The Abyss screamed.
Its wails echoed through the cavernous expanse, a sound so unnatural it sent ice-cold shivers down Lucian's spine. The shadows twisted violently, recoiling from the power Selene and he had unleashed, yet they did not retreat. Instead, they seemed to ripple, as if something far worse was stirring within them.
Alistair staggered to his feet, his breaths ragged. Blood trickled down his lip, and his cloak hung in tatters, but the fire in his eyes burned as fiercely as ever.
"You… think you can win?" His voice was a low growl, filled with venom. "The Abyss is endless. No matter how much you fight, it will always return."
Lucian's grip tightened around his sword. "Maybe. But so will we."
Selene raised her hands, her aura pulsating with raw elemental energy. Ice swirled around her left hand while fire crackled in her right—a perfect balance of opposing forces. She stepped forward, her gaze locked onto Alistair.
"We're not leaving without stopping this," she said. "And if that means going through you, then so be it."
Alistair let out a bitter laugh. "You still don't understand, do you?" He gestured around them, to the writhing mass of darkness that now filled the chamber. "This place is alive. It doesn't need me. It doesn't need anyone. The moment you stepped foot inside, you sealed your fate."
Lucian exchanged a glance with Selene. He could feel it now—the shifting energy of the Abyss. It was no longer just an environment. It was awakening.
And it was angry.
The ground beneath them trembled violently. Cracks split through the obsidian stone, and from those cracks, dark tendrils erupted, writhing like serpents, reaching hungrily for them. One lashed toward Selene, but she was quicker—she spun, releasing a burst of fire that burned through the shadow, reducing it to ash.
Lucian dodged another, slicing through it with his sword, but as soon as it dissipated, two more took its place. The Abyss was adapting. It was learning.
Alistair watched them struggle, a cruel smirk curling on his lips. "You're only delaying the inevitable."
Lucian growled in frustration. "Then let's speed things up."
He surged forward, blade igniting in a brilliant crimson arc. Alistair barely had time to react before Lucian's sword clashed against his own. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air, sending cracks racing up the cavern walls.
Selene didn't hesitate. She lunged forward, channeling her ice into a jagged spear, aiming straight for Alistair's chest.
At the last second, Alistair shifted. His form blurred—then reappeared a few feet away, untouched.
Lucian's stomach dropped.
That wasn't teleportation.
Alistair's body flickered again, as if he were merging with the shadows themselves. And that's when realization struck.
The Abyss wasn't just consuming him.
He was becoming a part of it.
Selene gasped. "Lucian—look at him!"
Lucian's eyes darted back to Alistair, and what he saw made his blood run cold. The darkness wasn't just surrounding him anymore—it was inside him. His veins pulsed with black energy, his irises flickering between their usual steel-gray and an eerie shade of violet.
Alistair flexed his fingers, and the shadows responded instantly, coiling around him like living armor. When he spoke, his voice was no longer just his own—it was layered with something ancient.
"You've lost."
With a single motion, he lifted his hand—and the Abyss exploded outward.
A shockwave of pure darkness slammed into Lucian and Selene, sending them flying. They crashed against the far wall, pain shooting through their bodies as the cavern rumbled ominously.
Lucian coughed, struggling to rise. His vision blurred for a moment before focusing on Alistair, who now stood at the heart of the swirling void.
Selene groaned beside him, but she didn't falter. She pressed a hand to the ground, summoning a protective ice barrier just in time to block another wave of darkness. But cracks immediately splintered across the ice—she wouldn't be able to hold it for long.
Lucian forced himself to his feet. His sword trembled in his grasp, not from weakness, but from something deeper.
Fear.
Not for himself. But for her.
He turned to Selene, his expression hardening. "We need to finish this. Now."
She met his gaze, nodding. There was no hesitation. No doubt. Just resolve.
Lucian took a deep breath, feeling the fire within him burn brighter. He focused, channeling every ounce of his strength, willing his own power to push back against the Abyss's corruption.
Selene did the same. Her eyes shimmered as she raised both hands, ice and fire swirling around her in perfect harmony. The elements crackled, merging into something new—something neither of them had ever seen before.
Alistair hesitated, his smirk faltering. "What…?"
Lucian and Selene moved as one.
Their combined energy exploded outward, cutting through the darkness like a supernova. The Abyss recoiled, its screams filling the air, as if it could feel their power breaking through.
Alistair raised his arms to shield himself, but it was too late.
The moment their energy collided with him, the corruption flickered—then shattered.
A scream tore from Alistair's throat, raw and agonized. The darkness around him began to unravel, the tendrils snapping like brittle vines. His body convulsed as the Abyss was ripped from him, its hold crumbling before their combined strength.
The ground quaked violently. The walls cracked. The very fabric of the Abyss seemed to buckle, as if the realm itself were beginning to collapse.
Alistair fell to his knees, his breaths ragged. His eyes—now fully human again—widened in disbelief. "No… This can't be…"
Lucian stepped forward, gripping his sword tightly. "It's over."
Alistair looked up at him, his expression unreadable. But before he could speak, the entire cavern shook.
Selene gasped. "Lucian—the Abyss is—"
The shadows were collapsing.
Lucian turned sharply, realization dawning. Without Alistair as its anchor, the Abyss was unraveling. And if they didn't get out now, it would take them down with it.
"Run!" he shouted, grabbing Selene's hand.
She hesitated for only a second before they both turned, sprinting toward the only visible exit.
Behind them, the darkness howled one last time—before the Abyss shattered completely.
End of Chapter Eighty