The group moved cautiously through the broken remnants of the Forgotten Citadel, its towering walls now reduced to jagged stone and dust.
The oppressive darkness that had suffocated the place was gone, but the air still felt heavy with the residue of the abyss's power. Ashen led the way, his steps steady but purposeful, the golden aura around him flickering faintly in the dim light.
Seren walked beside him, her eyes scanning their surroundings. The others followed closely, every one of them warier than before, as if expecting something to rise from the wreckage.
Their battle had been fierce, but the aftermath felt like an unsettling calm before a storm.
"You're quiet," Seren remarked, glancing up at Ashen. "Something on your mind?"
Ashen didn't answer immediately. His mind was swirling with questions—questions about the Harbinger's words, the true nature of the abyss, and what it meant for their future. But mostly, he was troubled by the fact that, for all their victories, the abyss had not been destroyed. It had only been pushed back.
"I'm thinking about what the Harbinger said," he admitted finally. "The abyss doesn't vanish. It waits."
Seren's expression shifted, her brow furrowing slightly. "You think it'll come back?"
"I know it will." Ashen's gaze darkened as he scanned the ruins. "The abyss is not something you can just erase. It's always there, lurking in the cracks of the world, in the hearts of those who give in to it."
Seren fell silent, considering his words.
They continued their journey through the ruins until they reached a clearing, a vast open space at the center of the citadel. It was here, amid the broken statues and crumbling pillars, that Ashen stopped. He could feel it—the faintest stir of something. Not the abyss, but something more primal.
"Here," he said, more to himself than to anyone else. "This place. It's still connected."
The others gathered around him, confused. "Connected to what?" Aric asked, his voice strained with exhaustion.
Ashen took a deep breath, then knelt beside a shattered stone pedestal. It was half-buried beneath rubble, but there was something about it—a faint, pulsing energy that hummed through the very air.
"This isn't just a citadel," Ashen murmured. "It was a seal."
"A seal?" Seren repeated, kneeling beside him. "A seal for what?"
Ashen didn't answer immediately. His fingers brushed against the remnants of the pedestal's carvings, tracing the ancient runes that still glowed faintly despite the damage. It was as if the very foundations of this place were alive, resonating with the power they had once held.
"A seal against the abyss," he finally said. "But not just any part of the abyss. This citadel was built to contain something far more dangerous—something the abyss could not fully control."
Seren's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Ashen stood, his face grim. "I'm not sure yet. But I have a feeling that what the Harbinger called 'the abyss' is just a fragment of something larger. Something ancient."
The others exchanged uncertain glances.
"It's too quiet here," Aric said, voice trembling. "We've won the battle, but this place feels wrong. Like there's something waiting."
Ashen didn't answer. Instead, he turned his attention to the remnants of the citadel, his mind racing. If this was a seal, it was clearly broken—perhaps by the Harbinger's presence or the destruction of the obelisk. But if the abyss was only one part of a greater force… what had they truly unleashed?
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed through the ground beneath them.
The air grew heavy, thick with an unnatural pressure that pressed down on them from all sides. The ground trembled, the stones groaning as if they were shifting beneath an unseen weight.
"Everyone, back!" Ashen shouted.
It was too late.
From the depths of the ruins, a massive crack appeared, running through the center of the clearing. The crack widened, a jagged chasm splitting the earth open. And from within the chasm… something began to rise.
Ashen's golden aura flared brightly, casting a protective light around the group as the figure slowly emerged. It was unlike anything they had seen before—towering and immense, its form obscured by shadows and swirling darkness.
Its presence was suffocating, its power overwhelming. The Harbinger had been only a messenger, a fragment of a greater, more terrifying force. And now, Ashen realized, the true source of the abyss was revealing itself.
The figure's eyes—if they could even be called eyes—glowed with a faint, sickly light, a reflection of the abyss itself. It spoke, its voice a low, resonant growl that shook the ground.
"You have broken the seal. You have released me."
Ashen felt his heart skip a beat. This… was no ordinary being. This was something ancient, something far older and far darker than even the Harbinger.
The figure loomed above them, its voice growing louder with each word.
"I am the abyss. The true abyss. And now, the world shall return to nothingness."