The morning arrived peacefully.
For the first time in a while, Abraão wasn't rushing to train.
He sat on the wooden steps outside the cabin, holding a bowl of soup while watching the mountains.
The sky was clear.
The thousand moons were slowly fading as daylight took over Eliria.
For a few moments, everything felt normal.
Mahina opened the door behind him.
"You've been staring at that mountain for ten minutes."
Abraão took another spoonful.
"It's a good mountain."
"There are hundreds of mountains."
"This one is my favorite."
Mahina looked at it.
Then looked at him.
"It looks exactly the same as the others."
"It has personality."
"The mountain?"
"The mountain."
Mahina sighed.
"You need friends."
Abraão nearly choked on his soup.
"I have friends."
"Hm."
"What does that mean?"
"Hm."
"Stop doing that."
"Hm."
Abraão stared at her.
Mahina calmly walked away.
Sometimes he was convinced she enjoyed annoying him.
A little too much.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Life felt different now.
Not perfect.
Never perfect.
But different.
The pain was still there.
The memories were still there.
Yet they no longer crushed him every waking moment.
That alone felt like progress.
A few hours later—
training resumed.
The clearing behind the cabin echoed with the sound of steel.
SWISH.
SWISH.
SWISH.
Abraão moved through a series of sword forms Mahina had taught him.
His movements weren't elegant.
They weren't legendary.
But they were improving.
Slowly.
Step by step.
The way Mahina always said true growth worked.
After nearly an hour, he stopped.
Sweat covered his forehead.
His breathing was steady.
Better than before.
Much better.
He leaned his father's sword against a tree.
Then sat on a nearby rock.
The wind moved gently through the clearing.
His thoughts wandered.
Toward Storm Village.
Toward the cemetery.
Toward Elias.
Toward Lia.
That last thought surprised him.
He hadn't expected to think about her again so soon.
Yet her face appeared naturally.
The way she laughed.
The way she spoke.
The way she somehow managed to make things feel normal.
Even after everything.
A small smile appeared.
Then disappeared.
He looked toward the sky.
One of the red moons was visible despite the daylight.
For a brief moment—
something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Abraão narrowed his eyes.
The moon looked…
strange.
Its center seemed darker.
Almost hollow.
As if something had carved out its heart.
He blinked.
The moon returned to normal.
"…"
Abraão continued staring.
Nothing looked unusual anymore.
Just another moon.
Just another day.
Eventually he stood.
"Maybe I'm tired."
The explanation sounded reasonable enough.
Or so he thought.
Hours passed.
The sun slowly crossed the sky.
By evening, darkness began returning to the mountains.
Mahina was preparing dinner.
Abraão was carrying firewood inside.
A completely normal evening.
Then—
he dropped the wood.
The logs rolled across the floor.
Mahina looked up.
"You dropped them."
Abraão stared.
For some reason—
that sentence felt familiar.
Too familiar.
A strange sensation ran through him.
As if he had already lived this exact moment.
The same cabin.
The same position.
The same words.
The same silence.
Mahina raised an eyebrow.
"Abraão?"
He blinked.
The feeling disappeared.
"…"
"What?"
"You were staring into space."
Abraão shook his head.
"Nothing."
A brief pause.
Then he laughed quietly.
"Didn't this happen before?"
Mahina looked confused.
"What happened before?"
He frowned.
The strange feeling lingered.
Then slowly faded.
"Never mind."
Maybe it was his imagination.
That had to be it.
Dinner passed normally.
Nothing unusual happened.
Nothing strange happened.
And by the time night fully arrived, Abraão had almost forgotten the feeling completely.
Almost.
The thousand moons illuminated the mountains.
The forest was quiet.
The cabin was warm.
Everything seemed normal.
Then—
DING.
Abraão froze.
The phone.
The sound came from his pocket.
Immediately, he relaxed.
"Oh."
Just another mission.
The last mission had been simple.
Maintain Vigil for one hour.
Gain one level.
Nothing dangerous.
Nothing complicated.
Maybe this would be another one.
Something random.
Something harmless.
The phone vibrated again.
DING.
Abraão pulled it out.
The screen lit up.
Then instantly turned black.
His smile faded.
"…?"
The screen flashed.
Golden symbols appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
The device vibrated harder.
ERROR.
The message vanished.
Another appeared.
ERROR.
Another.
ERROR.
