Chapter 92: Cracks in the Prison

The ocean seemed as if it could stretch forever. It had a little 

Black waves rolled menacingly beneath storm-filled skies.

Lightning flashed across distant clouds.

Gigantic shadows moved beneath the water.

Some were whales.

Others were indescribable.

The cultist fleet continued to sail through the darkness.

Twenty-three ships cut through the endless sea.

Each vessel, a mix of various different styles, bore the symbol of the Hollow King.

A black crown wrapped around a single staring eye.

Head Priest Malach stood at the front of the flagship.

His robes snapped violently in the wind.

His eyes never left the horizon.

Three weeks.

Three miserable weeks.

That was how long they had been searching this accursed world.

The Green Gem had to be here.

The intelligence reports had all agreed.

Ancient records.

Captured historians.

Interrogated nobles.

Destroyed empires.

All of the sources pointed toward the same conclusion.

The Green Gem existed within this world.

The problem was that this world was almost entirely ocean.

Thousands of islands.

Countless underwater kingdoms.

Entire civilizations hidden just beneath the waves.

Finding one stone among all of that had become a living nightmare.

A scout approached slowly and bowed.

“Head Priest.”

Malach turned.

“What is it?”

“The eastern expedition has returned.”

Malach’s expression darkened.

“And?”

“They lost two ships this time.”

“Sea monsters?”

The scout nodded.

“Leviathan-class.”

Malach sighed.

Of course.

Everything in this world seemed to be enormous.

Fish the size of castles.

Crabs large enough to crush fortresses.

Serpents capable of wrapping around entire islands.

The world itself was hostile.

Even worse, many of the sea monsters appeared intelligent.

They coordinated attacks.

They hunted cult fleets.

Several even seemed to even recognize cult banners.

Someone must be directing them.

Someone powerful.

Malach suspected it was this world’s ruler.

The Sea King.

A legendary monarch who supposedly ruled most of this world’s oceans.

Rumors claimed he wielded a powerful ancient trident.

Rumors also claimed that a glowing green gemstone sat embedded within its center.

Unfortunately, nobody had managed to confirm it.

Everyone sent to investigate… had perished.

Malach clenched his fists.

The Green Gem was important to the cause.

Failure was unacceptable.

A horn sounded across the fleet.

Several ships changed direction.

Far ahead, something emerged from the water.

At first it appeared to be a mountain.

Then it moved.

The creature slowly rose from within the sea foam.

Water cascaded from scales larger than houses.

A single yellow eye opened.

The eye alone was larger than their entire ship.

Several sailors immediately began praying.

Others screamed.

The colossal serpent simply watched.

Its gaze moved across the fleet.

Calculating.

Judging.

Then it slowly sank back beneath the waves.

The ocean became still once more.

Nobody spoke for several minutes.

Malach eventually broke the silence.

“Keep moving forward.”

The ships obeyed.

But everyone onboard knew the truth.

If that thing had wanted them dead…

The entire fleet would already be gone.

⸻

Several days later, the Cult’s central command gathered within a conquered island fortress.

The building had once belonged to a mermaid kingdom.

Now black banners hung from every wall.

Chains decorated the entrances.

Cult guards stood at every corner.

Inside the war chamber, several head priests knelt before four figures.

The Four Leaders.

The highest-ranking servants of the Hollow King.

Nobody knew their real names anymore.

They had abandoned them centuries ago.

Now they were known only by their titles.

The First Voice.

The Silent Judge.

The Veiled Mother.

The Crimson Saint.

Together they ruled the cult.

A nervous priest stepped forward.

His hands trembled.

“We have updates regarding the expansion efforts.”

The First Voice nodded.

“Proceed.”

The priest swallowed.

“World Thirty-One has been fully secured.”

A smile appeared beneath the Veiled Mother’s hood.

“Excellent.”

The priest continued.

“World Thirty-Two has nearly fallen.”

Several leaders nodded approvingly.

Another world.

Another source of resources.

Another source of sacrifices.

The Hollow King’s influence continued growing.

The priest hesitated.

Then continued.

“We have also encountered a problem.”

The room grew colder.

The Silent Judge slowly turned toward him.

The priest nearly collapsed.

“W-World Fourteen…”

The Crimson Saint leaned forward.

“What about it?”

The priest licked dry crusty lips.

“We’ve lost contact.”

Silence.

The leaders stared.

The priest continued.

“We have sent seven investigation teams… None of them have returned.”

The room became deathly quiet.

“No Messages?”, asked the Veiled Mother.

The priest nodded.

“Only one.”

He produced a bloodstained letter.

