The weight of Darius's words lingered in the air like a storm waiting to break. Lyra's fingers twitched toward her rapier, and Shadowfang let out a low growl, his fur bristling. Argonax shifted on my shoulder, his feathers ruffling with unease.
Darius, however, remained unfazed, his fox-like eyes gleaming with amusement as he studied me.
"You hesitate," he mused, tilting his head. "That's good. A fool rushes into the abyss without caution. A wise man understands the cost."
I clenched my fists. The shadows coiled around my fingers in response. "And what exactly is the cost?"
Darius smiled, slow and knowing. "Power does not come freely, Alden. Especially not the power you now wield." He took a step closer, his voice lowering. "The abyss takes as much as it gives. It reshapes. It consumes."
His gaze flickered to Shadowfang, then to Argonax. "Your beasts are already changing, aren't they?"
I swallowed hard. He wasn't wrong.
Since the battle with the guardian, Shadowfang's presence had felt heavier, darker—almost more sentient. Argonax's feathers shimmered with an unnatural glow, his golden eyes more piercing than before. I had thought it was simply an aftereffect of the fight.
But what if it wasn't?
Lyra exhaled sharply, breaking the tension. "Enough riddles, Darius. If you have something to say, say it."
Darius chuckled. "Very well." He clasped his hands behind his back. "Alden, you stand at a crossroads. You can continue blindly forward, wielding this power with no understanding of what it truly is—or you can learn."
I frowned. "And you're offering to teach me?"
"In a manner of speaking." His smirk widened. "I can show you the path. But walking it? That will be entirely up to you."
I glanced at Lyra. She didn't look pleased.
"This is a bad idea," she muttered. "Alden, you don't need him. We can figure this out on our own."
Darius raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what knowledge do you have of the abyss, dear Lyra?" He spread his arms. "I have spent years studying its secrets. I understand its hunger, its whispers." His gaze turned to me. "And more importantly, I understand what you are becoming."
A cold shiver ran down my spine. What I am becoming.
I looked at my hands, at the shadows that had become an extension of me. This power—it wasn't just some tool I could wield and discard. It was a part of me now.
Lyra's voice was softer this time. "Alden…"
I met her gaze. There was concern there—genuine concern. But there was also something else. Fear.
Not fear of Darius.
Fear of what I was turning into.
I took a deep breath, then looked at Darius. "If I agree to this… what exactly does it entail?"
He grinned. "Smart question."
Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a small, obsidian vial. It shimmered unnaturally, as if the darkness inside was alive.
"This," he said, holding it up, "is a fragment of the abyss. A concentrated essence. If you wish to understand your power, you must drink it."
Lyra immediately stepped between us. "Absolutely not."
Darius sighed. "Come now, Lyra. Do you think I'd poison him?"
"Yes."
He chuckled. "Fair. But this isn't poison. It's a key." His eyes locked onto mine. "Alden, the abyss has already claimed a piece of you. Drinking this will forge a stronger connection. It will allow you to understand the voice that now lingers at the edge of your mind."
I stiffened. "How do you know about that?"
Darius's smile faded slightly. "Because I've heard it, too."
The air grew heavy.
For the first time, Darius looked almost… tired. As if he, too, had once stood where I was now.
Shadowfang pressed closer to my side, his golden eyes searching mine.
This was it.
A choice that could change everything.
I reached out—
And took the vial.
Lyra inhaled sharply, but she didn't stop me.
Darius's smirk returned. "Good."
I uncorked it. The darkness inside slithered like liquid shadow. It pulsed, almost as if eager to be consumed.
I raised it to my lips—
And drank.