I found Axel in the darkness.
They were running toward me.
For once, I didn't question whether they were real.
I knew.
I knew because of the way they looked at me.
Nobody else could get that expression right.
Fear.
Relief.
Love.
And a tiny amount of complete exhaustion.
"You came back."
They stopped in front of me.
"I told you I would."
"You could've lied."
"I've done that before."
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Despite everything, I laughed.
Axel smiled.
Then the Hollow appeared behind them.
"Touching."
Axel turned.
I grabbed their hand.
"Don't."
The Hollow smiled.
"You can't defeat me."
"Maybe not."
Axel looked at me.
"But we don't have to defeat it."
I frowned.
"What?"
They squeezed my hand.
"It needs us to be afraid."
I looked at the Hollow.
It was already changing.
First into Axel.
Then Seraphine.
Then me.
It couldn't decide what would scare us most.
And suddenly, I understood.
"It can't understand us."
Axel nodded.
"It understands fear."
"But not choice."
"Exactly."
The Hollow stepped closer.
"You will lose them."
I looked at Axel.
"Maybe."
The Hollow stopped.
Axel stared at me.
I smiled.
"That's the truth."
The Hollow's expression twisted.
"You will watch them die."
"Maybe."
"You will forget them."
"Maybe."
"You will suffer."
"Probably."
Axel gave me a look.
"You're really selling this."
I almost laughed.
Then I faced the Hollow.
"But you're missing something."
It stared at me.
"I don't need a guarantee."
Axel's fingers tightened around mine.
"I don't need to know that Axel will never hurt me."
I stepped forward.
"I don't need to know they'll never leave."
Another step.
"I don't need to know that we'll survive."
The Hollow began to shake.
I looked directly into its eyes.
"I just need to choose."
The Hollow screamed.
The darkness cracked.
Light poured through the fractures.
Axel grabbed my waist as the ground disappeared beneath us.
We fell.
I screamed.
They held onto me.
"Athena!"
"I'm here!"
"Don't let go!"
"OBVIOUSLY I FUCKING WON'T!"
The Hollow screamed one final word.
"CHOOSE!"
I looked at Axel.
"I already did."
The world shattered.