Irredeemable

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Gravel slowly pulled the kingsoul from their own body. As it appeared, Hornet's eyes widened in fascination. She knew of this charm, but she believed it destroyed when the ghost of Hallownest reclaimed their past. Vayne, who had not yet seen the charm, was less impressed. "That's it?"

Hornet looked up at her. "It may seem unimpressive, but this charm is quite powerful."

"Eh, I know what it is, but slowly generating soul doesn't seem that useful. Besides, I was more referring to the way it looks. You'd expect something grand and intricate. Nope. Just some ugly guy's face." Vayne clarified.

Hornet paused. "While it may be true that the king soul's main purpose is to generate soul, it's true value lies in its more secretive ability."

This caught the attention of both Vayne and Gravel. Until now, they had believed the charm to be more burden than anything else. The Godseeker had mentioned that it could summon the "god of gods" but Gravel had believed it to be through a ritual. Could the charm itself do such a thing?

Growing a little impatient, Vayne spoke up. "Well? What does it do?"

Taking the charm from Gravel for a moment, Hornet elaborated. "I happen to have a rather knowledgeable friend. While I am unaware of what exactly the ability is, or how it is triggered, I do know it is catastrophic. Here you are, Gravel." She handed the charm back to them.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I must pay him a visit. He may know what exactly is happening." With that, Hornet exited the room.

What Gravel and Vayne heard next sounded like a combination of paper tearing, glass breaking, and a stream running. Rushing out of the room only presented them with decorations settling back into place after what seemed like a strong wind. Hornet was nowhere in sight.

As I lay in bed, I looked back again on my time in Hallownest. It hadn't been an easy time, but being back home presented its own challenges. People wanted to know where I'd been for the past five years, and I didn't have a good answer for them. Eventually, I decided to just think about it in the morning. I started to drift off to sleep.  A small pebble ricocheted off my window. Of course.

I dragged myself out of bed, rather annoyed to have been interrupted right before falling asleep. However, when I looked out my window, that changed. Staring up at me from the yard, was Hornet.

Glad to see my friend, I threw on a jacket and a pair of shoes. I rushed to the door and quietly opened it. "Hornet!" I exclaimed.

Ever cordial, she responded. "Hello Vessel. (Not getting my name that easily lol) I'm afraid I am in need of your assistance. Hallownest's history has taken a rather interesting turn of events."

I ushered her inside, so we could talk without anyone else knowing. "Can I get you anything?" I asked, as Hornet took a seat.

"No, thank you. I'm afraid I'm on a bit of a tight schedule." She replied.

I laughed a bit. "What else is new? So what can I do for you?"

Hornet hesitated for a moment. "Do you remember the kingsoul charm?"

"Uh, yeah. Ghost had it before they went to face the Radiance." I answered, unsure where she was going with this.

"Recently, the charm has resurfaced. It is currently in the possession of a vessel named Gravel." Hornet explained.

Surprised by this, I could only muster a "what?"

Hornet, however, continued with her story. "They want to destroy the charm, so I can only assume that it is being sought for some nefarious purpose. Do you know of anyone who may desire such a thing?"

I thought about it for a moment. Soon enough, the only possible solution presented itself. "Ok, this is going to sound bad, and that's because it is. I don't think anyone wants the kingsoul itself, besides maybe a charm collector. However, there is a group I know of that would take heavy interest in what it can become."

I continued my thought. "If a vessel reclaims their past, while holding the kingsoul charm, it becomes the void heart. This charm cannot be unequipped and unifies the void under the wearer's will. The only group that would be interested in this, is the Godseekers. I don't know if they're trying to revive the radian-"

"The Radiance?!" Hornet interjected. "What fools would wish to return the Radiance's plague to Hallownest?!"

Realizing she had interrupted, she apologized. "I apologize. The Radiance is a bit of a sour subject. Please, carry on."

Naturally, I did just that. "I hate to say it, but the Radiance might be the better option. If the Godseekers know what the Void Heart can do, the radiance will simply be the bait to lure out the true 'god of gods' they seek. And that god will be whoever is holding onto the charm."

Hornet, understandably, seemed concerned about this. "Do tell me, what is this, 'god of gods' they wish to find?"

I pulled out my phone and quickly googled an image to show her. I presented my findings. "This, is the god they seek. I don't know if it has a name, but it's commonly known as 'the shade lord'."

As Hornet contemplated the being, I explained further. "What makes it interesting, is that only a vessel can become the shade lord. However, once a vessel does trigger its formation, all vessels, and all void beings for that matter, also become the shade lord."

Hornet stood. "I am truly sorry, but I believe I must go now. This needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible."

"I understand." I said. "Just know you're always welcome here. It's been nice to see you again."

As her portal opened, Hornet smiled slightly. "I could say the same to you. It has been quite some time since your departure from Hallownest. In one world or another, we will have a proper conversation when this is resolved. Until then, my friend." She hopped into the portal and was gone.

It really was nice to see her again. Maybe I should make a return trip at some point. It would be a nice break from the chaos that had now become my life. Maybe sometime soon. Yeah, maybe.

Having returned to Hallownest, Hornet explained the situation to Gravel and Vayne. "Gravel, you say that you are aware of a way to destroy the charm?"

Gravel nodded and Vayne spoke for them. "Yep, we just have to put it in the great chamber of the forge."

Hornet nodded understanding. "Then we should be going. We may already be running out of time."

That's it for this chapter! This one's a bit short, especially compared to the others, but it needed to be on its own. I know where everything is going from here, and I'm excited to finish telling this story. As always, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you in the next chapter!