A shockwave of darkness erupted from Kael, tearing through the battlefield. The abyssal tendrils that once sought to consume him now moved at his command, slithering through the air like living shadows.
The entity lurched back, its many crimson eyes flickering in surprise.
Kael's lips curled into a smirk. "Not so untouchable now, are you?"
The entity let out a low, resonating growl, the very sound distorting reality around them. The rift behind it expanded, a vortex of endless blackness, threatening to devour everything in its path.
"You wield what you do not comprehend," the entity's voice rumbled. "The Abyss is not yours to control."
Kael raised a hand, and the very shadows that once obeyed the entity hesitated, wavering between their old master and him.
"You're wrong," Kael said, his voice steady. "The Abyss isn't just chaos. It's power. And power belongs to those who claim it."
The entity lashed out, its massive tendrils surging toward him, but Kael didn't move. Instead he commanded.
With a mere thought, the shadows around him rose, intercepting the attack mid-air. The abyssal tendrils froze, caught in his control.
Lyra gasped. "No way… He's—"
Valen's golden eyes narrowed in understanding. "He's not just resisting the Abyss anymore… He's becoming one with it."
The entity let out a roar, and Kael felt a final surge of pure resistance a battle of wills as the creature tried to reclaim its dominion.
For a moment, the air crackled with tension.
Then Kael tightened his grip on the abyssal energy. And the entity bowed.
The rift behind it shuddered, no longer a swirling mass of uncontrolled chaos, but waiting watching listening to him.
Kael took a step forward. "Looks like the Abyss has a new king."