The First Voice opened it.

His eyes narrowed.

The message was brief.

A single sentence.

-A head priest has gone rogue and made this place hell-

Nothing else.

No explanation.

No details.

No names.

The investigation teams vanished.

The Silent Judge finally spoke.

His voice sounded like grinding stone.

“Impossible.”

The priest nodded quickly.

“We thought the same.”

The Crimson Saint folded his arms.

“Could the world have rebelled?”

“No that is almost impossible! Our cause is absolute. Praise the hollow king!”

“Perhaps there was outside interference?”

“Readings concluded that no one has left the world in days.”

The leaders exchanged glances.

The Veiled Mother sighed.

“Continue monitoring.”

The priest blinked.

The First Voice nodded.

“The Green Gem is more important.”

The priest immediately lowered his head.

“As you command.”

Moments later the priests were dismissed.

The enormous chamber emptied.

Soon only the four leaders remained.

None spoke.

Finally the Silent Judge stood.

“It grows restless.”

The others nodded.

The Veiled Mother approached a hidden wall.

Ancient symbols covered its surface.

She pressed her hand against the stone.

The wall slowly opened.

Beyond waited a small chamber.

A teleportation array.

The room smelled of blood.

Thousands of runes glowed across the floor.

The leaders stepped inside.

The Crimson Saint activated the spell.

Light exploded outward.

Reality twisted.

The world around them vanished.

⸻

Darkness.

Cold.

Silence.

The leaders emerged inside a cavern.

None spoke.

They never did when entering this place.

The cave was sacred to them. 

Ancient.

Forbidden.

Yet, The chamber stretched for miles.

Massive crystal formations covered the walls.

Black mist drifted across the floor.

At the center stood something impossible.

A gem.

Not a normal gem.

A mountain-sized crystal.

Dark green.

Almost black.

Pulsing with life.

Cracks covered its surface.

Within the crystal rested a body.

Or rather, what remained of one.

The Hollow King.

His skeletal form floated within the gemstone prison.

Ancient armor covered portions of the corpse.

One arm remained intact.

The other was gone.

Black roots extended from his spine into the crystal.

The sight filled the leaders with awe.

Even after centuries the power radiated from the body within.

They knelt.

Immediately.

The cave began shaking.

A pulse traveled through the giant crystal.

Then another.

Then another.

Something moved inside.

The Hollow King’s skull slowly turned.

Four glowing eyes opened.

The leaders lowered themselves even further.

A voice filled the cavern.

Not spoken.

Thought.

Pure thought.

The Hollow King had entered their minds.

The sensation was agony.

Their brains felt as if they were being peeled apart.

Still they welcomed it.

It was a blessing.

Their master’s attention.

The Hollow King’s voice echoed through their thoughts.

Children.

The leaders trembled.

“My Lord.”

The massive eyes stared down upon them.

I feel them.

The leaders waited.

The voice continued.

The gems awaken.

A crack spread across the crystal.

A loud snapping sound echoed through the cave.

The leaders looked up.

The fracture had grown.

It stretched several feet further than before.

Hope surged through them.

The Hollow King continued.

The prison weakens.

Another crack appeared.

Then another.

The crystal groaned.

Entire sections vibrated.

The leaders began shaking.

Not from fear.

From excitement.

The Hollow King was awakening.

After all these centuries.

After all the sacrifices.

After all the conquered worlds.

The moment was approaching.

The giant eyes focused on them.

Bring me the gems.

The command echoed through their souls.

The leaders immediately bowed lower.

“As you command.”

The Hollow King continued.

The dream world stirs.

The horror summoner moves.

The dreamseer awakens.

The names struck into them.

Gene.

Selene.

The pieces were moving.

The game had begun.

A final pulse erupted through the crystal.

The cavern shook violently.

Rock fell from the ceiling.

The giant prison groaned.

The Hollow King’s eyes slowly closed.

Then everything became still once more.

The connection faded.

Silence returned.

The leaders remained kneeling.

None dared stand immediately.

Eventually the First Voice rose.

His expression had become fanatical.

“The time approaches.”

The others nodded.

The Veiled Mother stared at the newest crack.

It was massive now.

Larger than any previous fracture.

The prison truly was weakening.

Soon.

Very soon.

The Hollow King would return.

And when he did…

Entire worlds would burn.

The leaders bowed one final time.

Then activated the teleportation array.

The cave vanished behind them.

Only the giant crystal remained.

Deep within the darkness.

Another crack slowly appeared across its surface.

And from somewhere inside the prison…

A faint smile spread across the Hollow King’s skeletal face.