"What it means to go Hollow?

Hollows have no purpose in life. No dreams to fight for. No path to walk through. Hollows aren't aware of their own virtues, neither their worse vices. Hollows have no use of good or evil, no appreciation of life and death, no awareness of beauty and ugliness. Hollows know no meaning of light and dark. They don't belong to any of them.

Hollows exist for one only purpose: to embrace the Oblivion.

What it means to be a Hollow?

It means everything... And nothing.

It means to forget what do you love the most. It implies to stop caring about the only thing that fuels your life. It means to bury your past and leave it behind a blurry curtain of shades and dreams you never realized you had. It means to sacrifice the last glimpse of what means to be yourself.

How does it begin? How one becomes a Hollow?

The curse is just one stept ahead. Anyone can have it. Anyone can inherit it. It doesn't warn you, and before you even notice it begins swallowing your memories, your dreams, your identity. But that's not the last of it. Memories can be rebuild, life can go on, dreams can be born again.

One becomes a Hollow when the last glimpse of hope dies in a desperate attempt to retrieve the only thing we all seek for to make us feel fulfilled: humanity.

One becomes a Hollow when the fact of remaining human at all costs prevails over the need of feeding our dreams, to stay strong and be ourselves.

One becomes a Hollow when power and recognition is the only thing that matters, and the small things that fuel our soul are forgotten.

Humans might not look like humans, but they remain as individuals, marvelous in their strenghts and flaws. Hollows started to seek only to be humans, and in the process they forgot to be just themselves.

Not all Hollows are to blame for their own condition. Many of them just never realized what they really cared for in life, or what was the meaning of their lives. Many just let their dreams die and their souls with them. Many never seeked for anything in their whole life, and so they died prematurely, leaving a sorry carcass behind them.

Ironically, some of those obsessed with recognition, fame and significance are just doomed to be forgotten the first. And sadly enough, many strong fighters who did the impossible to survive without sacrificing their own selves succumbed to the curse in the end, maybe because they were way too tired to fight.

What it means to be a Hollow?

It means everything... and nothing. Everything I ever wish that never happens to you. Nothing I ever expect to happen to you.

Because you never give up on yoursef, on anybody around you. Because you believe in something, you have plenty of love to share, and a despair-proof heart. Because you've fallen many times, died many times, and yet you wake up over and over, fueling your soul with the warm flames of the healing bonfire.

You are a paladin, a protector of the week; you are a thief, a mischievous spy who gets his eyes on all the beautiful things; you are a sorcerer, conjuring lost souls to fight by your side; you are a pyromancer, wielding the flames of passion burning high inside of you.

You are many things, all of them great and worthy of recognition. But even if history would never remember your name, don't let Oblivion take the things you love from you. Don't let despair to convince you to take your soul off for the seek of pity treacherous Humanity. Don't let sadness to think that it's too late before the fight has ever begun.

Whatever you do, Crosis Laurekal, don't get yourself killed. Certainly neither of us want to see you go Hollow.

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A little birthday gift for my everlasting pal Crosis Laurekal."