When Chizzy emerged from the Hollow, dawn was breaking over the village. The first rays of sunlight stretched across the mist-covered land, soft and golden, as though nature itself exhaled after a long night.
But she had changed.
Her steps were slower, heavier not from exhaustion, but from weightlessness. As if something within her had been burned away, replaced by a deeper silence. The blade's mark had vanished, but she still felt its warmth beneath her skin.
The village was quiet, almost unnaturally so. No birdsong, no distant chatter. Only the breeze, carrying the scent of damp earth and blooming heather.
She crossed the boundary stone at the edge of the woods and entered the village proper. Windows creaked open as villagers peeked out. Their eyes widened at the sight of her. Some stepped back. Others crossed themselves.
"She came back," a child whispered.
Old Maku stood in her path, eyes narrowing. "You went where no one should go."
"I had to," Chizzy replied, voice calm. "The Hollow called. I answered."
Maku shook her head. "You carry its mark now. I can feel it in your shadow."
"Then let them be afraid of my shadow," Chizzy said.
Behind her, the mist began to retreat. The air warmed. The ash tree no longer groaned.
She walked toward her cottage, passing those who once avoided her gaze. Some nodded respectfully. Others turned away. But none dared speak against her now.
Inside, the black book rested on her table. Its pages had gone blank emptied, as though their purpose had been fulfilled. Still, she wrapped it in cloth and buried it beneath the hearth.
The Watcher hadn't followed her above. She wasn't sure he ever would.
That night, she lit a single candle and stared at her mother's locket.
"You knew, didn't you?" she whispered. "You tried to protect me… and prepare me."
The candle flickered once, then steadied.
Chizzy closed her eyes. For the first time in years, sleep came easily. No voices. No dreams.
Only stillness.
But far below, in the cracks of the Hollow's stone, something shifted. Not enough to be heard. Just enough to be remembered.