The company had been wandering the woods for three days. At first, they tried to use their map at hand, but it did not match the sight at all. They realized that, whatever spell the cultist used had changed the entirety of the forest completely.

The man came up with a plan. He started to draw a map of their tracks as they went. It wasn't perfect, but it did prevent them from going in circles. No matter where they went, they could not find a way out. Be it a mysterious fog, an invisible barrier, or bushes as tall and as dense as the walls themselves, something was always blocking their path.

One obstacle, in particular, was incredibly strange to them. It was an unbelievably big spider web. No matter how hard they cut at it with a blade or a spear, it did not even flinch. It rendered fire useless as well. Not even a full-powered blow from Wolf's mace had any effect on it. And yet, the wanderer felt that behind it was a way out of there, but they needed to move on. By the third day, the traveler realized that the maze was just the beginning of the trap. The forest, more subtly, did what the maze could not. It wore them down. All of them were tired, enraged. Especially Wolf. He cried out in anger.

'Ah, for the love of all the gods! We have been walking here for an eternity, and we are nowhere closer to the exit than where we began! Maybe I should just cut down these fucking trees one by one!'

Scythian, while exhausted himself, tried to keep his co-guide calm.

'Please, calm down. Shouting and anger do not do us any good. We are all tired, but don't forget that we have a map in the making. Soon we will find our way out of here. Isn't that right, lad?' the old spearman turned to the young warrior.

'It is true,' started the man. 'We have a map. But I'm afraid it's already complete within these borders. See that tree over there?' He pointed at a tree with a twisted trunk. He had drawn it on the map as a landmark and even carved a big X on it to be sure. And sure enough, it was in the same place as before.

'That means that we have traveled the section affected by the foe's spell, and it is completely cut off from the rest of the forest. No way in, no way out. I still think that the spider web is our best bet right now. If we can find a way to—'

'But there is none!' the master of battle interrupted. 'We have already tried that! That way is completely blocked! If we had just pushed through that 'barrier' which only you think is there, we would be out of here already!'

The old fighter snapped at the veteran.

'The barrier is there! We tried our strongest, but its magic will not let us through. But maybe if you had tried harder at the mile-high bush, we could already be in a nice tavern by now!'

Wolf readied himself. For a moment, the man wondered, as often before, what would happen if his two companions fought? Who would win? He quickly dropped the idea.

'Enough!' he shouted. 'Look, fighting amongst ourselves will not solve anything. We need solutions, not further setbacks.'

'Oh, look at him, everyone. Isn't the pup the big leader now? Well, since you are so special, why don't you tell us how to get out?' snarled Wolf. Maybe he did it on purpose, maybe not. But he did press the wrong button. With that sentence, an old feeling crept back into his soul. Amplified. A feeling which he always tried to ignore. The wanderer grabbed the map and threw it at his guide and started to shout.

'BECAUSE I'M NOT SPECIAL! I never was! I was always this useless, mediocre guy who is not good for anything. I never meant anything anywhere nor was important to anyone. I do not matter. I know that! Why do you think I'm so pathetic that I need guides on my way? Sometimes I may seem capable or competent, but that's just dumb luck! I always wanted to matter, I always wanted to feel that I'm needed somewhere, that I belong to a place. That I am important, even for a little. But deep down? No matter where I am, no matter who I am with, I know that I am just not special. Why do you think that creature chose me as a prey?' the man pointed at the Hollow. It seemed a little taller now. Stronger even. It just stood there with a shocked and puzzled expression on its face. Like a child who does not understand what it did wrong. Scythian and Wolf just stared at the man. Speechless about the confession he just made. Even though they had been traveling together for a while now, they had little idea of how deep the man's problems and feelings were.

Wolf was the first to speak, and he turned to the creature.

'It's the monster, isn't it? That is what gives you this feeling.'

The warmaster lifted up his mace. He was determined to put a stop to the harm of his pupil. The creature took a step back. But before they could clash, the wanderer let out a sour chuckle.

'No, it's not its doing,' the man looked at his guide.

'I came to understand something since I faced it. The Hollow just amplifies my feelings and feeds upon them. It's not capable of making me feel any way. The truth is that I always feel this way. No matter what I do or where I am, I have this feeling deep down in my soul. I can suppress it or, given the situation, I can forget it for a moment. But once the moment passes or struggles rise up, the feeling is back. That I'm insignificant. That it does not matter if I live or die. That I am not...' He stopped. He could not speak more.

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'My friend,' Scythian joined in, 'what gives you that idea?'

'I am not sure. I never knew the origin of it, although I have my theories. But it does not matter. None of it. I'm sorry I snapped. We should just move on. It is a problem I have to face alone.'

'You do not,' said the old fighter. 'You are not traveling alone. And your thoughts and feelings matter to us, my friend. Please, share them with us.'