Abraão's expression changed.
This hadn't happened before.
The symbols began moving across the screen.
Faster.
And faster.
And faster.
Almost like something was trying to force its way through.
The temperature around him suddenly dropped.
Mahina noticed immediately.
"Abraão."
Her voice was calm.
But serious.
He slowly turned the screen toward her.
For the first time—
Mahina looked genuinely concerned.
Neither spoke.
The phone continued vibrating.
ERROR.
ERROR.
ERROR.
Then a new message appeared.
UNKNOWN SIGNAL DETECTED.
The message vanished.
Then returned.
UNKNOWN SIGNAL DETECTED.
UNKNOWN SIGNAL DETECTED.
UNKNOWN SIGNAL DETECTED.
The lights inside the cabin flickered.
The wind outside stopped.
Complete silence swallowed the mountains.
Abraão felt a chill run down his spine.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The screen suddenly went dark.
Completely dark.
Several seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
Then—
a crimson moon slowly appeared on the display.
Cracked.
Broken.
Hollow.
And for some reason…
seeing it made his heart skip a beat.
Chapter 8: The Hollow Moon (Part 1)
The morning arrived peacefully.
For the first time in a while, Abraão wasn't rushing to train.
He sat on the wooden steps outside the cabin, holding a bowl of soup while watching the mountains.
The sky was clear.
The thousand moons were slowly fading as daylight took over Eliria.
For a few moments, everything felt normal.
Mahina opened the door behind him.
"You've been staring at that mountain for ten minutes."
Abraão took another spoonful.
"It's a good mountain."
"There are hundreds of mountains."
"This one is my favorite."
Mahina looked at it.
Then looked at him.
"It looks exactly the same as the others."
"It has personality."
"The mountain?"
"The mountain."
Mahina sighed.
"You need friends."
Abraão nearly choked on his soup.
"I have friends."
"Hm."
"What does that mean?"
"Hm."
"Stop doing that."
"Hm."
Abraão stared at her.
Mahina calmly walked away.
Sometimes he was convinced she enjoyed annoying him.
A little too much.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Life felt different now.
Not perfect.
Never perfect.
But different.
The pain was still there.
The memories were still there.
Yet they no longer crushed him every waking moment.
That alone felt like progress.
A few hours later—
training resumed.
The clearing behind the cabin echoed with the sound of steel.
SWISH.
SWISH.
SWISH.
Abraão moved through a series of sword forms Mahina had taught him.
His movements weren't elegant.
They weren't legendary.
But they were improving.
Slowly.
Step by step.
The way Mahina always said true growth worked.
After nearly an hour, he stopped.
Sweat covered his forehead.
His breathing was steady.
Better than before.
Much better.
He leaned his father's sword against a tree.
Then sat on a nearby rock.
The wind moved gently through the clearing.
His thoughts wandered.
Toward Storm Village.
Toward the cemetery.
Toward Elias.
Toward Lia.
That last thought surprised him.
He hadn't expected to think about her again so soon.
Yet her face appeared naturally.
The way she laughed.
The way she spoke.
The way she somehow managed to make things feel normal.
Even after everything.
A small smile appeared.
Then disappeared.
He looked toward the sky.
One of the red moons was visible despite the daylight.
For a brief moment—
something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Abraão narrowed his eyes.
The moon looked…
strange.
Its center seemed darker.
Almost hollow.
As if something had carved out its heart.
He blinked.
The moon returned to normal.
"…"
Abraão continued staring.
Nothing looked unusual anymore.
Just another moon.
Just another day.
Eventually he stood.
"Maybe I'm tired."
The explanation sounded reasonable enough.
Or so he thought.
Hours passed.
The sun slowly crossed the sky.
By evening, darkness began returning to the mountains.
Mahina was preparing dinner.
Abraão was carrying firewood inside.
A completely normal evening.
Then—
he dropped the wood.
The logs rolled across the floor.
Mahina looked up.
"You dropped them."
Abraão stared.
For some reason—
that sentence felt familiar.
Too familiar.
A strange sensation ran through him.
As if he had already lived this exact moment.
The same cabin.
The same position.
The same words.
The same silence.
Mahina raised an eyebrow.
"Abraão?"
He blinked.
The feeling disappeared.
"…"
"What?"
"You were staring into space."
Abraão shook his head.
"Nothing."
A brief pause.
Then he laughed quietly.
