Bleach: Severed Resonance of Souls (a fanfiction)

Chapter Three: The Spark of Rebellion

**Narration:** The air in Soul Society feels heavier than usual, as if something unseen is lurking just beneath the surface. Reconstruction efforts continue, with Shinigami working tirelessly to restore what was lost during the Quincy invasion. But even in the midst of progress, an unsettling feeling begins to spread through the ranks.

A group of newly graduated Shinigami recruits, still fresh from the academy, are stationed at the outskirts of Soul Society for a routine patrol. Their excitement at finally joining the Gotei 13 masks the tension in the air. The area they're patrolling, once a barren battleground, has now been designated as a reconstruction zone, where Hollows haven't been spotted in a long time.

Without warning, the sky darkens, casting a foreboding shadow over the training grounds. The temperature drops sharply, and the once still air becomes thick and heavy. The sudden shift in the atmosphere leaves the new recruits frozen in place, their breaths caught in their throats. A crushing spiritual pressure—cold and malevolent—descends upon them, more potent than anything they've ever felt before. The ground trembles faintly beneath their feet as if the earth itself senses the approaching threat.

From the distant horizon, the darkness seems to bleed, pooling into the shape of grotesque figures. Out of the shadows, the Hollows emerge, their bodies warped and twisted beyond recognition. These are not ordinary Hollows. Their forms are a grotesque fusion of bone, sinew, and raw spiritual energy, pulsating with a sickly glow that bathes their surroundings in an eerie light.

Their elongated limbs stretch unnaturally, resembling claws that dig deep into the ground with each step, leaving jagged scars in the dirt. Exoskeletal armor, jagged and cracked, lines their misshapen bodies, giving them the appearance of something barely held together—yet terrifyingly strong. Their eyes glow with a menacing hunger, hollow and empty, as though driven by an insatiable, primal rage. Their masks, fractured and uneven, bear sharp, jagged edges.

As they move, their joints creak and crack, their bodies shifting with unnatural speed. They dart forward with sudden bursts of agility, faster than anything the recruits have encountered before. Each Hollow's breath echoes through the air, like the rasping of something long dead and forgotten, as though the creatures themselves have been brought back from the depths of nightmares. Their howls split the silence, sending a shiver through the recruits' spines—a sound that carries with it the essence of despair.

Their attacks are merciless, as if they've been enhanced by some unseen force. Claws slash through the air, glowing faintly as they cut through spiritual energy, leaving traces of darkness in their wake. The recruits barely have time to react, paralyzed by fear and overwhelmed by the sheer bloodlust emanating from these monstrosities. One Hollow's massive tail, lined with spines and thrashing violently, smashes into a nearby tree, splintering it into shards with an explosive crack.

From a distance, Hikari senses the Hollows before she even sees them, her eyes narrowing as she locks onto the direction of their dark, pulsing reiatsu. These creatures are different. Their presence warps the very air around them, as though the spiritual energy they exude is alive—thick, suffocating, and oppressive. It clings to the atmosphere like a heavy fog.

This is no ordinary attack. Something or someone has twisted these Hollows into unnatural forms, changing them into grotesque versions of their former selves. Their energy feels tainted, corrupted in a way that makes her heart race with unease. Whatever force is behind this, it has turned these creatures into something far more dangerous than anything the recruits have faced before.

Hikari: (inner thoughts) Could this be Kisuke's doing?

*Scene change:** The outskirts of Soul Society