Blazing Soul (Part II): Creeping Shade

Chapter II

Days went by without a single sighting of the so-called "Hollow". With school now back in session, the guild had their patrols limited. Despite their schedule, Alex had taken to sneaking out in the middle of the night to continue his search for the Hollow; school night or not, he was willing to sacrifice a couple of hours of sleep in this situation. Outside of one or two random Geists, these nights were for the most part uneventful.

1 AM, Friday

To keep himself awake at these hours, Alex would run almost nonstop as he carried on with his late-night/early-morning patrols. This night, however, at the corner of his eye, he spotted an unusual silhouette by the side of the road. He quickly came to a halt and went to investigate. Unfortunately, by the time he got to the spot, it was already gone. Luckily, a truck happened to drive by, its headlights revealing unusual tracks that he could use to follow.

Alex: Are those...?

He took a closer look, pulling out his phone's flashlight. Unusual was right, as these tracks were a set of handprints followed by footprints on the sand.

Alex: Looks like, I got me a lead, Richter. I'm giving your ass the burial it needs.

???: You look like you're busy.

Alex jolted when he heard the voice. He was so focused on the tracks he had found that he was caught completely by surprise. Alex quickly turned around, only to find Elliot right behind him.

Elliot: Late-night patrolling?

Alex relaxed as his eyes saw a familiar face.

Alex: You too, huh?

Elliot: I've been mainly patrolling the area around my neighborhood. I happened to notice you while you were running down Juan Sanchez.

Juan Sanchez Boulevard went from one end of the city all the way to the outskirts, making it and Main street the easiest way to leave town.

Alex: Check this out.

He pointed to the track that he found on the sand by the road.

Alex: I'm pretty sure these are from Richter's Hollow.

Elliot had already begun walking toward where the tracks were heading.

Elliot: Let's get a move on then! Can't afford to lose it now.

Alex: Right you are.

The two quickly began moving through the sand, jumping between the shadows of the shrubbery to stay hidden from sight. It wasn't long before they finally caught up to the silhouette Alex had seen. Just as they had expected, it was indeed Richter's Hollow. The light from the nearby school district's streetlights were bright enough for them to confirm what it was they were looking at. Richter's Hollow now only barely resembled their old friend. Its body was now incredibly malnourished as its spine became easily defined as it moved around, hunched over like a caveman. His skin was now pale and his hair filthy and ragged. His hair was probably the only recognizable feature of his, albeit much longer, covering his face, it was still dark red.

Alex reached to draw his sword, its handle now materializing. But the moment he touched the weapon, the Hollow perked up, like an animal hearing a sound in the distance.

Elliot: Wait.

He whispered. Elliot pulled Alex's hand away from his weapon. Doing so seemingly made the Hollow lower its guard once more.

Elliot: If it's looking for a replacement soul, it probably has some sort of way to use Soul Sense.

The form of Alex's sword dissipated, and the Hollow's caution now seemed to be fully gone.