"Didn't this happen before?"
Mahina looked confused.
"What happened before?"
He frowned.
The strange feeling lingered.
Then slowly faded.
"Never mind."
Maybe it was his imagination.
That had to be it.
Dinner passed normally.
Nothing unusual happened.
Nothing strange happened.
And by the time night fully arrived, Abraão had almost forgotten the feeling completely.
Almost.
The thousand moons illuminated the mountains.
The forest was quiet.
The cabin was warm.
Everything seemed normal.
Then—
DING.
Abraão froze.
The phone.
The sound came from his pocket.
Immediately, he relaxed.
"Oh."
Just another mission.
The last mission had been simple.
Maintain Vigil for one hour.
Gain one level.
Nothing dangerous.
Nothing complicated.
Maybe this would be another one.
Something random.
Something harmless.
The phone vibrated again.
DING.
Abraão pulled it out.
The screen lit up.
Then instantly turned black.
His smile faded.
"…?"
The screen flashed.
Golden symbols appeared.
Disappeared.
Appeared again.
The device vibrated harder.
ERROR.
The message vanished.
Another appeared.
ERROR.
Another.
ERROR.
Abraão's expression changed.
This hadn't happened before.
The symbols began moving across the screen.
Faster.
And faster.
And faster.
Almost like something was trying to force its way through.
The temperature around him suddenly dropped.
Mahina noticed immediately.
"Abraão."
Her voice was calm.
But serious.
He slowly turned the screen toward her.
For the first time—
Mahina looked genuinely concerned.
Neither spoke.
The phone continued vibrating.
ERROR.
ERROR.
ERROR.
Then a new message appeared.
UNKNOWN SIGNAL DETECTED.
The message vanished.
Then returned.
UNKNOWN SIGNAL DETECTED.
UNKNOWN SIGNAL DETECTED.
UNKNOWN SIGNAL DETECTED.
The lights inside the cabin flickered.
The wind outside stopped.
Complete silence swallowed the mountains.
Abraão felt a chill run down his spine.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The screen suddenly went dark.
Completely dark.
Several seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
Then—
a crimson moon slowly appeared on the display.
Cracked.
Broken.
Hollow.
And for some reason…
seeing it made his heart skip a beat.
The cracked moon remained on the screen.
Silent.
Watching.
For several seconds, neither Abraão nor Mahina spoke.
The image felt wrong.
Not because it was broken.
Broken moons existed.
Everyone in Eliria knew that.
But this moon felt different.
As if it were staring back.
Then the screen flashed.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The crimson moon vanished.
Golden letters slowly emerged from the darkness.
MISSION RECEIVED
Title:
The Hollow Moon
Difficulty:
Catastrophic
Survival Rate:
18%
Objective:
Retrieve the Eye of Lies.
Reward:
???
WARNING:
Do not trust your eyes.
Do not trust your ears.
Do not trust the dead.
The cabin fell silent.
Abraão read the mission once.
Then twice.
Then a third time.
The words didn't change.
His stomach tightened.
This wasn't like the previous missions.
Not even close.
The old missions had been simple.
Train.
Practice.
Touch a fountain.
Nothing dangerous.
Nothing terrifying.
This was different.
Even the phone seemed different.
Almost alive.
Mahina stepped closer.
Her eyes remained fixed on the screen.
Abraão noticed something unusual.
She wasn't calm.
Not completely.
There was tension in her expression.
Very little.
But enough.
And that worried him.
"You know this place?"
Mahina remained silent.
For a long moment.
Then—
"I've heard stories."
Abraão frowned.
"Stories?"
Mahina nodded.
"When I was younger."
That immediately caught his attention.
Mahina rarely spoke about her past.
Almost never.
"What kind of stories?"
The wind outside suddenly returned.
Soft.
Cold.
The trees moved gently.
Mahina looked toward the mountains.
As if remembering something.
"The Hollow Moon was considered a myth."
"A ruin?"
"Something like that."
Abraão looked back at the screen.
Something like that?
That wasn't an answer.
Mahina seemed to notice.
"It wasn't supposed to exist."
That answer somehow felt worse.
"What does that mean?"
Mahina crossed her arms.
"It means every expedition sent there disappeared."
Abraão froze.
"…all of them?"
Mahina nodded.
"Some never returned."
A pause.
"Others returned."
Abraão immediately noticed the way she said it.
