Chapter 3
(Authors note: short chapter is short. I will get on with the story very soon)
The king could not think straight. He just played on the defensive side until he could get his thoughts in line. He told himself to not hold back. His life was on the line. He threw several soul projectiles at his child. They dodged all of them. They were playing the delicate dance of "find an opening".
Hollow unleashed two void tendrils toward him. He was able to jump out of the way, but his child was fast. And lethal. They swung their nail three times in his direction, each one becoming bigger than the last. The final one hit the king and sent him stumbling backwards. He let out a grunt.
Before he even had a chance to think about healing, Hollow leaped before plummeting down and making several sets of swords appear from the ground. The king had taught them that attack. He was able to roll out of the way, throwing soul daggers at them. A perfect strike. Hollow fell to their hands and knees, staggered.
The king could finish them right then and there. He could kill his own spawn. His own child. He could. He could… He couldn't. Instead, he stood there cowardly until they got to their feet once again.
They were filled with rage and determination. King… monarch… the void continued to whisper in their mind. The desire to kill their own father came from the drive of the void. In an attempt to surprise him, they conjured their arm into a tentacle and grabbed him, throwing him across the empty room.
The king hit the wall, the wind knocked out of him. He tried standing up, but was far too weak. He needed to heal, only to find that he was out of soul. So this was the end of his reign. His child teleported over to where he lay. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his wife. She was standing, watching the scene.
Hollow stood, towering over their father. It was time for them to rule. But, as they took out their nail for one final attack, they stopped. Must… suffer… there the whispering was again. They slowly reached for the dream nail being held on their back.
His lady didn't even show any expression or emotion whatsoever. She was going to let him die. We were supposed to go to the gardens today… It was going to be a relaxing bonding day. The king looked at his child for possibly the last time. The king could hear their mind that had been buried away by the urge of the void, whispering… I can't control it.
A small idea snuck into his mind. What if… what if they fulfilled their duty as the Hollow Knight? The thought was wiped away by the iconic sound of the dream nail, and as the blade met his body and he melted down into gray and white essence, all he could think of was… why them. Why my own child. Out of everyone that could have ended my reign, it would have to be the one that I cared for most.
(authors note: again, huge thanks to MrsLittleTall for inspo)
