Ezra sat in silence.
The mutant's remains still twitched in the center of the chamber, corrupted ichor seeping into the grated floor. The mana it emitted was wrong—erratic, pulsing like a broken heartbeat. Whatever SpireCorp had done, it wasn't just unethical. It was unstable.
Kael crouched beside him, holding a stim injector to his neck. "Brace."
Ezra barely flinched as the stimulant surged through his veins, numbing the pain in his shoulder and knitting the hairline fracture in his ribs. A faint notification blinked in the corner of his vision.
[Minor Injuries Stabilized – Temporary Regen Boost Applied]
He exhaled, then glanced at the item floating in his interface:
Item Acquired: Experimental Core (Corrupted)Type: Quest/ConsumableDescription: The pulsating heart of a failed Hollowborn clone. Contains volatile necrotic and strength-type energies.Warning: Unstable. May cause mutation or backlash if consumed.Options: Analyze / Consume / Purify (Locked) / Discard
Ezra wasn't foolish enough to consume it—yet.
But analyzing? That could prove useful.
He mentally selected Analyze.
[Analyzing Core…]…Genetic Source: Unknown Necromantic LineageSpireCorp Signature: PresentMutation Pattern: IrregularStability Rating: 2%Result: This core was artificially engineered using dead mana and the genetic fragments of a Hollowborn-type Awakened. Its strength-type enhancements were forcibly bound to a corrupted necromantic template, causing instability. Further use may yield unique traits if purified.
Unlock Condition: Visit a Tier-2 Soulforge or higher.
"Looks like I've got a science project," Ezra muttered.
Kael peered over his shoulder. "You're not actually thinking of using that thing, are you?"
"I'm thinking about understanding it."
"Same difference. It nearly killed you."
Ezra gave her a tired look. "So have a lot of things."
She rolled her eyes and turned to Galen. "Let's finish the sweep before SpireCorp sends reinforcements."
The Crypt Warden gave a silent nod and marched off, spectral greatsword trailing behind him like a shadow. Ezra could feel the subtle bond between them pulsing stronger than ever. Galen had grown—again.
[Undead Companion Evolved – Crypt Warden → Crypt Knight]New Trait Unlocked: Deathguard – Automatically intercepts fatal attacks on summoner once per day.
"Nice," Ezra murmured, feeling a rare flicker of satisfaction.
Kael tapped his arm. "Come on. There's more to this place, and I don't want to stick around long enough to meet the janitors."
They moved deeper into the facility. As they passed through a broken set of blast doors, Ezra noticed the change almost instantly.
The air grew thicker. Colder. Not physically—but spiritually.
The hallways were lined with scrawlings etched in old blood. Symbols of death, rebirth, and madness. A cultist's prayer, over and over, scratched across the walls:
The Hollow shall rise. The old gods will scream. Through the blood, through the bone, through the silence of death, the Hollow shall rise.
Kael stepped closer to one of the walls, inspecting the handwriting.
"This wasn't SpireCorp. These markings are old. Pre-Surge, maybe."
Ezra's stomach tightened.
"Cult activity?"
"Definitely. And they were obsessed with the Hollowborn legend."
Ezra didn't respond.
The truth clawed at his throat.
He was the Hollowborn. Or something close enough that even madmen recognized it.
As they descended a winding staircase into the sub-levels, the symbols faded—but the darkness only deepened.
Eventually, they reached what could only be described as a shrine.
A massive circular chamber, lined with broken stone tablets and bone altars. At its center stood a towering crystalline structure—fractured, black as obsidian, and pulsing with silent screams that reverberated in Ezra's soul.
[You have discovered a Hollow Shrine – Tier 1]Requirements Met: Necromancer / Strength Dual AffinitySynchronization: 63%Soulforge Option: Available
Ezra staggered slightly as the pressure in the room increased. The shrine recognized him. Welcomed him. Demanded of him.
A prompt appeared before his eyes:
Activate Soulforge?Warning: Soulforge rites are irreversible. Mutation may occur.Secondary Option: Attempt to purify unstable core?Estimated Success Rate: 24%
Kael hovered near the edge of the shrine, gun raised, visibly unnerved.
"You're not seriously going to touch that thing."
Ezra didn't answer.
He stepped forward.
Every instinct screamed for caution—but something deeper whispered truth. A resonance that felt carved into his bones.
The undead. The Hollowborn. This shrine—these were not foreign concepts.
They were part of him.
He placed the corrupted core on the altar.
The room trembled.
[Commencing Soulforge Purification Sequence…]…Instability Detected – Forcing Evolution PathMutation in Progress
The core screamed. A thousand voices in unison, clawing at reality.
Ezra's body locked in place as mana surged around him, shredding the veil between death and undeath. Shadows danced on the walls—twisted echoes of things long forgotten.
Then—
Silence.
[Purification Failed – Mutation Triggered]You have gained: Hollow Core (Awakened)Description: A semi-stable fusion of necrotic and strength-type energies. Grants passive undead empowerment and increased mana density.Trait Gained: Hollowbrand – Your summoned undead gain 10% of your base Strength.Mutation Detected: Hollowborn Blood – Your lineage is now partially awakened.
Ezra gasped, stumbling back as the crystal pulsed once, then cracked—shattering into ash that swirled around his feet before fading into his skin.
[You have claimed the Hollow Shrine – Tier 1. Future visits to Shrines will yield new powers.][Alignment Shift: The Hollow – 5%]
Kael ran forward and caught his arm before he collapsed fully.
"You look like death warmed over," she muttered.
"I feel like death strangled me, then offered a mint."
They didn't linger.
As the two of them exited the shrine and resurfaced in the upper facility, the first hints of daylight bled through cracks in the outer wall. The facility was quiet again—abandoned, for now.
Ezra summoned Galen and turned to Kael.
"We burn it."
She nodded. "Every file. Every trace. They don't get another chance."
By sunset, the SpireCorp facility was nothing but cinders.
That night, Ezra sat on the roof of their safehouse, staring up at the stars.
The Hollowborn legend had always been just that—a story. A whispered fear.
Now, it was waking inside him.
His hand trembled slightly as he conjured a small flicker of necrotic flame, watching it dance between his fingers.
Something was changing.
Not just his power. Not just the undead.
Him.
Kael appeared behind him, silent as always, and sat beside him.
"Are you scared?" she asked.
He didn't answer for a while.
Then, finally: "Not of what's coming. Of what I might become."
She bumped his shoulder. "Then don't lose yourself. Whatever this Hollowborn thing is, you're still Ezra. You're still the guy who pulled a screaming idiot out of a burning bunker and gave her a reason to keep breathing."
Ezra chuckled faintly. "That idiot screamed like hell."
"Still does."
They sat in silence for a while.
Until Ezra finally whispered, "It's only going to get worse."
Kael smiled bitterly. "Then we'll get stronger."