Chapter 15: Descent into Shadows

The journey to Ithan’s family estate was tense and filled with a charged silence. Ithan felt his heart pounding as he thought of his parents and sister, his mind racing with worry for their safety. Beside him, Lyra’s presence was steady and reassuring, her hand never far from her weapon as they moved swiftly through the city’s winding alleys and hidden passageways.

When they arrived, they found the estate eerily quiet. The once-beautiful gardens had been trampled, and the windows of the main hall shattered. Ithan tightened his grip on his weapon, his jaw clenched as he walked through the broken entrance.

“Mom? Dad?” he called out, his voice echoing through the hollow silence. There was no response.

Then, from the shadows, a deep, mocking laugh reverberated through the room.

“Looking for someone, Ithan?” a dark figure sneered, stepping out of the shadows. It was one of the Hollow King’s lieutenants, a man with a sinister smile and eyes that gleamed with malice. Behind him, Ithan’s parents were bound, their faces bruised but defiant.

Ithan’s vision darkened with anger. “Release them. Now.”

The lieutenant chuckled, drawing a dark blade from his side. “I have orders to test your strength, little hero. Show me what that Sigil can do.”

Before he could move, Lyra stepped forward, a spark of fierce determination in her eyes. “You’ll regret underestimating us.”

They launched into the fight, Ithan and Lyra moving in perfect sync. Ithan’s Sigil flared with energy as he blocked and countered the lieutenant’s strikes, each one more brutal than the last. Meanwhile, Lyra cast a spell that surrounded them in a whirlwind of light, shielding Ithan’s family from harm.

Despite their power, the lieutenant seemed almost unbreakable, a creature of shadow given flesh. As Ithan pressed forward, the lieutenant smirked.

“The Hollow King awaits you, Ithan. He knows what you’re becoming—a weapon, a threat. And he’s sending more than just me.”

Ithan’s fury reached its peak. With a surge of energy, he channeled the Sigil’s power and unleashed a devastating blow, sending the lieutenant crashing to the ground, his shadowy form dissipating into smoke.

Breathing heavily, he rushed to his family, cutting their bindings and pulling them close. “I’m here. You’re safe now.”

His father looked at him with pride, but there was a warning in his gaze. “Ithan… there’s something you need to know. The Sigil you carry—it’s part of a greater weapon, one that could either save us or destroy everything.”

Ithan’s heart raced as his father’s words sank in. “What do you mean?”

“The Sigil is connected to an ancient relic, one that was forged to defeat beings like the Hollow King. But it has a cost. Its power can turn against the wielder if not carefully controlled.”

Lyra stepped forward, her face pale but resolute. “Then we’ll find a way to control it. The Hollow King can’t be allowed to destroy this world.”

Ithan’s family embraced him one last time before Lyra led him away, both of them now aware of the weight he bore and the true danger of the Sigil’s power. Their path was darker, and the stakes higher than he had imagined. But his resolve was unbreakable.

As they left, the shadows seemed to watch them, a silent reminder of the Hollow King’s reach—and the war that was only beginning.