Chapter 14: Descent into the Abyss
The Sanctuary Falls
Screams echoed through the mountain stronghold. Flames licked the sky as the Inquisition tore through the outer defenses, their soldiers merciless in their slaughter. The Exiled fought with everything they had, but they were outnumbered—outmatched.
Malagar strode through the chaos, his golden eyes scanning the battlefield with calm certainty.
"She is still here."
A flicker of movement caught his attention. One of his knights rushed forward, blood splattered across his armor. "My lord! The heretic and the child—they're heading underground!"
Malagar's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Fleeing into the abyss? How fitting."
He raised his sword, its gleaming silver edge catching the firelight.
"Seal the exits. No one escapes."
---
A Door Between Worlds
Seraphina ran through the twisting corridors of the sanctuary, her breath coming in sharp gasps. The air grew colder with every step, the torches on the walls flickering wildly as if resisting some unseen force.
The hooded man led the way, moving with purpose. "This passage is ancient," he said. "It predates even the Exiled Ones. It was built as a last resort—a gateway."
Seraphina tightened her grip on her son. "A gateway to what?"
The man didn't answer.
Ahead of them, the corridor opened into a massive stone chamber. At its center, embedded into the ground, was a door unlike any Seraphina had ever seen.
It was made of obsidian and bone, its surface carved with symbols that twisted unnaturally, shifting even as she tried to focus on them.
Her stomach churned. This was no ordinary door.
It was alive.
The hooded man placed a hand on the cold stone. "This leads to the space between worlds. A path only the desperate dare take." He turned to her. "The Abyss does not grant passage freely. It demands a price."
Seraphina swallowed hard. "And what is that price?"
The man's gaze darkened.
"Everything."
---
The Inquisition Closes In
Boots thundered against the stone.
Seraphina turned sharply—they were close.
The hooded man acted swiftly, tracing a symbol on the door with his fingertips. The markings flared to life, deep red light bleeding through the cracks.
The chamber shuddered.
Seraphina felt it immediately—a pull, something reaching out from the other side. It was cold, ancient… hungry.
The door groaned as it began to open.
Beyond it, there was no light.
Only shadows.
Seraphina hesitated for only a moment. Then she stepped forward, cradling her son tightly.
The shadows embraced them.
And the world vanished.
---
Malagar's Arrival
Malagar entered the chamber just as the last traces of Seraphina disappeared into the darkness.
The moment his boots touched the stone, the door slammed shut. The red glow flickered once—then faded entirely.
Silence.
The knights behind him hesitated, uncertain.
Malagar stared at the lifeless stone for a long moment.
Then, slowly, his lips parted into a wicked grin.
"Good," he murmured. "Run to the abyss, heretic."
He turned, his golden eyes gleaming.
"You will not escape it. No one ever does."
---
The Abyss Beckons
For Seraphina, there was no ground beneath her feet.
No sky above her.
Only endless blackness.
It was not simply dark—it was absence. It was nothingness.
Her breath came in shallow gasps. The only warmth she felt was the small body in her arms.
Then, a whisper.
"You enter unbidden… and yet, you belong."
A flicker of movement—something was here with them.
Seraphina's heart pounded.
And in the vast emptiness of the Abyss…
Something awoke.
---
A Voice in the Darkness
The Abyss Embraces Them
Seraphina could not see. She could not feel the air, nor the ground beneath her feet. It was as if she had been unmade.
But she was not alone.
Her son was still in her arms, his small body warm against her chest. His breathing was steady, unfazed by the abyss surrounding them.
And then, something spoke.
"You have entered the void, mortal. But do you understand what that means?"
The voice did not come from a single direction—it was everywhere, pressing against her mind, her soul.
Seraphina swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay calm. "Who are you?"
Laughter—low, guttural, endless.
"Names do not exist here. I am the whisper between moments, the hunger in forgotten places. I am the Abyss, and you… you are a trespasser."
The shadows around her shifted.
For the first time, she caught glimpses of movement—twisting shapes, crawling things, figures barely formed yet impossibly vast.
Something was watching them. Many things were.
---
The Child's Awakening
Seraphina held her son tighter, her mind racing. "I seek passage," she said carefully. "A way beyond."
The voice chuckled.
"Passage? Beyond? Foolish creature. You are in the place where time forgets, where even gods dare not tread. There is no beyond."
Seraphina's heart pounded. "Then why are you speaking to me?"
The darkness shuddered.
"Because of the child."
A deep silence fell over the Abyss.
And then, for the first time since their arrival, her son stirred.
His small fingers reached outward… and the darkness flinched.
The voice that had spoken to her before grew uncertain.
"What… is he?"
Seraphina exhaled shakily. "You tell me."
But there was no answer.
Because for the first time in eternity, the Abyss itself did not know.
---
The Road Ahead
Shapes moved restlessly in the dark. The presence that had once spoken seemed to shrink back, its whispers uncertain.
Seraphina forced herself to stand tall.
"If there is no beyond," she said, "then I will make one."
The Abyss did not laugh this time.
Instead, the shadows shifted.
And before her, a path began to form.
Not a true road—but a direction. A place unseen, waiting, hidden even from the Abyss itself.
Something older than the void.
Something that was waiting… for them.
---
A Golden Gaze Watches
Far beyond the Abyss, in the mortal world, Malagar stood atop the ruined sanctuary, his hands clasped behind his back.
He did not need to see the Abyss to know what had happened.
His golden eyes gleamed as he murmured, "So… you have entered the darkness after all."
A pause.
Then, a knowing smile.
"Good."
He turned away, his cloak billowing in the cold wind. "Now let us see if the Abyss consumes you… or if you consume it."
---
The Journey Begins
As Seraphina stepped forward, the path solidified beneath her feet.
She held her son close, his glowing eyes half-lidded as if he were already seeing what lay ahead.
The Abyss watched them go, its whispers growing distant.
And deep in the unknown depths of creation, something waited for them.
Something that had been waiting… for a very long time.