The classroom was silent.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
The broken remains of the dagger lay scattered across the black stone table like ash.
Ren Veyron stood frozen.
His heart pounded so loudly he was sure everyone could hear it.
"What… just happened?" someone whispered.
The instructor stepped forward slowly, his face pale.
"That's impossible."
He stared at the dust where the dagger had been.
"That weapon contained a Grave Echo. Echoes don't speak unless someone listens to them."
His eyes slowly lifted to Ren.
"But you…"
Ren swallowed.
"I didn't do anything."
The students backed away from him.
Fear spread across their faces.
Arden Vale crossed his arms, staring at Ren carefully.
"You expect us to believe that?"
Ren opened his mouth—
Then the voice returned.
Low.
Ancient.
Calm.
"They fear you."
Ren's eyes widened.
The voice was inside his head again.
"Good."
Ren clenched his fists.
Stop…
Who are you?
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the voice answered.
"I am an Echo."
The air in the room suddenly grew cold.
The instructor grabbed Ren's shoulder.
"Ren. What do you hear?"
Ren hesitated.
If he told them the truth…
Everything would change.
"I—"
BOOM.
The academy alarm suddenly blared.
Red lights flashed across the classroom walls.
The instructor's head snapped toward the door.
"That alarm…"
One of the students gasped.
"Grave breach!"
Panic erupted instantly.
Outside the academy walls were grave zones — places filled with unstable echoes of the dead.
Sometimes those echoes turned into monsters.
The instructor shouted, "Everyone stay calm!"
But it was already too late.
A loud crash echoed from outside.
Then another.
Then screaming.
The classroom windows shattered.
Glass exploded inward.
A massive shadow landed in the center of the room.
THUD.
Students screamed and scrambled backwards.
The creature slowly rose to its full height.
It looked human.
But its body was twisted and broken.
Black smoke leaked from its skin.
Its eyes burned with a hollow blue glow.
A Hollow.
A person who had lost all their memories to echo corruption.
The instructor stepped forward immediately.
"Everyone get behind me!"
The Hollow let out a distorted scream and charged.
The instructor moved fast.
He grabbed a pendant around his neck.
"I call upon the echo of Captain Valric!"
Blue energy exploded around him.
A ghostly armored warrior appeared behind his body like a shadow.
The instructor punched forward.
BOOM.
The Hollow crashed through the classroom wall.
Dust filled the air.
Students cheered nervously.
"He beat it!"
But Ren's chest tightened.
The voice inside his head spoke again.
"No."
The dust slowly cleared.
The Hollow stood up again.
Its body twisted violently.
The instructor's eyes widened.
"It's evolving—"
Before he could finish—
The Hollow moved.
Faster than anyone could see.
CRASH.
The instructor slammed into the wall.
The echo behind him shattered like glass.
Students screamed.
The Hollow turned slowly.
Its glowing eyes locked onto Ren.
The voice inside Ren's head whispered:
"It senses you."
The monster took one step forward.
Then another.
Ren's legs wouldn't move.
The Hollow raised its claw—
And suddenly the voice roared inside his mind.
"Command it."
Ren froze.
Command it?
The monster lunged.
Instinct took over.
Ren shouted without thinking.
"STOP!"
The world went silent.
The Hollow froze mid-attack.
Its claw hung inches from Ren's face.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Even the monster wasn't moving.
The voice spoke again.
Slow.
Satisfied.
"Good."
Ren's breath shook.
The Hollow slowly lowered its arm.
Then it knelt.
In front of him.
The classroom went completely silent.
One of the students whispered in horror:
"Why is a Hollow… bowing?"
Arden Vale stared at Ren with wide eyes.
"That's not possible."
Ren looked down at the kneeling monster.
His hands were shaking.
Because deep inside…
He could feel it.
The Hollow wasn't just obeying him.
It was waiting.
Waiting for its king to give the next command.