The chamber trembled as the dark creature on the altar stirred, its glowing eyes widening with malice. The air was thick with an energy Lucian had never felt before—an energy so old, so pure in its malevolent power, that it seemed to warp reality itself. It wasn't just the Abyss; this was something else, something far deeper and more dangerous.
Lucian tightened his grip on his sword, his heart pounding in his chest. "We need to move quickly," he muttered, more to himself than to Selene. The last thing he wanted was for them to become trapped in this place, ensnared by whatever dark force had been lying dormant for centuries.
Selene moved beside him, her gaze locked on the creature. "Lucian," she said, her voice tight, "this thing… it's not like the shadows we've faced before. It's bound by chains, but the energy holding it is unlike anything I've ever felt."
Lucian glanced over at her. He could see the worry in her eyes, but her determination was still as fierce as ever. "We'll handle it. We have to."
The creature's mouth opened, revealing rows of sharp, serrated teeth, but instead of a sound, there was only a pulse of dark energy. The chains around its body glowed brighter, and with each passing moment, the power within the vault seemed to grow stronger. Lucian could feel the weight of it pressing in on him, pushing him toward the edge of his limits.
The air became colder, and a deep, rumbling voice echoed in their minds. "You should not have come, mortals. The Abyss is eternal. You cannot stop what has already been set in motion."
Selene's eyes flashed, her body tense. "Lucian, I—" she started, but before she could finish, the chains binding the creature erupted in a flash of black light. The force of the explosion knocked them both backward, sending them crashing into the stone walls of the chamber.
Lucian gritted his teeth as he scrambled to his feet. The creature was free, its dark energy swirling around it in a chaotic, violent storm. The chains had vanished, shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving nothing but the black mist that seemed to pulse with life.
The creature's form shifted, twisting and growing larger, its limbs elongating into jagged, monstrous appendages. Its skin rippled with dark energy, and its eyes blazed with an unholy fire. It let out a deafening roar, a sound that rattled the very bones of the cathedral.
Selene pushed herself up, her sword at the ready. "We're going to need more than just swords to defeat this thing."
Lucian nodded grimly, the weight of her words sinking in. He could feel the creature's power growing by the second. If they didn't act quickly, they would be consumed by it.
"We need to stop it before it can fully awaken," Lucian said, his voice determined.
But as he stepped forward, the creature's gaze snapped to him, and with a swift, brutal motion, it hurled a blast of dark energy directly at him. Lucian barely had time to react before the energy struck him, sending him flying across the chamber, his body crashing into the cold stone floor.
Pain shot through him, but he forced himself to rise, ignoring the burn of the dark power coursing through his veins. He couldn't let it take him. Not now. Not when they were so close to ending this.
Selene rushed to his side, her hand outstretched. "Lucian, we need to think this through. We can't just charge in blindly."
But Lucian was already on his feet, his eyes fixed on the creature. "We don't have time," he said through gritted teeth. "We have to stop it now, before it grows too powerful."
As if in response, the creature snarled, its form shifting again, its power crackling in the air. The walls of the vault trembled as the ground beneath them shook.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light in the distance, and a figure appeared in the doorway of the chamber.
"Lucian!" a voice called, sharp and commanding.
Lucian turned, his heart pounding in his chest. The figure was cloaked in dark robes, their features hidden beneath a hood. But Lucian didn't need to see their face to recognize them.
"Alistair?" Lucian asked, disbelief and confusion flooding his voice.
Alistair stepped forward, his eyes glowing faintly with the same dark energy that had surrounded the creature. He raised his hand, and the creature's power seemed to pause, as if the very air around them was being held in check.
"Lucian, Selene," Alistair said, his voice low but urgent. "You have no idea what you're dealing with here."
Lucian's grip tightened on his sword. "What are you doing here, Alistair? You shouldn't be here. This is beyond anything you can handle."
Alistair's lips curled into a faint smile, but there was no warmth in it. "I came to stop the creature you're trying to destroy. Because, unlike you, I understand what it is."
Selene stepped forward, her brow furrowed. "What do you mean? You know what this is?"
Alistair nodded slowly, his expression darkening. "I do. This creature is a manifestation of the Abyss, yes, but it's also something more. It was created by an ancient order—an order that sought to harness the power of the Abyss and control it. But the creature was too much for them. They sealed it away here, in the vault, thinking that it would never escape."
Lucian's mind raced. "So it was always meant to be a weapon?"
"A weapon, yes," Alistair confirmed. "But not in the way you think. The Abyss isn't just a force of destruction—it's a source of unimaginable power. And if it's unleashed in full, it will consume everything. Even the world itself."
Lucian felt a cold chill creep down his spine. "Then why didn't you tell us about this before?"
Alistair's eyes darkened. "Because I didn't know how close it was to awakening. But I should have suspected. The dark energy that's been spreading through the city—it's all tied to this creature."
The creature growled in the background, its dark energy intensifying, the air crackling with the raw force of its power.
"We need to stop it," Lucian said, his voice sharp. "How do we do that?"
Alistair hesitated, his gaze flicking to the creature before meeting Lucian's eyes. "There's only one way. You have to destroy the heart of the creature—its source of power. If you can shatter it, you'll destroy the Abyss and everything tied to it."
Lucian's mind raced. "How do we get to it?"
Alistair stepped closer, his voice lowering to a whisper. "The heart is inside the creature. But you can't just kill it. You have to sever its connection to the Abyss. Only then will its power truly die."
Selene's eyes widened. "Sever its connection… But how?"
Alistair's gaze hardened. "I can show you. But you have to trust me."
Lucian and Selene exchanged a glance. There was no time to debate. They had no other choice. They had to trust him.
"Do it," Lucian said, his voice resolute.
Alistair raised his hands, and the dark energy around the creature began to pulse. The air hummed with an almost tangible force as Alistair chanted in an ancient language, his voice resonating with power. The creature snarled, its eyes blazing with fury, but it was trapped in the energy, its movements slow and sluggish.
Lucian and Selene stepped forward, their swords ready, but the creature's dark energy lashed out, forcing them back. They couldn't let it win. They had to get to the heart.
The battle had just begun.
End of Chapter Seventy-Three