The air was heavy.
The moment Argolaith saw the massive Hollowed force ahead, he knew—this was no random gathering.
This was organized.
And that meant one thing.
Something was leading them.
From their vantage point atop a broken ridge, the land stretched downward into a vast blackened valley—a place where the very earth looked like it had rotted away.
And in the center of that valley…
Hundreds of Hollowed.
Some were humanoid, their bodies twisted beyond recognition, their limbs stretched unnaturally.
Others were larger—beast-like, moving on all fours with jagged, exposed bone plating.
A few stood twice as tall as the rest, their backs covered in dark, pulsating tendrils that slithered like living things.
Kaelred let out a long, slow breath. "That's a lot of ugly."
Malakar remained still, his violet eyes narrowing. "This is not a wandering force. They are gathered for a purpose."
Argolaith agreed. "The question is—what?"
Then he saw it.
