed with renewed purpose.

"Then she will not live long enough to become Queen," they declared together, their unified voice echoing like a death sentence carved into fate itself.

The laughter rose again louder, darker, and far more eager as the messagenr could only look down, she are not look up to their face as she could feel the anger burning inside of them.

"She thought she won! She thought she will be able to leave her traces without being caught... Elena... you daughter would join you there soon... But first she will need to go through a painful death."