Lucian couldn't shake the cold.
Even as Selene's golden fire flickered against his skin, warming the chill that had seeped into his bones, he still felt it.
The Abyss.
It wasn't gone.
It was inside him now.
Watching.
Waiting.
And it knew.
Lucian had seen the truth.
Selene's Fear
"Lucian," Selene's voice was soft, but urgent. "Look at me."
Lucian blinked, forcing his gaze to meet hers. Her eyes burned with worry.
"You were gone for almost an hour," she said. "I tried to pull you back, but something—" She hesitated. "Something fought me for you."
Lucian swallowed hard.
It wasn't something.
It was the Abyss itself.
"I'm here," he said, though the words felt hollow. "I'm still me."
Selene didn't look convinced.
And the truth was?
Neither was he.
The Mark Left Behind
Ash crossed their arms, leaning against a broken pillar. "So," they said, "are we gonna talk about that thing on your hand, or are we all just pretending it's not there?"
Lucian frowned.
"What thing?"
Selene sucked in a sharp breath. "Lucian…"
Slowly, hesitantly, she lifted his right hand.
Lucian's stomach dropped.
The veins in his wrist were black.
Not just darkened—black as the void itself, pulsing like liquid shadow beneath his skin.
A mark.
A brand.
A claim.
The Abyss had left something inside him.
Lucian jerked away, his breath ragged. "No," he whispered. "No, no, no—"
"Lucian, stop." Selene reached for him, but he stepped back.
He felt sick.
Because he knew what this meant.
The Abyss wasn't just calling him.
It had marked him as its own.
And it was waiting for him to break.
The First Sign of Corruption
Lucian's hands shook. His heartbeat pounded against his ribs.
"I can fix this," he muttered. "There has to be a way to—"
But then—
The mark flared.
A shockwave of cold darkness slammed through his veins, and Lucian staggered back.
Pain ripped through him, like something inside was trying to pull him apart.
Selene grabbed his arms. "Lucian!"
Lucian's vision blurred. His breathing was shallow, uneven.
And then—
He heard it.
The Abyss.
"You cannot escape us, Lucian."
Lucian clenched his teeth.
"You are already ours."
No.
Lucian growled, forcing himself to stand. "I am not yours!" he snarled. "You don't own me!"
The Abyss only laughed.
And then, the mark began to spread.
The Choice That Must Be Made
Selene's fire rushed over him, pushing back the darkness. "Stay with me!" she ordered, voice frantic. "Lucian, fight it!"
Lucian fought.
He pushed.
And slowly—agonizingly slowly—the black veins receded.
The pain faded.
But the mark remained.
Lucian slumped forward, breathing heavily. Selene caught him, holding him up.
He was still here. Still himself.
But he was changing.
And they both knew it.
Selene swallowed hard. "Lucian," she whispered, "I need you to tell me the truth."
Lucian closed his eyes.
Then, finally, he admitted it.
"It's inside me now," he whispered. "And I don't know how to stop it."
Selene's fingers tightened around his. "Then we'll find a way."
But deep down, Lucian wasn't sure there was one.
What Happens Next?
Ash exhaled sharply. "Well, this sucks," they muttered. "Not to ruin the moment, but, uh… I don't think we're alone anymore."
Lucian looked up.
And his heart stopped.
More Forsaken were appearing. Hundreds. Emerging from the darkness, their hollow eyes fixed on him.
Lucian clenched his fists.
He wasn't theirs.
Not yet.
But the Abyss was done waiting.
And this time, it wasn't just testing him.
It was coming to claim him.
End of Chapter Fifty-Seven