EPISODE TITLE: "The Hollow of Worlds"

DATE: September 12, 2025

ARCHIVIST'S PERSONAL RECORDING:

[The audio clicks on, a soft hum in the background indicating old machinery or perhaps the gentle whir of a computer fan. The Archivist’s voice, always a blend of curiosity and caution, resonates.]

The Archivist:

"This dossier explores not just the scientific, but the esoteric significance of bacteria in human digestion. For years, our community believed that understanding the microbiome could unlock higher truths. Here at Hollow Pines, such truths are not just academic—they are a matter of survival—or perhaps, transcendence."

EXHIBIT A: Lab notes on symbiotic bacterial digestion

Note: The notes are written in a precise, almost obsessively neat handwriting. The margins are crowded with annotations, some of which resemble the glyphs ◬ seen in The Pale Veil iconography.

Lab Note Entry #346:

"Testing shows that our engineered strain V-23 exhibits unusual behavior when exposed to plant fibers collected near the Chapel of Whispers. The bacteria not only break down the cellulose more efficiently but also emit a faint bioluminescence. Need to isolate the cause—potential link to photosensitive properties discovered in Ashen Gospel, Chapter 7, Verse 12, forgotten until now."

MARGIN NOTE (scribbled in a shaky hand):

"Beneath the shadow of the ◬, digestion becomes not destruction, but transmutation. This is the forgotten verse. The process—the secrets within us."

EXHIBIT B: Intercepted communication from The Choir

This document appears to have been hastily copied, perhaps photographed with a low-quality device. The ink is smudged, and there are clear signs of water damage.

To: [Redacted] From: The Keeper of The Choir

"It has come to our attention that the activities at Hollow Pines may have breached the conditions set forth in the Ashen Gospel. The synthesis of flora and bacteria has been foretold to herald the New Dawn, but strict adherence to the protocols of handling the sacred strains must be observed. You have not logged this experiment in Ledger 13, which remains missing."

Attached Postscript:

"Ensure the Archivist receives none of this correspondence. His recent curiosity could unravel threads best left woven tight."

EXHIBIT C: Transcript of a recorded field observation near Hollow Pines

Recording starts abruptly, the sound of rustling leaves and distant thunder setting a somber tone.

Unknown Observer:

"Observation Log, September 9. It's just past midnight. The test plot near the old mill shows extraordinary growth. The engineered bacteria seem to have accelerated the decomposition of organic material, but... there's something else. The soil—it's... humming? No, not humming. It's like a chant. I can feel it more than hear it. It's similar to the hymns The Choir sings on the eve of the Harvest Moon."

Pause, rustling noise.

"I've planted the citrus from the experiment titled 'The Science of Citrus Colors' here. The fruits are ripening at an alarming rate, their colors unnaturally vivid. According to The Archivist's new theory, the peculiarities might be tied to—"

Sudden silence followed by a low, indistinct whispering. Then, the recording cuts off.

ARCHIVIST'S PERSONAL RECORDING (continued):

[The background noise is louder now, almost as if the Archivist is moving, his breath slightly hurried.]

The Archivist:

"The interconnectivity of all these findings cannot be mere coincidence. The bacteria, the plants, even the soil of Hollow Pines—they’re changing, evolving into something that's not documented in any scientific journals. My hypothesis? We're on the brink of discovering a biological nexus, a Hollow of Worlds, where the fabric of our reality might be thinner, more pliable."

EXHIBIT D: Final entry from The Archivist’s personal journal

The handwriting here is frantic, with heavy strokes as if pressed hard by a trembling hand. The pages are stained with what could be coffee, or perhaps something darker.

Journal Entry:

"I’ve uncovered something monumental. The bacteria serve as keys—literal keys in the biological sense. They unlock pathways. But also, perhaps, gates? The Choir’s interest in my research is no accident; they know. The verses of the Ashen Gospel hint at more. 'We do not sleep. We wait.' They’ve been waiting for the right conditions. For the phenomena I've unwittingly hastened."

The page is torn, the next words cut off, leaving an ominous stain trailing off the paper.

CONCLUSION:

[The Archivist’s voice trembles, the words laced with a mix of fear and awe.]

"If my fears are correct, we are not merely experimenting with nature—we are courting the arcane. The symbiosis between bacteria and plant here at Hollow Pines might be an embryonic universe, sown from the Ashen Gospel’s darkest prophecies. What then, are we birthing? And more importantly, who or what demands such a genesis?"

[The recording ends abruptly, the sound of a door slamming echoing, leaving an unsettling silence.]

[END OF DOSSIER]