NINE
"I wondered where the Hollow came from," said Paige. "We were
told it wasn't good or evil, but I've always wondered who or what
created it and why."
"It didn't end there, did it?" asked Piper.
"No, it didn't," said Justin. "It was called the Hollow because
it seemed there was no limit to how much magic it could absorb. As if
it were a hollow void, incapable of ever being filled.
"Once the joining was complete, the Hollow instinctively went in
search of magic. Good or evil magic made no difference. Any magic it
came across was absorbed. Soon it became evident to the leaders of
both good and evil that they had a common enemy. An enemy that didn't
discriminate in its' choice of victims."
"We knew that good and evil have to work together to stop the
Hollow," said Piper.
"Yes," said Justin. "Everyone knew it couldn't be vanquished.
Any magic used against it would simply be absorbed by it. So it had
to be contained."
"Just like they tried to do with Caroline," said Phoebe.
"Not exactly," said Justin. ""This was much more complicated.
It was decided there was only one thing that could contain such a
powerful magical force. Anti-magic."
"What's anti-magic?" asked Piper.
"The opposite of magic," said Leo. "There's a dimension that
nullifies magic. It makes magic powerless. It's the only thing that
could contain the Hollow. Since anti-magic isn't magic, the Hollow
couldn't absorb it."
"True," said Justin. "But no one had ever tried to bring anti-
magic into the Earthly realm before. We had no way of knowing what
the effects would be. But there simply was no other choice."
"A portal was opened to the anti-magic dimension," continued
Leo. "Then a witch went through to get some anti-magic to bring
back."
"How would the witch open a portal back if magic doesn't work
there?" asked Paige.
"There are natural portals between the two," said Justin. "You
have to know precisely where to look and what to do to open one. This
witch had that information. She volunteered to bring the anti-magic
back.
"Well, she located what she was looking for and opened a portal
back. But they had misjudged the effects bringing anti-magic into
this dimension would have. As soon as she stepped through the portal,
a massive explosion occurred."
"It destroyed an entire continent," said Leo.
"You mean Atlantis, don't you?" asked Phoebe. "Atlantis did
exist?"
"Until about thirty-five-hundred years ago it did," said Justin.
Nothing was left of it. It didn't sink into the ocean, as most people
believe. It was totally obliterated. Eventually the anti-magic was
located. Then it was given to a mortal craftsman to fashion the
prison for the Hollow. As a mortal, he had no magic that would affect
the anti-magic."
"The box the Hollow is kept in," said Paige. "That's what he
fashioned."
"That's right," said Justin. "The inscription on the box
doesn't actually trap the Hollow. It's more like it summons it to the
box. That's why it takes the most powerful forces of good and evil
combined to make it work. The incantation artificially magnifies
their power making it irresistible to the Hollow. It goes in search
of that magic and the incantation gives the impression the magic is in
the box. Once the lid is closed, it can't get out without being
destroyed."
"Now, you know," said Leo. "You know the dark secret of the
White Lighters. Something no White Lighter wants anyone to find out.
That's why we are forbidden from saying anything. Even to those who
are closest to us. And why White Lighters and witches are forbidden
from becoming involved with each other."
"I don't understand why it's such a dark secret," said Paige.
"What do you think would happen," said Justin, "if it became
known that a White Lighter was responsible for the creation of the
Hollow?"
"It's not their fault," said Phoebe. "It's not even the fault
of the Elders. This Caroline made her own decision to be evil."
"Yes," said Justin, "and the Elders failed to see it coming.
They should have seen it. If it ever got out that they made such a
drastic mistake, witches would loose faith in the Elders and maybe
even the White Lighters themselves. Many would refuse to listen to
the Elders. If that should happen, evil could win without a battle.
Without the cooperation between the Elders, the White Lighters, and
the witches, no one would be safe. Mankind would be overrun by demons
in no time."
"I wondered where the Hollow came from," said Paige. "We were
told it wasn't good or evil, but I've always wondered who or what
created it and why."
"It didn't end there, did it?" asked Piper.
"No, it didn't," said Justin. "It was called the Hollow because
it seemed there was no limit to how much magic it could absorb. As if
it were a hollow void, incapable of ever being filled.
"Once the joining was complete, the Hollow instinctively went in
search of magic. Good or evil magic made no difference. Any magic it
came across was absorbed. Soon it became evident to the leaders of
both good and evil that they had a common enemy. An enemy that didn't
discriminate in its' choice of victims."
"We knew that good and evil have to work together to stop the
Hollow," said Piper.
"Yes," said Justin. "Everyone knew it couldn't be vanquished.
Any magic used against it would simply be absorbed by it. So it had
to be contained."
"Just like they tried to do with Caroline," said Phoebe.
"Not exactly," said Justin. ""This was much more complicated.
It was decided there was only one thing that could contain such a
powerful magical force. Anti-magic."
"What's anti-magic?" asked Piper.
"The opposite of magic," said Leo. "There's a dimension that
nullifies magic. It makes magic powerless. It's the only thing that
could contain the Hollow. Since anti-magic isn't magic, the Hollow
couldn't absorb it."
"True," said Justin. "But no one had ever tried to bring anti-
magic into the Earthly realm before. We had no way of knowing what
the effects would be. But there simply was no other choice."
"A portal was opened to the anti-magic dimension," continued
Leo. "Then a witch went through to get some anti-magic to bring
back."
"How would the witch open a portal back if magic doesn't work
there?" asked Paige.
"There are natural portals between the two," said Justin. "You
have to know precisely where to look and what to do to open one. This
witch had that information. She volunteered to bring the anti-magic
back.
"Well, she located what she was looking for and opened a portal
back. But they had misjudged the effects bringing anti-magic into
this dimension would have. As soon as she stepped through the portal,
a massive explosion occurred."
"It destroyed an entire continent," said Leo.
"You mean Atlantis, don't you?" asked Phoebe. "Atlantis did
exist?"
"Until about thirty-five-hundred years ago it did," said Justin.
Nothing was left of it. It didn't sink into the ocean, as most people
believe. It was totally obliterated. Eventually the anti-magic was
located. Then it was given to a mortal craftsman to fashion the
prison for the Hollow. As a mortal, he had no magic that would affect
the anti-magic."
"The box the Hollow is kept in," said Paige. "That's what he
fashioned."
"That's right," said Justin. "The inscription on the box
doesn't actually trap the Hollow. It's more like it summons it to the
box. That's why it takes the most powerful forces of good and evil
combined to make it work. The incantation artificially magnifies
their power making it irresistible to the Hollow. It goes in search
of that magic and the incantation gives the impression the magic is in
the box. Once the lid is closed, it can't get out without being
destroyed."
"Now, you know," said Leo. "You know the dark secret of the
White Lighters. Something no White Lighter wants anyone to find out.
That's why we are forbidden from saying anything. Even to those who
are closest to us. And why White Lighters and witches are forbidden
from becoming involved with each other."
"I don't understand why it's such a dark secret," said Paige.
"What do you think would happen," said Justin, "if it became
known that a White Lighter was responsible for the creation of the
Hollow?"
"It's not their fault," said Phoebe. "It's not even the fault
of the Elders. This Caroline made her own decision to be evil."
"Yes," said Justin, "and the Elders failed to see it coming.
They should have seen it. If it ever got out that they made such a
drastic mistake, witches would loose faith in the Elders and maybe
even the White Lighters themselves. Many would refuse to listen to
the Elders. If that should happen, evil could win without a battle.
Without the cooperation between the Elders, the White Lighters, and
the witches, no one would be safe. Mankind would be overrun by demons
in no time."