The man was struck. He had not heard words like this for a very, very long time. And even when he did, they proved to be quite dangerous. People used them against him in the past. But this felt different. He could see in the eyes of his guides that they were genuine. He let out a sigh and started talking.

'I always wanted people to have faith in me, in the things I do. For a long time, I thought that by doing good deeds for them, pleasing them, and trying to find companionship with them, I could achieve that. The feeling that I matter to them, that I am more than just a by-passer in this world. But I never could. I wanted acceptance and understanding from the people I cared about so much and sought it so profoundly that whenever I found someone with at least a few similarities, I started to connect with them instantly. Because I wanted to feel accepted, I wanted to feel that I'm not so alone. Too many times I did this, too many times I got burned by them.'

The man's companions listened and took it all in for a moment while the traveler experienced a rush of memories in his head. Images of 'friends' turned strangers, connections that were never there. Instances of love, one-sided. Passed moments where he thought he finally achieved it, only to face the reveal of it all being fake or a dream.

The spearman was the first to speak. He placed his hand on the warrior's shoulder.

'My lad, everyone wants to feel that. Everyone wants to matter, be special, significant in people's lives. Everyone wants a piece of their own in other people's history. There's nothing wrong with that. Nor is it a problem. Everyone wants that reassurance from others. It feels good and sometimes it is needed as well. But by chasing it, you tie yourself down in a web. By focusing on achieving that feeling through being a part of others' stories, you forget to write your own. Be kind to yourself and to others, and you will get to experience what you seek right now. For you are more than deserving of understanding and love. You matter to us and many people.'

The wanderer smiled a little at this thought. It comforted him to a level. His friend continued.

'I have been traveling with you for a while now. I have seen you grow. And while you can be really helpful and caring to others, you often neglect these qualities for yourself. Many times have I seen that you put others' needs before your own or being guilt-stricken when not. This is a noble quality, but don't forget, you have to help yourself first to be able to help others correctly. So here's my advice: give yourself the same amount of love and care that you are willing to give others. And then, you can be truly special to yourself. I bet not even that sour lug over there would argue with this.'

Wolf smirked a little.

'Not necessarily, you bonesack,' he cut back at the fast-moving spearman. Then he turned to the man. 'I would simply like to point out another approach. You say that you feel insignificant, like you don't matter to anyone. In that, you are right.'

The wanderer gave a puzzled look. Was this how the master of battle wanted to cheer him up? Scythian beside him simply shook his head in disbelief.

'Now hold on, because it's not just you. No one does. From the lowest peasant to the highest of kings. From the little ants to the gods themselves, nothing really matters if you look from a perspective. Take anyone out of this world and in the grand scheme of things, nothing would change. Everything and everyone came from nothing and will be nothing in the end. Nothing and no one really matters in this world. So what's the point in constantly trying to be significant in someone else's life? Being insignificant also means that you have no expectations other than the ones that you give yourself. Why burden yourself with searching for connections with people constantly, to get validation, when you could connect with yourself and let others follow if they want? A hundred years from now, none of them will be here to worry about if you meant something to them. So why worry about it now? Everyone gets one chance at life, kid. Live it as you feel fullest, not chasing others' validations. Be the main character in your own story, not a side character in someone else's. And in that sense, be special to yourself and not to someone else. And to be clear: do you think I would have accepted your offer in that tavern if I didn't think that you are special?'

The wanderer smiled at the veteran. He felt a little relieved. He felt that finally, he was understood. Even though he had his doubts. Can he do it? Can he take care of himself the same way he took care of others? Can he make himself matter to himself the same way he wanted to matter to others? How does he even do that? It must have been written on his face because Wolf spoke again.

'It's no easy task, I know that. But with a strong enough will, you can find the way to do it.'

'And you have plenty of that. You just have to use it,' assured Scythian.

'Thank you,' spoke the man. 'Both of you. For being here. And for believing in me.'

The guides simply smiled, and the veteran said, 'Now, it's your turn.'

The creature did not understand. This prey so far was different than any before him. None had the courage to address it. Usually, they just ignored its presence. A foolish mistake, but not for it. For the longer they ignored it, the longer its feast could last. The stronger it could become. And yet the only one who was brave enough to face it and travel with it had such doubts about himself? When he even...

It saw into the prey's soul, but not clearly. It was like looking at a disturbed ocean of memories and feelings. It saw glimpses and pieces of events. Where did these thoughts come from? What could have given these feelings to the man? Of course, it shouldn't have concerned itself with this, as these feelings and emotions fueled it, but it was... curious.

Suddenly, it saw a memory. From long ago, but it was strongly imprinted in its prey. The Hollow reached out and pulled it to the surface and beyond.