Others returned.
Not relief.
Not happiness.
Fear.
"What happened to them?"
Mahina didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she looked toward the phone.
Toward the warning.
Do not trust your eyes.
Do not trust your ears.
Do not trust the dead.
Then she spoke.
"They stopped trusting reality."
Silence.
The words lingered in the air.
Abraão felt a chill.
"What does that even mean?"
Mahina shook her head.
"No one knows."
The phone suddenly vibrated again.
DING.
Both looked down.
A new message appeared.
LOCATION AVAILABLE
Distance:
42 kilometers
Estimated Time Remaining:
Unknown
The screen changed.
A map appeared.
Abraão had never seen that function before.
A red marker pulsed near the northern forests.
Beyond Storm Village.
Beyond the old mountains.
Far away.
The marker blinked.
Like a heartbeat.
Then disappeared.
The screen returned to normal.
Silence.
Abraão slowly put the phone away.
For the first time since receiving it—
he genuinely considered ignoring a mission.
Mahina seemed to know exactly what he was thinking.
"You don't have to go."
Abraão looked up.
"What?"
"You don't have to accept every mission."
He blinked.
The possibility had never really crossed his mind.
The phone gave missions.
He completed them.
That was how things worked.
Wasn't it?
Mahina continued.
"You survived because you learned to choose your battles."
A pause.
"This mission feels wrong."
Abraão looked toward the dark window.
Toward the mountains beyond.
Toward the unknown.
Something felt strange.
Not just fear.
Curiosity.
A pull.
Like something calling him.
Somewhere far away.
Waiting.
Watching.
The feeling reminded him of the moment he touched the phone for the first time.
Dangerous.
Mysterious.
Impossible to ignore.
Before he could answer—
the phone vibrated again.
DING.
Both immediately looked down.
A final message appeared.
NEW INFORMATION UNLOCKED
The Eye of Lies remains dormant.
Current Status:
SEALED
The screen flickered.
Then another line appeared.
The blood drained from Abraão's face.
Guardian Required.
The message remained visible for several seconds.
Then vanished.
Mahina's eyes widened.
Only slightly.
But Abraão noticed.
And that terrified him.
Because Mahina almost never reacted to anything.
"What does that mean?"
Mahina didn't answer.
For the first time that night—
she genuinely looked unsettled.
The silence stretched.
Finally, she spoke.
"…I don't know."
Abraão stared.
"You don't know?"
"No."
That answer was somehow worse than any explanation.
A woman like Mahina.
A warrior who defeated Sasuke effortlessly.
Someone who always seemed to have answers.
And even she didn't know.
The cabin suddenly felt smaller.
Colder.
The phone remained silent.
The mission remained active.
The Hollow Moon.
The Eye of Lies.
Guardian Required.
None of it made sense.
Then—
a knock echoed from the front door.
TOK.
TOK.
TOK.
Abraão froze.
Mahina frowned.
Neither of them had been expecting visitors.
Especially this late.
The knock came again.
TOK.
TOK.
TOK.
And for some reason—
Abraão had a feeling he already knew who was standing outside.
TOK.
TOK.
TOK.
The knocking echoed through the cabin.
Neither Abraão nor Mahina moved immediately.
The timing felt strange.
Very strange.
Few people knew where Mahina's cabin was located.
Even fewer would travel through the mountains at night.
TOK.
TOK.
TOK.
The knock came again.
Abraão stood.
"I'll get it."
Mahina nodded.
But her hand rested near the hilt of Eternal Guardian.
Just in case.
Abraão walked toward the door.
The mission remained active inside his pocket.
The phone felt heavier than before.
As if the words displayed on its screen carried actual weight.
The Hollow Moon.
The Eye of Lies.
Do not trust the dead.
The thought made him uncomfortable.
He opened the door.
And immediately blinked.
"Lia?"
The girl stood outside carrying a lantern.
Her dark hair moved gently in the cold mountain wind.
She looked tired.
And annoyed.
Very annoyed.
"There you are."
Abraão frowned.
"What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here?"
Lia crossed her arms.
"I spent half the day trying to find this place."
"Why?"
"Because you're terrible at giving directions."
"…"
"…"
"Fair."
Lia nodded.
"Exactly."
For the first time that night, a small smile appeared on Abraão's face.
Then Lia noticed Mahina behind him.
She immediately straightened.
"Oh."
