---
The Hollow Core had crumbled, leaving behind jagged ruins wrapped in faint traces of ancient magic. Though the final battle was over, something in the air still tingled—like a breath held in suspense.
Yuki stood atop a ledge, his wings partially unfurled as he looked down over the battlefield from earlier. In the distance, the crater of Vorthyx's demise pulsed faintly, fading away like a dying heartbeat.
Sylvaeria appeared beside him, her silver hair catching the morning light. "You feel it too, don't you?"
He nodded. "The Hollow's not completely silent. There's… something below."
Elira, striding up with her staff swinging lazily, yawned. "If it's another surprise boss, I'm going to start charging fate itself."
"I'd pay to see you invoice destiny," Lumi grinned, walking past them and stretching. "Line item one: 'Too many cursed kings.'"
Seiris and Aeiris approached more quietly. The two sisters had started training together again, their bond stronger than ever after the spiritual reintegration.
"We should investigate the depth," Seiris said, ever pragmatic. "If something remains, we can't risk leaving it unchecked."
Aeiris nodded, eyes glowing softly. "I can feel… echoes. Like trapped thoughts calling out."
"Creepy," Lumi muttered, tightening the straps on her sword. "I hate whispery ruins. Always end with blood or ghosts."
Yuki turned, his eyes narrowing. "Then let's finish this arc of our journey… before anything else rises from those whispers."
---
### **Descending Into the Core's Depths**
The group descended into the remains of the Hollow Core, torchlights flickering against cracked walls and decaying stone. The temperature dropped with every step, and frost began to line the corridor's edge.
"Didn't this place used to be on fire?" Elira whispered. "Why does it feel like we're in an ice cave?"
"Residual magic backlash," Sylvaeria replied, tracing her fingers along the frozen stone. "Vorthyx's destruction must've inverted the elemental ley lines."
Lumi rolled her eyes. "You're just saying words to make yourself sound smart."
Sylvaeria tilted her head. "Am I wrong?"
"No, and that's the worst part."
A sharp laugh escaped from Aeiris, who quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry… I just… forgot what it was like to laugh."
Seiris looked at her with a rare, gentle expression. "Keep doing it."
A moment later, they reached a vast underground chamber—a hidden sanctuary layered with crystalline runes and a shattered mirror of obsidian set into the floor.
As they stepped forward, a voice echoed—not from a creature, but the very walls themselves.
> **"I see you've come to silence what lingers. But memory… is never truly erased."**
The shards of obsidian rose, swirling in the air. From them formed a **Spectral Guardian**—a spiritual remnant of Vorthyx's past: not his malice, but his regret.
It hovered silently, cloaked in phantasmal robes, face hidden behind a broken mask.
> **Boss Encounter: Warden of Forgotten Sins**
> *A being forged from lost memories, capable of manipulating emotional constructs and recreating past battles as illusions. Weakness: spiritual synchronization and empathy.*
"Great," Lumi grunted, drawing her blade. "A boss that cries at you."
"Prepare yourselves!" Yuki roared, wings expanding wide.
---
### **The Battle Begins**
The Warden's first attack was subtle—each member of the group suddenly faced a vision of their past.
Lumi stood frozen as an image of her dying mentor reappeared.
Elira saw a moment when she failed her arcane trial.
Sylvaeria clenched her fists as she faced her sealed forest and the loneliness she once carried.
Seiris and Aeiris both stood before a memory of their parents' demise—Aeiris trembling, while Seiris's daggers began to drip with emotional energy.
Yuki… saw Earth. His human self, alone, ordinary, forgotten.
But instead of faltering, he inhaled deeply.
"I am not the boy I was."
His voice broke the illusion. Golden flame surged around him as he cast a wide aura—**Warden's Embrace**, the ultimate skill he'd inherited—cleansing the false visions from their eyes.
"You are not your pain," he said firmly, his voice resonating in the chamber. "You are the people you've chosen to become."
The others rallied behind him.
> **Aeiris activated: Soulward Echo – Reversal Hymn!**
> *Negative emotions converted into spiritual shields.*
> **Seiris used: Phantom Edge – Mirror Sever!**
> *Strikes through illusions and false constructs.*
> **Sylvaeria invoked: Spirit Sovereign Pulse!**
> *Stabilizes all emotional-based curses.*
> **Elira cast: Twilight Rebirth – Inner Radiance!**
> *Temporarily enhances allies' clarity and focus.*
> **Lumi unleashed: Solar Ascendance – Blade of the Dawn!**
> *Smites targets with holy light, banishing falsehood.*
Together, the five women flanked the Warden as Yuki charged forward, fangs bared and fire rising.
With a final combined strike—spiritual, magical, physical, and emotional—the Warden of Forgotten Sins dissolved into light, its final whisper peaceful.
> "Thank you… for remembering what he forgot."
---
### **Aftermath**
The chamber fell quiet.
Light bathed them from above—pure, uncorrupted mana returning to the Hollow.
Yuki collapsed onto his side, panting.
Lumi plopped beside him. "Okay. No more creepy bosses. I vote we nap."
Sylvaeria knelt, examining the fading runes. "It's truly over now. The Hollow is at peace."
Aeiris turned to her sister. "We did it, Seiris."
Seiris offered a rare, full smile. "We did."
Elira stretched. "Now we get to do the fun part—looting."
Yuki chuckled. "And resting."
"And cuddling," Lumi added, already curling up on his tail.
The others didn't protest.
This was their victory.
This… was their warmth.
---