The silence in the chamber was deafening. Dante stood over Lillith's motionless form, his chest heaving as he struggled to regain his composure. The weight of the shadows still clung to him like a second skin, reminding him of the raw power coursing through his veins. But with that power came a cold, lingering dread—a whisper in the back of his mind that he couldn't shake.
Selene's voice cut through the stillness, sharp and urgent. "Dante!"
He turned just in time to see her charging toward him, her blade drawn and eyes wide with alarm. Selene stopped a few feet away, her gaze flicking between him and Lillith's prone body.
"What the hell happened?" she demanded, her voice laced with barely contained frustration. "One minute we're fighting that creature, and the next… you're gone. The shadows swallowed you, and I couldn't reach you!"
Dante's lips parted to answer, but the words caught in his throat. How could he explain what had just happened? How could he put into words the darkness he had felt—both around him and within him?
"I… I don't know," he finally managed, his voice hoarse. "The shadows took me somewhere. I saw her." He gestured toward Lillith. "She was waiting for me."
Selene narrowed her eyes, her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword. "Waiting for you? Why?"
Dante shook his head. "I don't know. She said something about the shadows… about how they would consume me if I kept using them. She tried to trap me, but I fought back."
Selene's expression darkened, her jaw clenching. "So, she's a threat."
Dante hesitated, his gaze drifting back to Lillith. There was something unsettling about the way she lay there, so still, so quiet. Her eyes were open, but they stared blankly at the ceiling, as if she were lost in some deep, unreachable place.
"She's… more than that," Dante said slowly. "I think she's tied to the shadows, somehow. But I don't know how or why."
Selene scoffed, her grip on her blade tightening. "Tied to the shadows or not, she's dangerous. We can't trust her."
Dante nodded, but something about Selene's words felt wrong. Despite everything that had just happened, he couldn't shake the feeling that Lillith was more than just an enemy. There was a connection between them—something he couldn't yet understand but felt deep in his bones.
"Let's move her," Dante said, his voice firm. "I need to question her. She might have answers about what's going on with the orb… and the shadows."
Selene shot him a look of disbelief. "You want to keep her alive?"
"For now, yes," Dante replied, his tone leaving no room for argument. "She knows something. We can't just kill her without understanding what we're dealing with."
Selene sighed, clearly unhappy with the decision but resigned to it. "Fine. But the moment she tries anything, I'm ending her."
Dante didn't argue. He understood Selene's caution, even if part of him wanted to believe there was more to Lillith than met the eye. Together, they lifted Lillith's limp form, carefully carrying her away from the twisted remnants of the chamber. The orb still pulsed with dark energy behind them, but they left it undisturbed—for now.
As they navigated the winding corridors of the ancient ruin, Dante's mind raced. The shadows felt more alive than ever, reacting to his every thought and movement. He could feel their hunger, their desire for more. It was as if they were calling to him, tempting him to dive deeper into their abyss.
But there was a price. There was always a price.
---
Hours passed before they reached a small, secluded alcove within the ruins—a place where they could rest and regroup without the immediate threat of the orb's influence. Selene laid Lillith on the cold stone floor, her sword never leaving her side as she watched the unconscious woman with wary eyes.
Dante, meanwhile, sat a few feet away, his back against the rough wall, lost in thought. The power of the shadows still hummed beneath his skin, but he forced himself to focus, to push aside the overwhelming sensation.
"Why are you so insistent on keeping her alive?" Selene asked after a long stretch of silence. Her voice was quieter now, more contemplative than accusatory.
Dante glanced at Lillith's still form. "I don't know. There's something about her… something I can't explain. She's tied to the shadows, yes, but I don't think she's the enemy we need to fear."
Selene raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you're already convinced she's on our side."
Dante shook his head. "No, not on our side. But I think she might be a key to understanding what's happening to me—and what's going on with the orb."
Selene didn't respond right away. Instead, she studied Dante closely, her sharp eyes searching for something in his expression.
"And what if you're wrong?" she asked quietly. "What if she's just playing you?"
Dante met her gaze, his jaw set. "Then we'll deal with her. But I need to know more before we make that call."
Selene sighed, leaning back against the wall. "Fine. But don't expect me to trust her."
"I don't," Dante said simply.
They sat in silence for a while longer, the only sound the faint rustle of the wind through the cracks in the stone walls. The air felt heavier now, as if the ruins themselves were watching, waiting for something to happen.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lillith stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, and she groaned softly, blinking against the dim light. Selene was on her feet in an instant, her blade drawn and pointed directly at Lillith's throat.
"Move, and I'll end you," Selene said coldly.
Lillith's eyes focused on the blade, and then on Selene's face. Slowly, she raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not here to fight."
"Good," Selene replied, her voice hard. "Because you're in no condition to."
Dante stood, moving closer but staying just out of reach. "Lillith. We need answers."
Lillith's gaze shifted to him, and for a moment, something flickered in her eyes—something that Dante couldn't quite read. "Answers? About what?"
"The orb," Dante said, his voice steady. "The shadows. You know more than you're telling me."
Lillith sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "You're right. I do know more. But the answers you're looking for aren't simple."
Dante crossed his arms, his expression hard. "Try me."
Lillith hesitated, glancing between Dante and Selene, as if weighing her options. Finally, she spoke, her voice low but steady. "The shadows… they're not just a tool, Dante. They're alive. They're connected to something much bigger—something ancient and powerful."
