The silence in the coliseum was deafening. The shadows still writhed around my feet, reluctant to fade even after the beast had been consumed. My breath came in slow, measured gulps, my body buzzing with a strange energy I couldn't quite describe.
It was more than power.
It was hunger.
Shadowfang let out a low growl, his glowing eyes fixed on me, not in fear—but in understanding. He could feel it too. The abyss had claimed another piece of me, binding me tighter to its depths.
I clenched my fists. The tendrils of darkness coiling around my arms finally retreated, sinking back into my skin like ink dissolving in water. I exhaled sharply, trying to steady myself.
Lyra, standing a few feet away, studied me with an unreadable expression. Then she smirked. "You look like someone who just realized they bit off more than they could chew."
I shot her a dry look. "You mean the part where I absorbed an abyssal guardian into my soul? Yeah, that's a little unsettling."
She sheathed her rapier and crossed her arms. "That wasn't just any guardian, Alden. That thing was ancient. And you—" she tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly "—just devoured it. Not defeated. Not sealed. Consumed."
I swallowed. The weight of her words sank in. The sheer force of what had happened wasn't lost on me.
This wasn't normal.
Beast tamers bonded with creatures, formed pacts, strengthened their partners.
They didn't consume them.
Shadowfang stepped closer, pressing his nose against my hand. The warmth of his fur grounded me, reminding me that despite everything, I wasn't alone in this.
Lyra sighed, watching the way Shadowfang responded to me. "Your bond with your beasts is changing," she murmured. "It's deeper than before. More primal."
I glanced at Argonax, who perched on my shoulder, watching me with keen eyes. Even he felt different—his feathers shimmered with a deeper darkness, almost as if he had absorbed a fragment of the power along with me.
The power of the abyss wasn't just mine.
It was theirs, too.
A sudden voice cut through the air, smooth and laced with amusement. "Well, well. You certainly don't do things halfway, do you?"
Lyra's posture stiffened immediately. Her hand went to her rapier, eyes snapping toward the ruined archway at the edge of the coliseum.
A man stood there, arms crossed, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. He was tall, clad in a flowing black coat embroidered with silver. His sharp, fox-like eyes gleamed with interest as he gazed at me.
I frowned. "And you are?"
He chuckled, stepping forward with unhurried grace. "Someone who's been watching you with great interest." His gaze flicked to Lyra. "No need to look so tense, dear Lyra. I come in peace."
Lyra didn't relax. If anything, her grip on her weapon tightened.
I exhaled. "That doesn't answer my question."
The man placed a hand on his chest, mockingly offended. "Ah, where are my manners? Darius Valen. Scholar of the Abyss. Purveyor of forbidden knowledge." He smirked again. "And someone who finds your existence quite fascinating."
My gut twisted. Scholar of the Abyss? That wasn't a title thrown around lightly. Those who studied the abyss weren't just researchers.
They were obsessives.
People who walked the thin line between knowledge and madness.
Lyra's voice was cool, but edged with warning. "State your business, Darius. We're in no mood for games."
He chuckled. "No games, I assure you." He turned his gaze back to me. "I'm simply here to offer… guidance."
I folded my arms. "Guidance?"
Darius's smirk widened. "The power you just absorbed—it's old, Alden. Older than this kingdom. Older than the concept of tamers and beasts." He took another step forward. "You are walking a path that no other has before. And that makes you… special."
I wasn't sure I liked the way he said that.
Darius's gaze sharpened. "But be warned. The abyss does not give freely. Everything comes at a price."
A shadow flickered across his face for the briefest moment, as if he spoke from experience.
Lyra exhaled through her nose. "And I suppose you're offering to teach him how to control it?"
Darius grinned. "Exactly."
I narrowed my eyes. There was something off about him. His words were smooth, his posture relaxed, but I had dealt with enough schemers to recognize the game he was playing.
Still…
He wasn't wrong.
I had no idea what was happening to me. My power was growing, shifting into something uncharted. If I lost control…
My gaze flickered to Shadowfang, then Argonax. The last thing I wanted was to hurt my own beasts.
Darius spread his arms. "So? What do you say, Shadowborn?"
The title sent a shiver down my spine.
Was this a deal with the devil?
Or the key to mastering what I had become?
I took a deep breath, steadying my thoughts.
And then I made my choice.