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It started small.
Following the Wyrm out of the Abyss, the hatchling heard the whispers of their god, telling them, “Go. Do what the fool says. The darkness will spread once more… the light, I see now, is poison in this land’s veins.”
The hatchling’s eyes flickered upwards, towards the fool, but quickly turned them back down, listlessly staring ahead (or so it seemed). They had heard the fool’s wishes for them. They knew what to do.
After all, Void was but empty space taken form, right?
***
The Vessel worked hard and trained harder. In this labyrinth of light, their god could barely reach them, Their voice diluted until it was mere whispers in the forgotten corners of their mind.
The Vessel would not disappoint Them.
***
Chains clinked as the Pure Vessel was suspended in the air, nail embedded in the earthen floor beneath them. The room was unlit, only the light of the fool keeping the area from descending into total darkness.
The chains were secured. A seal of sorts was placed upon them. Then they were left alone, with nothing but the darkness and a distant sun in the back of their mind for company.
***
The light had grown closer and closer, soon overtaking the Hollow Knight’s god’s shadows, blocking Their voice out and replacing Their guidance with her own.
Still, the Hollow Knight knew better than to listen. They pretended to cower, to bow down, to crack under her pressure, but the more she pushed, the more they took.
Little bits and pieces of her power, her light, chipped off of her, whittling her down to nothing at such a slow pace she didn’t even realize it was too late until it was.
Her light dwindled, flickered, before the Hollow Knight took that too, the darkness they were born of smothering it almost instantly.
The light was gone. The Hollow Knight awoke alone, chains broken and shadows long and deep. They walked towards one, the darkness reaching out. They took its hand, returning to the Void from whence they came.