The night in Ashen Hollow was not like the valley's night.
It pressed down, heavy and alive, carrying whispers of things unseen.
The fire Pell had lit was nothing but a weak glow against the mist. Fungi shimmered faintly on the trees, and beyond the treeline, dozens of red eyes blinked open.
> Status: Threat density increased.
Estimated predators: multiple. Patterns unclear.
AION shifted his shard in hand, weight balanced. Pell crouched close to the fire, clutching the cracked spear. His knuckles whitened.
"They're watching us," Pell whispered.
"Yes," AION said. His tone was flat. "Do not run. Fire buys seconds, not safety."
---
The first shadow moved. A wolf-shape, but wrong. Its body was stretched, its ribs too many, its head too wide. It padded forward, silent, eyes glowing red.
Two more followed, splitting left and right.
> Classification: Mutated wolf-beast. Qi density high.
Weak points: throat, inner thigh. Risk: pack coordination.
Riven hissed in AION's head. These aren't natural. Hollow twists beasts with Qi until they rot inside.
The first wolf lunged. AION pivoted sideways. The shard cut shallow across its neck. Blood sprayed, black and steaming. The beast snarled but didn't fall.
The second wolf came in low. AION shoved Pell aside. The cracked spear struck awkwardly, scraping the beast's ribs.
"Hold the shaft tight," AION ordered.
Pell's teeth clenched. He planted the butt of the spear against the rock and braced. The wolf impaled itself halfway, shrieking. Pell nearly dropped the weapon but forced it steady.
The third wolf circled, growling deep.
AION calculated the angles. He stepped forward, feinted left, then slashed right, driving the shard into its eye. The beast convulsed and dropped.
> Enemies terminated: 2. One injured.
Cost: stamina -9%. Blood loss -3%.
The first wolf staggered again, then collapsed at Pell's feet. The boy gasped, trembling, and pulled the spear free.
"You said fire wouldn't save us," Pell said between breaths.
"It didn't," AION answered.
---
The mist thickened. A new sound rose, a dragging, heavy rasp. The smaller predators fell silent. Red eyes blinked shut one by one.
Pell's voice cracked. "What, what is that?"
Riven's tone went sharp. Not wolf. Something bigger. Don't fight. Hide.
The trees shivered as a shape pushed through. A beast taller than three men, skin cracked and leaking faint red light, its body stitched with old scars. Its jaw split in two directions, lined with crooked fangs.
> Classification: Hollow Predator.
Rank: Higher than body refinement baseline.
Probability of survival in direct combat: 2%.
Pell froze. His breath hitched.
"Move," AION said. He grabbed Pell's shoulder and dragged him toward the stone overhang. The boy resisted for a moment, eyes locked on the monster. Then he stumbled and followed.
The predator lowered its head. The ground shook as it stepped closer. Its breath burned the air.
AION pushed Pell flat against the wall. "Do not speak."
The beast sniffed, growled, then swung its head away. It lumbered past the fire, crushing the corpses of the wolves underfoot. Bones cracked like twigs.
> Observation: Predator ignores corpses. Hunts living Qi signatures.
Countermeasure: Suppress breath, minimize flow.
AION slowed his inhale, cut it into fragments. He dampened every exhale until no steam rose. He pulled Pell's head down and forced his chest still.
The predator paused. Its cracked skin glowed brighter. It sniffed again, then turned away, crashing deeper into the Hollow.
Only when the sound faded did Pell release a strangled sob.
"You" he gasped. "You stopped breathinglike stone"
"Practice," AION said simply.
---
When silence returned, AION stood and checked the camp perimeter. The mist was thinner now, the fire nothing but embers.
Pell sat shaking. He still clutched the cracked spear. His face was pale.
"You can leave," Pell muttered. "Why drag me along?"
AION considered. "Alone, you die faster. With you, risk shifts but survival probability improves."
"That's… not comfort," Pell said, but his voice steadied.
Riven whispered faintly. He doesn't know you're using him for calculations.
AION ignored it. He crouched near a faint glow under a fallen trunk. Another fang root, smaller than before.
He hesitated. His hand hovered, then drew back.
> Observation: Root pulses with Qi. Collection risk: predator lure.
Decision: delay harvest.
"We move at dawn," AION said.
---
Pell curled under the overhang, clutching the spear like a lifeline. His eyes finally closed.
AION stayed awake, shard ready, every sense tracking the Hollow's breath. The faint energy threads in his chest shifted, snagged less than before. Progress.
He whispered once, only to himself.
"Pattern."
The mist outside swirled in faint lines, too faint for Pell to notice.
The Hollow did not sleep.