Lucian's pulse pounded in his ears.
The stranger—Ash—stood before them, calm and unreadable, their violet eyes filled with an unsettling certainty.
Selene remained tense beside him, her fire still flickering at her fingertips, waiting. Watching.
Lucian could feel the weight of the darkness inside him pressing against his ribs, slithering through his veins like a slow, creeping poison.
And this person—this Ash—claimed to know how to stop it.
Lucian tightened his grip on his blade. "Start talking."
Ash arched a brow. "You're burning up from the inside, aren't you? You feel it—like something is gnawing at your soul."
Lucian's jaw clenched.
He hated that they were right.
Ash took a slow step forward. "I know what the Abyss is doing to you because I've seen it before." Their voice lowered slightly. "I've lived it."
Selene's eyes narrowed. "You've been touched by the Abyss?"
Ash exhaled slowly. "More than touched. I've been claimed by it. And I know what happens when you let it fester." Their gaze flickered to Lucian. "You think you can fight it. But the longer you wait, the more it will take. Until there's nothing of you left."
Lucian swallowed hard. The shadows in his chest throbbed at the words, as if mocking him.
Selene stepped in front of him protectively. "And what do you want in return for this information?"
Ash smirked, but there was no real amusement in it. "Clever. You assume I have a price."
Selene's expression hardened. "Everyone has a price."
For the first time, Ash's mask of indifference cracked—just slightly. "You're right." They paused, then sighed. "But we'll get to that. First, you need to understand what you're up against."
Lucian forced himself to stay still, even as the darkness inside him seemed to writhe at Ash's presence.
"Then start explaining," he growled.
The Truth About the Abyss
Ash's gaze grew distant.
"The Abyss is not just some dark force."
Selene frowned. "We know that already. It's a sentient, consuming power—"
Ash shook their head. "It's more than that."
Lucian and Selene exchanged a glance.
Ash exhaled. "The Abyss doesn't just take. It... chooses. And once it chooses someone, it doesn't simply want to consume them." Their violet eyes darkened slightly. "It wants them to become something else."
A chill ran down Lucian's spine. "Something else?"
Ash's voice dropped lower. "A Vessel."
Selene stiffened. "A Vessel?"
Ash nodded. "The Abyss isn't just a mindless void. It has will. It has purpose. And when it finds a soul strong enough, it doesn't try to devour them immediately." Their gaze locked onto Lucian. "It tries to mold them."
Lucian felt a cold dread settle in his chest.
He thought back to the battle—to the way the darkness had answered him, had fueled his body, had made him faster, stronger, ruthless.
Had he… given in?
Ash's voice softened. "That's what it's doing to you. It's testing you. Changing you. And if you let it—if you keep using its power—one day, you won't recognize yourself anymore."
Lucian's breath hitched.
Because deep down, he already felt it.
The way the shadows whispered to him in the quiet moments. The way they offered him strength when he needed it most.
Selene looked between them, her flames glowing brighter, as if trying to fight off the very idea of what Ash was saying. "So how do we stop it?"
Ash hesitated. "There's only one way."
Selene's eyes sharpened. "Tell us."
Ash's lips pressed into a thin line. Then, finally—
"You have to sever the connection completely. Before it finishes binding itself to him."
Lucian's stomach twisted. "And how do we do that?"
Ash's gaze darkened.
"You go to the Rift."
Silence fell.
Selene's breath caught. "The Rift?"
Lucian's fists clenched.
The Rift—the place where the Abyss bleeds into this world. The place where its power is purest—and most dangerous.
Going there would be suicide.
But Ash's expression was serious. "It's the only way. The Rift is the source. If you sever the connection there, you break the Abyss's hold on you. Permanently."
Lucian exhaled. His mind screamed at him to deny it, to push the idea away.
But… if there was even a chance that it could stop this—
"Where is it?" Selene asked, her voice steady.
Ash hesitated for only a moment before answering.
"It lies beneath the Forsaken Ruins."
Lucian tensed.
The Forsaken Ruins—a place of death and lost souls. A place even the bravest warriors feared to tread.
Selene didn't flinch. "Then we'll go."
Lucian's breath caught. "Selene—"
She turned to him, her fire flickering behind her golden eyes. "I'm not losing you, Lucian."
Her voice was unwavering.
Lucian held her gaze. There was no hesitation in her, no fear. Just determination.
He let out a slow breath, his fingers brushing against hers. "Then we go."
Ash watched them both, then nodded. "Be ready. The Abyss won't let you sever the bond without a fight."
Lucian smirked, though there was little humor in it. "Let it try."
But beneath his confidence, he knew—
This was no ordinary battle.
This was a fight for his very soul.
End of Chapter Forty-Seven