Mahina looked amused.
"Good evening."
Lia quickly bowed.
"G-Good evening."
The difference between how she spoke to Abraão and Mahina was almost funny.
Mahina smiled.
"You don't have to be nervous."
"I know."
She was absolutely nervous.
Mahina clearly noticed too.
But decided not to mention it.
Instead, she stepped aside.
"Come in."
Lia entered the cabin.
The warmth inside immediately surrounded her.
She sighed with relief.
"It's colder than I expected."
"You're in the mountains."
"That explains a lot."
Abraão closed the door behind her.
For a few moments, everything felt normal.
Almost peaceful.
Then Lia noticed their expressions.
The smile disappeared from her face.
"…what happened?"
Neither answered.
That alone was enough.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Lia looked from Abraão to Mahina.
Then back again.
"What happened?"
This time her voice was more serious.
Abraão hesitated.
Then pulled out the phone.
Lia frowned.
"The weird thing from the sky?"
"Yeah."
"The thing you still haven't explained properly?"
"Yeah."
"The thing—"
"Yeah."
She narrowed her eyes.
Then looked at the screen.
The mission remained visible.
MISSION RECEIVED
Title:
The Hollow Moon
Difficulty:
Catastrophic
Survival Rate:
18%
Objective:
Retrieve the Eye of Lies.
Lia read the words.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then she looked up.
"That's not good."
"That's exactly what I said."
"No."
She pointed at the screen.
"This."
Her finger stopped at the survival rate.
18%.
The cabin became quiet again.
Because she was right.
The number looked ridiculous.
Most missions didn't even have survival rates.
And when they did—
they usually weren't that low.
Lia slowly lowered the phone.
"What are you going to do?"
Abraão already knew the answer.
Even before speaking.
"I'm going."
Mahina closed her eyes.
Clearly expecting that response.
Lia wasn't surprised either.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Then she nodded.
"Okay."
Abraão blinked.
"…okay?"
"Okay."
"You aren't going to tell me not to?"
"No."
"Why?"
Lia looked directly at him.
Because she understood something important.
The same thing Mahina understood.
Trying to stop him wouldn't work.
Once Abraão made a decision—
he rarely changed it.
So instead she said:
"Then I'm coming too."
The room became silent.
Immediately.
Mahina raised an eyebrow.
Abraão nearly dropped the phone.
"What?"
"I'm coming."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
For a brief moment, it felt exactly like the arguments Elias used to start.
The realization hit Abraão unexpectedly.
A small smile appeared.
Then vanished.
Lia noticed.
But didn't mention it.
Instead she crossed her arms.
"You need help."
"I have Mahina."
Mahina calmly took a sip of tea.
"I'm not going."
Abraão turned.
"What?"
Mahina looked completely unbothered.
"As your teacher, it would be irresponsible to solve every problem for you."
"Mahina."
"You need experience."
"Mahina."
"You need independence."
"Mahina."
"You need to stop saying my name like that."
Lia looked between them.
Then laughed.
Abraão wasn't laughing.
At all.
"You're serious?"
"Very."
He stared.
Mahina stared back.
Neither moved.
Several seconds passed.
Then Abraão sighed.
Because he already knew.
When Mahina made up her mind—
that was the end of the discussion.
Lia suddenly looked much happier.
"Great."
"This isn't great."
"It is for me."
"It shouldn't be."
"It is."
Abraão buried his face in his hands.
This was going to be a disaster.
He could feel it already.
Unfortunately—
the universe wasn't finished with him yet.
Because at that exact moment—
DING.
The phone vibrated again.
The screen lit up by itself.
A new message appeared.
WARNING
The Hollow Moon is active.
Estimated Time Until Awakening:
7 Hours
A countdown appeared beneath the text.
06:59:59
06:59:58
06:59:57
The numbers continued decreasing.
The cabin suddenly felt much colder.
Because now—
they had a deadline.
And somewhere beyond the mountains…
something was waiting for them.
The countdown continued.
06:48:12
06:48:11
06:48:10
The numbers decreased relentlessly.
The three of them stared at the screen.
Nobody liked what they were seeing.
Especially Mahina.
She seemed calm.
But Abraão knew her well enough now.
She was worried.
Very worried.
Finally, she stood.
"Then stop wasting time."
Lia blinked.
"What?"
Mahina pointed toward the door.
"You have less than seven hours."
