The Abyss wasn't done with Lucian.
It whispered. It called.
And it waited.
Lucian felt its pull with every step, every breath. It was no longer just a distant presence in the shadows—it was inside him now. A part of him.
And the worst part?
It wasn't fighting him anymore.
Because it knew.
Sooner or later, he would come to it willingly.
Selene's Desperation
They had been walking in silence for hours.
Lucian felt Selene's gaze on him—watching, studying, worrying.
She thought he didn't notice the way her fingers curled into fists. The way she kept glancing at his hands, as if expecting something dark and terrible to slip from his skin.
She was afraid.
Not of him.
For him.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Lucian," she said, voice tight. "We need to talk."
Lucian exhaled. He knew this was coming. "I know."
Selene stopped walking and turned to face him. Her golden flames flickered in her eyes. "You're changing," she said.
Lucian stiffened. "I'm fine."
"You're not," she said softly, but firmly. "You're barely sleeping. You flinch like something's always whispering to you. And those Forsaken—Lucian, they didn't run. They bowed."
Lucian clenched his jaw. He knew all of this. But hearing it from Selene made it real in a way he didn't want to face.
"I'm still me," he said, but even to his own ears, it sounded uncertain.
Selene's expression softened, but her voice was steel. "Then fight it. Right now, you're letting it sink into you, and I—" She stopped, inhaling sharply. Then, more quietly: "I don't want to lose you."
Lucian's chest tightened.
He had faced armies. He had walked through fire.
But the fear in Selene's voice? That was the only thing that truly terrified him.
The First Test
A sharp crack split the air.
Lucian and Selene both turned. Ash was already moving, blades drawn. "We have company," they muttered.
A deep growl rumbled from the darkness.
Then, the shadows came alive.
Creatures—twisted, monstrous, not fully formed—began emerging from the mist. Their bodies shifted and warped, like they were caught between reality and nightmare.
Lucian's stomach turned.
They were Abyssborn.
And the moment they saw him—
They hesitated.
Lucian felt the connection before he even realized what was happening. The creatures didn't lunge. Didn't snarl.
They were waiting.
For him.
Selene swore under her breath. "No," she whispered. "Not this. Not now."
Lucian gritted his teeth. He could feel their minds pressing against his, waiting for a command.
And the most terrifying thing?
He could give them one.
With a single thought, he could make them stand down.
Or—
He could make them obey.
A Line in the Sand
"Lucian," Selene's voice was sharp, urgent. "Do not give in to this."
Lucian couldn't move. His heart hammered.
The Abyss was testing him. Watching.
He knew what it wanted.
All he had to do was reach out.
Just one command.
One moment of surrender.
And it would be so easy.
Selene's fingers curled around his wrist, grounding him. "Lucian," she whispered.
Lucian's breath came ragged.
And then, he did something the Abyss did not expect.
He turned his blade on them.
His sword sang through the air. Light and fire collided with darkness, and the Abyssborn let out a collective screech as they burned away into nothingness.
Lucian staggered back, chest heaving.
He had made a choice.
And he had defied the Abyss.
The Abyss Fights Back
The air around him shattered.
Lucian barely had a second to react before pain exploded through his mind. He stumbled, gripping his skull, a snarl ripping from his throat.
"You refuse us?"
The voice wasn't a whisper anymore.
It was a roar.
Lucian fell to his knees, his vision flickering. Shadows clawed at the edges of his thoughts, trying to pull him under.
"You are Ours, Lucian."
No.
No, he wasn't.
Lucian gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. His breath came in sharp, ragged bursts.
The Abyss wanted to punish him for resisting.
But he wasn't theirs.
Not yet.
Selene's hands were suddenly on his face, pulling him back. "Lucian," she whispered, "stay with me."
Lucian's vision cleared. The pain lessened.
And just like that, the Abyss was gone.
For now.
What Happens Next?
Ash exhaled sharply, sliding their blades away. "Well," they muttered. "That was a disaster."
Lucian ran a shaking hand through his hair. He was exhausted.
But he had made his choice.
And the Abyss had made its next move.
Selene stepped closer, her golden eyes searching his. "Are you still with me?"
Lucian took a breath.
And nodded.
For now, he was still Lucian.
But the Abyss was done waiting.
And next time… it wouldn't ask.