Wrath of the Abyss
Jerry's Perspective
The air shifted.
The false Mike dissolved, its body unraveling into thick tendrils of darkness that coiled like serpents across the temple's frozen floor. The abyssal entity that had disguised itself as his lost friend now loomed before him, its form shifting between shapes—some humanoid, others monstrous, all unnatural.
Jerry tightened his grip on Backbone and Dismay, his fingers pressing into the hilts until his knuckles turned white.
This wasn't just a trap.
It was a hunt.
The abyss had lured him here, baited him with the one person who could make him hesitate.
And for a second—just a second—it had worked.
That second was over.
"Kill it," he growled.
Vrkane and Bengala shifted in unison, their humanoid forms blending beast and man in a terrifying display of raw power. Vrkane's dark fur bristled as he crouched low, his claws flexing in anticipation. Bengala's feline form moved like liquid steel, her sabered fangs gleaming in the dim light.
Aviana shrieked above, her golden feathers catching the glow of the abyssal runes that flickered to life along the walls.
The entity did not speak.
It did not need to.
The shadows erupted, and the fight began.
---
The Dance of Death
Jerry lunged first.
Dismay came down in a savage arc, its serrated edge biting deep into the creature's twisting form. The abyssal mass recoiled, shrieking as the divine energy from his weapon burned through it.
But the attack didn't kill it.
It adapted.
The darkness thickened, shifting, hardening into a jagged armor that absorbed the next strike.
Jerry snarled, pivoting to avoid a sudden strike from a shadowed limb. He barely managed to deflect it with Backbone, sparks flying as his sword clashed against the unnatural material.
Then the shadows came alive.
Dozens of tendrils lashed out from the entity's core, striking in all directions.
Vrkane met them head-on.
He vanished, a blur of movement that only a beast-honed hunter could follow. One moment he was beside Jerry, the next he was behind the entity, his claws tearing through its shifting form.
Bengala leapt, her armored tail whipping through the air as she landed atop the writhing mass. Her claws dug in, anchoring her in place as she ripped into the creature's back.
The beast screamed, its form convulsing—but not dying.
It was learning.
It was evolving.
Aviana screeched from above. Jerry! The runes—!
Jerry's eyes snapped upward.
The abyssal glyphs lining the chamber were reacting to their fight. Each time the creature took damage, the runes pulsed—healing it, feeding it more power.
Jerry's stomach turned. This thing isn't just a monster.
It was an anchor.
This temple wasn't a prison.
It was a gateway.
And the abyss was trying to open it.
"No more," he muttered.
Then, he let go.
---
The Beast Awakens
Power surged through Jerry's body, raw and untamed. He didn't just call on one bond—he called on all of them.
His form shifted.
Fur erupted across his arms, a mix of Vrkane's dark coat and Bengala's white-and-black striped mane. His legs thickened, his stance lowering into a predator's crouch. His hands and feet elongated, his nails sharpening into deadly claws.
And his eyes—
Golden, piercing, filled with the combined instincts of his bonded.
The abyssal entity hesitated.
It recognized what was happening.
Jerry vanished.
A heartbeat later, he reappeared inside the creature's defenses, his speed blurring reality itself.
He didn't strike with his swords.
He tore it apart.
One clawed hand ripped through its center mass, while his fanged maw latched onto its core, tearing through the abyssal corruption. He didn't just kill it—he consumed its power, ripping its connection to the runes apart.
The entity shrieked, its form disintegrating.
Jerry roared, the sound shaking the chamber as the abyssal mass collapsed in on itself.
Then—
Silence.
The runes flickered.
Then—died.
The gateway… had failed.
---
The Aftermath
Jerry stood over the smoking remains, his breath still ragged, his fur receding as he forced his body back into human form. His limbs trembled from the sheer force he had unleashed, but he didn't falter.
Bengala landed beside him, her own features shifting back into something more human. She wiped a clawed hand across her mouth, smirking.
"Well. That was fun."
Vrkane exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. "Next time, warn us before you do that."
Jerry didn't respond immediately.
His mind was still racing.
This wasn't just a random abyssal attack.
It was planned.
It was calculated.
Someone—or something—had lured him here.
And the worst part?
It had almost worked.
Janice approached cautiously, her face pale. "That… wasn't Mike, was it?"
Jerry shook his head. "No."
"Then why did it take his form?"
Jerry clenched his fists.
Because it knew.
It had known exactly what to show him.
It had known exactly what would make him hesitate.
And that meant—
Someone, somewhere, still remembered Mike.
Still remembered Orion.
Still wanted him broken.
He exhaled, forcing the thoughts aside. He couldn't afford distractions. Not now.
He turned to the others. "We're done here. Let's go."
Bengala stretched, cracking her neck. "About time. Let's get out of this frozen hellhole."
Jerry gave the ruins one last glance.
The abyss had failed today.
But it would try again.
And next time—
He'd be ready.
---