Chapter Thirteen: "The Hollow Guild"
The Hollow Guild sat inside a canyon fortress — carved into stone and bound by oath, not law.
Raizel and Lyra arrived after a week of travel, crossing broken lands and ruined bridges. The gatekeeper looked down at them, unimpressed.
"No one enters without a duel," he growled.
Raizel stepped forward. "Fine. I'll duel."
The challenger was a tall warrior clad in steel-gray armor, wielding a curved sword crackling with blue aura.
The duel began.
Sparks flew as blades collided. The ground trembled with their steps. Raizel held his own, barely — every instinct honed by survival.
But then, he let go — not of his sword, but of his fear.
His aura exploded outward, pulsing in orange, silver, and violet. The crowd gasped.
With one final strike, Raizel knocked the warrior's blade from his hands, blade at his throat.
Silence.
Then the gatekeeper nodded. "Welcome… to the Hollow Guild."