Chapter 118: Beneath the Hollow King’s Prison

Far beneath the conquered worlds…

Far beneath forgotten kingdoms…

Far beneath the oceans themselves…

The Hollow King’s prison waited.

The enormous cavern seemed less like a cave and more like the inside of a dead world. 

Mountains of black crystal thrust upward from an endless abyss, their jagged edges reflecting sickly violet light that pulsed from the heart of the chamber.

Suspended in the center floated the prison itself.

A colossal crystal hundreds of feet tall.

Countless chains of silver light wrapped around it like vines, disappearing into the darkness above. 

Ancient Dreamseer runes drifted across its surface in slow circles, each one glowing brighter whenever another hairline crack spread through the crystal.

Inside…

The Hollow King slept.

His silhouette remained motionless.

Yet every few hours an enormous claw twitched.

Each movement sent another ping of power racing across the prison.

⸻

Four stone thrones surrounded the crystal.

The High Lords of the Hollow King Cult occupied them in silence.

Each wore different ceremonial armor, their faces hidden behind ornate masks carved from pale stone.

Dozens of lesser priests stood in concentric circles below, waiting for permission to speak.

No one dared look directly at the prison.

The air itself felt heavy.

Something was definitely there…

It was watching.

⸻

The First High Lord rose.

“The invasion of the Nightmare Hotel has failed.”

A murmur swept through the chamber.

“It failed,” he repeated calmly, “but not completely.”

A priest stepped forward carrying several relics recovered during the battle.

Among them…

A thick black book wrapped in chains.

The Book of Horrors.

The stolen half of Gene Gingerline’s archive.

The High Lords stared at it.

“Our casualties were… substantial.”

One of the priests quietly answered,

“Nearly every assault force was destroyed.”

The Second High Lord nodded.

“As we expected.”

Confused whispers spread through the gathered priests.

He continued.

“We did not send that army expecting victory. We sent it to steal knowledge.”

He rested one gloved hand upon the chained book.

“And we succeeded.”

⸻

The Third High Lord motioned toward another table.

Ancient maps covered its surface.

Colored crystals marked worlds already conquered.

Red.

Black.

Gray.

Each represented another civilization consumed by the cult.

Three more crystals had recently changed color.

“Our expansion continues.”

A priest bowed.

“The Chain Sanctuaries have fallen.”

“The Ash Valleys have fallen.”

“The Broken Crown Realm has also surrendered.”

Another priest added,

“Our fleets continue searching the ocean worlds.”

“We still have no confirmation regarding the Green Gem.”

The Fourth High Lord slowly tapped the table.

“That changes now.”

⸻

He pointed toward a glowing blue sphere floating above the map.

The Water World.

Endless oceans.

Storm-covered skies.

Floating islands.

And somewhere inside…

An ancient underwater kingdom.

“The Dreamseer records indicate the Green Gem once resided beneath these waters.”

A younger priest frowned.

“But we still lack the exact location.”

“Then continue searching! We will even drain these oceans if necessary.”

None questioned the order.

⸻

Standing several steps behind the High Lords remained a single figure.

Tall.

Thin.

Wrapped in weathered black cloth.

His body looked unnaturally stretched, almost too long for its own bones.

The porcelain mask sat hiding a face that possessed no expression.

Only empty void like eye sockets.

The Pale Watcher.

He had remained completely silent throughout the meeting.

Its long fingers rested upon an ancient staff that had grown from white wood.

To everyone present…

He appeared to be listening.

In truth…

He had stopped paying attention minutes ago.

A whisper brushed against its thoughts.

Not from the Hollow King.

From somewhere…

Older.

Farther away.

Come…

The voice barely existed.

A memory more than a sound.

The sea remembers where my heart is…

The Pale Watcher’s fingers tightened.

No one else had heard it.

Again…The whisper came.

My child…

The place where the Green Gem resides…

… you must come to me…

A pulse of icy light spread beneath the porcelain mask.

For the briefest instant…

Something impossibly vast looked through its empty eye sockets.

The Pale Watcher lowered its head.

Silently acknowledging the command.

⸻

The First High Lord continued outlining plans.

“Our primary objectives remain unchanged.”

He raised one finger.

“Recover every Dreamseer relic we can find.”

A second finger joined the first.

“Complete the awakening ritual.”

A third one appeared.

“We must locate the remaining Gems.”

The gathered priests bowed together.

“Glory to the Hollow King.”

“Praise Be!”

Their voices echoed throughout the cavern.

The Pale Watcher said nothing.

⸻

Because another voice now filled his thoughts.

Not the Hollow King’s.

Not the priests’.

A different presence.

Ancient.

Cold.

Patient.

Do not interfere with their plans yet.

Let them awaken their King.

Their path ultimately leads to me… 

The Pale Watcher stood perfectly still.

Inside its mask…

Something smiled.

⸻

At last the meeting ended.

The priests started to disperse to carry out their assignments.

Messengers vanished through teleportation circles.

Armies prepared to march.

The High Lords remained near the prison, beginning another endless chant that fed power into the cracked crystal.

Only then did one of them notice the Pale Watcher turning toward the cavern entrance.

“You are ready to leave?”

The creature inclined its head slightly.

“I have received… guidance.”

“From the Hollow King(praise be) ?”

A long pause.

A quick head twitch.

“…who else.”

It was not entirely a lie.

The High Lord seemed satisfied.

“Excellent.”

“Then your destination is obvious.”

“The Water World.”

The Pale Watcher simply nodded.

“Our scouts believe the Green Gem lies somewhere beneath its oceans.”

“If anyone can retrieve it… it is you.”

Again… a head twitch.

“I understand.”

⸻

Minutes later…

The Pale Watcher stood alone before an ancient teleportation gate carved into black crystal.

No priests remained nearby.

No guards.

Only silence.

The porcelain mask slowly tilted upward.

For the first time…

It spoke aloud.

Not to the Hollow King.

To something else entirely.

“They still believe it.”

His voice sounded like dry branches scraping together.

“Tha I currently serve their king.”

Silence answered.

Then…

The whisper returned.

Soft.

Almost affectionate.

You have done well Elias.

The Pale Watcher rested one clawed hand against its mask.

“The Hollow King’s resurrection…”

It looked back toward the glowing prison.

“…is only a beginning.”

Its empty gaze drifted toward the distant image of the Water World displayed inside the teleportation gate.

“My purpose lies beneath those seas.”

Another whisper.

Wake me… my pale warrior…

The creature’s posture straightened.

Beneath the mask…

Its unseen eyes burned with a pale white light.

“There is only one true sovereign.”

“The Hollow King was merely a conqueror.”

“My god is something much greater.”

It slithered toward the portal.

“When the Green Gem becomes mine…”

“This forgotten sanctuary will open.”

“The ancient altar will awaken.”

“…and the breath of the Pale Watcher shall finally return to this universe.”

The teleportation circle ignited.

Ancient runes spun around its feet.

Behind it…

The Hollow King’s crystal pulsed with growing power.

Ahead…

An endless ocean waited.

The Pale Watcher walked into the light without another word.

Behind the porcelain mask, one final whisper echoed throughout the void.

For now you will faithfully serve the Hollow King…

Until the day his resurrection becomes the key to my own.