Dante's brow furrowed. "Connected to what?"
Lillith's eyes darkened, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "To the Abyss."
Selene frowned, her blade still poised but her curiosity piqued. "The Abyss? What is that?"
Lillith looked up, her expression grim. "It's the source of all darkness. The origin of the shadows you're wielding. It's a place beyond this world, beyond any world—a realm of pure void."
Dante's heart skipped a beat, the weight of Lillith's words sinking in. "And the orb?"
Lillith nodded. "The orb is a conduit. It draws power from the Abyss and channels it into whoever holds it. But that power comes at a cost. The more you use it, the more it binds you to the Abyss. And once you're bound… there's no escaping it."
Dante's stomach churned, a cold dread settling in his chest. He had felt the pull of the shadows, the seductive allure of their power. But now, hearing Lillith's explanation, he understood the true danger.
"What happens if I'm bound to the Abyss?" Dante asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lillith's gaze softened, her expression almost sad. "You'll become a part of it. A vessel for its will. And eventually, you'll lose yourself—your mind, your soul, everything."
Selene shot Dante a concerned look. "This is why we should have destroyed that thing when we had the chance."
Dante didn't respond. His mind was racing, trying to process everything Lillith had told him. The shadows were more than just a weapon—they were a curse. And the deeper he delved into their power, the closer he came to losing everything.
"There has to be a way to stop it," Dante said, his voice filled with determination. "A way to break free from the Abyss."
Lillith shook her head. "There isn't. Once you're bound, the only way to escape is death."
Dante's fists clenched as Lillith's words sank in. The very power that had saved him countless times was also the force that would eventually destroy him. But was it truly inevitable?
"There's always a way," he said, his voice steely. "I won't accept that the only escape is death."
Lillith's expression softened with something akin to pity, but she said nothing, her silence weighing on the room. Selene, however, wasn't willing to leave things on such a grim note.
"So that's it? We sit here and wait for the shadows to consume him?" she asked, her tone sharp, as if daring Lillith to contradict her. "You've lived in their grip for this long. You must know more than you're telling us."
Lillith lowered her gaze, her fingers twitching as if she wanted to rub the lingering aches in her body but couldn't while under Selene's watchful eye. "There is one thing," she admitted reluctantly. "But it's dangerous—more dangerous than the shadows themselves."
Dante's heart skipped a beat. "What is it?"
Lillith hesitated again, as if weighing the cost of revealing this secret. Her eyes shifted from Dante to Selene, then back again. "There's a place… a sanctuary, hidden from the Abyss. A place where those who've been touched by the shadows go to seek redemption."
"A sanctuary?" Selene scoffed, her skepticism clear. "You said there was no escape."
Lillith met her gaze with an unwavering stare. "Because no one's ever returned from there. It's said that the sanctuary can cleanse the shadows, but the journey is treacherous, and those who attempt it are rarely seen again."
Dante felt a flicker of hope amidst the darkness, but it was fragile, a candle flame in a storm. "Where is this sanctuary?"
Lillith's lips pressed into a thin line. "Far from here. In a realm that lies at the edge of the Abyss itself."
Dante's mind raced, the implications of her words becoming clear. It wasn't just a physical journey they would have to undertake—it was a journey into the very heart of the darkness he sought to escape.
"If that's what it takes," Dante said, his voice resolute, "then I'll go."
Selene's eyes widened. "You can't be serious. We have no idea what we're dealing with. The orb is bad enough, and now you want to walk into the Abyss?"
"It's not just about me," Dante replied, his gaze steady. "This isn't just my fight. If the Abyss is growing stronger, if the shadows are spreading, then this could affect more than just us. If there's even a chance to stop it, we have to try."
Selene clenched her jaw, torn between her loyalty to Dante and her better judgment. "And what if you're wrong? What if you get yourself killed?"
Dante smiled grimly. "Then at least I'll die trying to save us."
Selene let out a frustrated breath, but she didn't argue. Her silence was as good as an agreement, though the tension in her body told Dante that she wasn't happy about it.
Lillith, however, seemed relieved by Dante's decision. "If you're serious about going," she said quietly, "then I can help. I know the path to the sanctuary. But once we set foot in that realm, there's no turning back."
"We've come this far," Dante said. "We'll see it through to the end."
---
The hours that followed were spent in quiet preparation. Selene and Dante gathered what supplies they could salvage from the ruins, while Lillith rested, regaining her strength. The shadows still lingered at the edges of Dante's vision, ever-present and ever-hungry, but he kept them at bay, determined not to give in to their call.
As they worked, Selene kept a watchful eye on Lillith, her trust in the woman still thin as ice. Dante couldn't blame her. Lillith's allegiance remained unclear, but for now, they had no choice but to rely on her.
Once they were ready, the trio set out, leaving the twisted remains of the ruins behind. The path ahead was uncertain, shrouded in both physical and metaphorical darkness, but Dante walked with purpose. He had chosen his path, and he would face whatever lay ahead.
The journey to the sanctuary would not be easy, but Dante had never been one to back down from a challenge. The shadows might have claimed a part of him, but he wasn't about to let them take everything.
As they made their way through the desolate landscape, Dante's thoughts drifted back to the orb, still pulsing with dark energy somewhere behind them. He had left it behind for now, but its influence was far from gone. He could still feel it, like a phantom limb, its power beckoning to him, calling him back to the darkness.
But Dante had made his choice.
For now, he would walk the path of the light, however dim it might be.
---