The Forsaken had bowed to him.
Lucian couldn't stop thinking about it.
Even as they vanished into the swirling darkness, the weight of what had just happened settled in his chest like a stone sinking into deep water.
He wasn't just fighting the Abyss anymore.
It had started to claim him.
And the worst part?
He didn't know if he had the strength to resist it.
Selene's Silence
Selene hadn't spoken since the Forsaken left.
She walked beside him, her golden flames flickering at her fingertips, but she didn't reach for him.
Did she even know how to?
Lucian could feel the distance growing between them, and it felt worse than any wound he had ever taken.
He wanted to tell her that he was still the same. That he was still her Lucian.
But was that true?
The Abyss was inside him now—not just as an enemy, but as something that recognized him.
And the more he thought about it, the more a dark, terrible thought crept into his mind.
What if this was always meant to happen?
Ash's Warning
They stopped at the edge of a ruined fortress, the stones blackened with old magic.
Ash leaned against a crumbling pillar, arms crossed. Their sharp gaze flickered to Lucian.
"So," they said. "What's your plan?"
Lucian frowned. "Plan for what?"
Ash scoffed. "Don't play dumb. You think we didn't see that? The Forsaken didn't run. They bowed. To you."
Lucian stiffened but didn't deny it.
Ash continued. "And now, we have a choice to make. Do we pretend that didn't happen and keep moving like everything is normal?" Their voice lowered, deadly serious. "Or do we face the fact that you're not just fighting the Abyss anymore?"
Selene flinched at Ash's words, but she said nothing.
Lucian clenched his jaw.
He wanted to argue. To say he was still in control.
But was he?
Because deep inside, something had changed.
The Forsaken had recognized him.
And part of him…
Had recognized them back.
The Abyss Whispers
That night, Lucian couldn't sleep.
The air was thick, the ruins eerily silent. Even the wind had stopped.
And then, in the quiet, he heard it.
A whisper.
Low. Twisting. Familiar.
"You are not afraid anymore."
Lucian's breath caught. His hands curled into fists.
"You are one of us now."
A sharp pain stabbed through his skull, and suddenly, his vision blurred.
The world around him twisted into shadows and fire. He was somewhere else—a dark expanse of swirling mist and distant, glowing eyes.
A figure stepped forward.
The First Vessel.
"You took the first step," the Vessel said smoothly. "Now, you must decide—will you walk the path, or will you fight what you are becoming?"
Lucian's heart pounded. "I'm not becoming anything."
The Vessel's silver eyes gleamed. "A lie. You already feel it, don't you?"
Lucian's fists clenched. "What does the Abyss want from me?"
The Vessel smiled. "It wants what you want."
The words sent a chill down his spine.
Because deep inside, Lucian knew the truth.
There was a part of him that had always craved power.
A part that had always wanted to be more.
Selene's Plea
Lucian gasped, his body snapping back into reality.
A hand was gripping his arm—warm, familiar.
Selene.
Her golden eyes were wide with worry. "Lucian! What happened?"
He realized his breathing was ragged, his skin cold with sweat.
He had almost lost himself just now.
But Selene was still here.
Still fighting for him.
Lucian swallowed hard. He reached up, grasping her hand tightly, grounding himself in her warmth.
"I… I heard it again," he admitted.
Selene didn't flinch. She just held on tighter.
"You don't have to listen," she whispered. "You don't have to become what it wants."
Lucian wanted to believe that.
He really did.
But deep inside, the Abyss was still waiting.
And it wasn't done with him yet.