The pendant burned against Christian's skin.
It felt like an old wound that had never healed, something buried deep within him—but not his. The pendant hummed with energy, its dark pulse resonating with the core inside his chest.
Riven's eyes gleamed, narrowing in on the pendant. "I was wondering when it would reveal itself."
"What is this?" Christian asked again, his fingers still wrapped around the cool jade. "Why does it feel... connected to me?"
Riven chuckled darkly, stepping closer, his footsteps barely making a sound. "It's not just connected to you. It has always been connected to you. That pendant is a relic from the Abyssal Void—an artifact linked to the dark energy that pulses in your core. And now, it's awakening. Just like you."
Christian felt a shiver run through him. The words haunted him. Abyssal Void. The name alone sent a chill through his spine.
"But why?" Christian breathed. "Why is it tied to me?"
Riven's lips curled into a cold smile. "Because your core… it isn't just any Void. It's a key—a key to something much older than the world itself. And that pendant... well, it's the key that unlocks your full potential."
Christian's heart raced. "Full potential? What are you talking about?"
Riven's smile grew, filled with malice. "The Void wasn't just sealed away for fun, Vale. It was sealed because it devours everything it touches. The last time the Void fully awoke, the world nearly ended."
Christian stepped back, panic rising. "So what does this mean for me?"
"It means," Riven said softly, "that you're not just a student. You're the beginning of something much bigger. Something dark. And whether you control it or not, the Abyss will eventually claim you."
Christian's fingers clenched around the pendant as the dark energy inside him pulsed. No… this can't be true. But his gut told him it was.
"Enough," Kien's voice cut through the tension. She stepped forward, her eyes burning with intensity. "If you're done threatening him, leave. Now."
Riven's gaze flicked to her, his smirk still in place. "You should be careful, Kien. He's already chosen his path. The Abyss doesn't let go once it claims you."
Christian glanced at Kien, who stood with a quiet strength he didn't fully understand. She had always known more about the Void than she let on. Now, he could see it in her eyes—fear. Fear not of Riven, but of what might come if Christian truly fell under the Void's influence.
Riven turned to leave, but not before speaking one final word.
"We'll meet again, Christian Vale. When the time comes, don't say I didn't warn you."
Later That Night – In the Depths of Spirit Space
Christian lay in his bed, eyes wide open, his mind racing. The pendant still rested on his chest, and the energy it radiated seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat.
What was the Abyss? Why was it tied to him?
Suddenly, the room grew cold. The shadows deepened, as if the very walls of the room were bending. Christian sat up, heart pounding. He felt it again—the pressure. That dark force closing in.
The pendant pulsed brighter, and Christian couldn't help but grasp it tighter.
The Vision
In an instant, the room vanished.
Christian found himself standing in an endless expanse of black water, the sky above an eerie, glowing red. He was alone—or so it seemed. Around him, shapes lurked in the distance, half-formed, twisted beings that drifted through the water like wraiths.
And then, from the depths, something stirred.
A massive, shifting shadow broke the surface of the water. Its shape was indescribable, like a mass of swirling smoke, but there were eyes—countless eyes—glowing like stars in the dark.
It spoke without words.
"You are the one. The one who will awaken us."
The voice reverberated inside his skull, and Christian's vision blurred with the sheer power of it. He tried to move, but his body felt frozen, as though the water around him was holding him in place.
"You will lead us to freedom… to the end of all things."
Christian's heart raced as a flood of images flashed before his eyes—visions of destruction, of cities swallowed by shadow, of oceans burning with black flame. The Abyss. The end.
"Only you can open the gates," it said, its voice like a wave crashing over him. "Only you can choose… whether the world will survive or fall."
Christian stumbled back, gasping for air, as the vision shattered, and he was thrown back into his bed, drenched in cold sweat.
The Next Morning – The Weight of Knowledge
Christian woke, his mind spinning with the remnants of the vision. He felt the weight of the Void pressing on him more than ever.
"Christian," Kien's voice broke through his thoughts as she entered the room, looking concerned. "Are you okay?"
He didn't know how to answer. The weight of what Riven had said—and what the vision had shown him—was too much.
"I don't know, Kien," he said quietly. "But I think… I think the Abyss is closer than I thought. It's coming for me."
Kien hesitated, then walked to his side, kneeling down. "We'll face it together. No matter what it takes."
Christian looked at her, gratitude flooding him. She had always been there, supporting him even when she knew the path he walked was dangerous. He nodded slowly.
"I'm not sure I can control this," he whispered. "But I have to try."
Far Away – The Watcher in the Dark
The dark entity in the Abyss watched the vision unfold. Its eyes burned brighter, its hunger growing.
"He will open the gate. And when he does… the world will burn."
Christian's journey was just beginning. The Abyss was calling, and he was no longer just a student. He was a key—a key to a power far darker and more dangerous than anything he could have imagined.