That was all she needed to say.
Everything suddenly became real.
The mission.
The Hollow Moon.
The Eye of Lies.
The countdown.
Abraão immediately stood.
Lia followed.
Within minutes they were prepared.
A backpack.
Water.
Food.
A lantern.
Their weapons.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Mahina accompanied them outside.
The night had fully taken over the mountains.
Thousands of moons illuminated the world below.
Silver.
Blue.
Red.
Gold.
Beautiful.
And somehow—
less comforting than usual.
The countdown continued.
06:31:44
06:31:43
06:31:42
The wind moved through the trees.
For several moments, nobody spoke.
Then Mahina looked directly at Abraão.
"Listen carefully."
Her voice was serious.
Not motherly.
Not gentle.
Serious.
"The moment something feels wrong…"
She paused.
"Leave."
Abraão nodded.
"Okay."
"The moment something feels impossible…"
"Leave."
"The moment you start doubting reality…"
Abraão frowned.
Mahina's expression darkened.
"Leave immediately."
Silence followed.
Lia swallowed nervously.
Even she could tell.
Mahina wasn't exaggerating.
Not this time.
Then Mahina looked toward both of them.
For the first time that night—
she smiled.
A small smile.
"I expect both of you to come back alive."
Lia smiled.
Abraão nodded.
And moments later—
they began moving.
Into the darkness.
The first hour passed quietly.
The mountain trails slowly gave way to forests.
The air became colder.
The trees became taller.
The world became quieter.
Too quiet.
At first, neither noticed.
Then Lia finally spoke.
"Something feels strange."
Abraão looked around.
The forest stretched endlessly in every direction.
Dark.
Silent.
Empty.
"What do you mean?"
Lia frowned.
"No animals."
The realization hit immediately.
She was right.
No birds.
No insects.
No distant beast cries.
Nothing.
The forest was completely silent.
As if every living thing had abandoned it.
A cold feeling settled in Abraão's chest.
The countdown continued.
05:19:22
05:19:21
05:19:20
They kept walking.
And walking.
And walking.
Then—
Abraão stopped.
Abruptly.
Lia nearly crashed into him.
"What?"
He stared ahead.
A fallen tree blocked part of the path.
Its trunk had split in half.
One side covered in strange white moss.
The sight felt familiar.
Very familiar.
Too familiar.
His eyes narrowed.
For several seconds he simply stared.
Then he shook his head.
"…Nothing."
Lia looked confused.
But continued walking.
A few minutes later—
they found another fallen tree.
Split in half.
Covered in white moss.
Exactly the same.
Abraão stopped again.
His stomach tightened.
No.
That wasn't possible.
He walked closer.
Examined it.
Touched the bark.
The same crack.
The same moss.
The same shape.
His heartbeat accelerated.
"Abraão?"
Lia's voice seemed distant.
He continued staring.
Then finally stepped back.
"…"
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
But he couldn't explain why.
Eventually they continued.
The forest grew darker.
The path became steeper.
The countdown continued.
04:42:51
04:42:50
04:42:49
Then—
they reached a clearing.
And both immediately froze.
At its center stood an ancient stone archway.
Broken.
Covered in vines.
Old beyond imagination.
Symbols covered every surface.
Strange symbols.
Lunar symbols.
Neither of them recognized them.
But one thing was obvious.
The archway wasn't natural.
Someone had built it.
Long ago.
Very long ago.
Lia slowly approached.
"Was this always here?"
Abraão shook his head.
"I've never seen it before."
Neither had anyone else.
At least as far as he knew.
The archway shouldn't exist.
Yet there it stood.
Waiting.
Watching.
The countdown continued.
04:18:03
04:18:02
04:18:01
Then the phone vibrated.
DING.
MISSION UPDATE
Proceed through the First Gate.
Failure to advance will result in mission termination.
Abraão frowned.
"Mission termination?"
Lia didn't like how that sounded.
Not one bit.
Still—
they moved forward.
Toward the gate.
Toward the unknown.
Toward whatever awaited beyond.
As they passed beneath the ancient archway—
the world changed.
Instantly.
The forest disappeared.
The moonlight vanished.
The temperature dropped.
And somewhere far below them—
something laughed.
A distant sound.
Ancient.
Wrong.
Neither Abraão nor Lia knew it yet.
But they had just crossed the boundary separating reality…
from the Hollow Moon