Ava's breath hitched as her trembling hand hovered mere inches from the Abyss, her fingers curled, wanting, hesitating. The tendrils of darkness pulsated, slithering closer to her, like a serpent waiting to strike. The malevolent force coiled around her, whispering, seducing, pulling her in. It spoke in her mind, a voice so familiar yet foreign, promising salvation but offering damnation. The air around her seemed thicker, suffocating, as if the Abyss itself was alive, breathing, waiting to swallow her whole.
"Ava!" Lucas's voice cut through the barrier between them like a blade. His desperate cry reverberated in the crumbling ruins, filled with urgency and pain. He fought to break through, to reach her, but every effort only made the Abyss tighten its grip. Ava flinched, her heart clenching painfully at the sound of his voice, but the Abyss was louder now, more insistent.
"He failed you," the Abyss whispered. "He will fail you again."
