The roar of collapsing stone echoed in the distance as Kael and Selene finally emerged from the depths of the cavern, their bodies covered in dust and their hearts pounding with adrenaline. The night sky stretched above them, stars flickering faintly in the black expanse, a stark contrast to the chaos they had just left behind. The cool night air hit Kael's face like a slap, a reminder that they had narrowly escaped the heart of the Abyss.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. They simply stood there, catching their breath, looking back at the temple now hidden within the dark valley. The ancient structure stood in eerie silence, as if unaware of the destruction that had taken place beneath it.
"We did it," Selene whispered, breaking the silence. Her voice trembled, not from fear, but from the sheer weight of what had just transpired.
Kael nodded, though the triumph he should have felt was tinged with an unsettling emptiness. The Abyss had retreated, but the dark energy still lingered around him, a reminder that victory always came at a price.
Selene glanced at him, her sharp gaze catching the hesitation in his eyes. "You're not… feeling alright, are you?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. His thoughts were jumbled, clouded by the memory of the dark power that had nearly consumed him. He could still feel it, the faint remnants of the Abyss inside him, stirring like a caged beast. It wasn't gone, not entirely. And that worried him more than anything.
"I'm fine," he lied, turning his attention back to the temple. "The gate is closed. That's what matters."
Selene didn't seem convinced, but she didn't push the matter. "What happens now?" she asked, sheathing her daggers and stepping closer to him.
Kael didn't have an answer for that. What did happen now? The temple's dark influence had been contained, but the larger questions remained. Who built it? Why? And what had truly been sealed behind that gate? The glimpse of the Abyss's heart still haunted him, a flicker of light in an ocean of darkness. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over.
"We need to leave," Kael finally said, his voice steady despite the uncertainty gnawing at him. "There's nothing more for us here. But we can't stay in this valley."
Selene frowned, clearly still processing the events of the night. "Do you think someone will come looking for the gate? Or worse… try to reopen it?"
Kael hadn't considered that possibility, but it made sense. If the temple was connected to the Abyss, others would know about it, and not all of them would share Kael's desire to keep it sealed. The allure of such power was dangerous, especially for those willing to sacrifice everything to wield it.
"We need to make sure no one ever finds out what happened here," Kael said, his voice low. "The gate can't be opened again. Not by anyone."
Selene nodded in agreement. "Agreed. But we'll need more than just the two of us to make that happen."
Kael glanced at her, curious. "You're thinking of involving the Shadow Court?"
Selene smiled faintly, though there was no humor in it. "They're the only ones with the resources to make sure something like this stays buried. And they have their own reasons for keeping the Abyss at bay."
Kael didn't entirely trust the Shadow Court, but he knew Selene was right. The power they had witnessed wasn't something they could fight on their own. They needed allies, even if those allies had their own hidden agendas.
"Alright," Kael agreed. "We'll contact the Court. But we're keeping this quiet. No one outside the inner circle needs to know about the Abyss or the temple."
"Of course," Selene said, though Kael noticed the tension in her voice. She wasn't fond of the Court's secrecy, but she understood the necessity. Some knowledge was too dangerous to share.
The two of them stood in silence for a while longer, watching the night deepen. Kael's mind wandered back to the gate, to the creature that had emerged from it. He had defeated it, but not without drawing on the very power that he feared would destroy him. The Abyss had left its mark on him, and he couldn't deny it any longer.
Selene glanced at him again, her expression unreadable. "Kael… what really happened in there?"
He hesitated, knowing that Selene wouldn't be satisfied with the vague answers he had given earlier. She deserved the truth, as much as he was willing to reveal. "When I touched the gate, I saw something. The heart of the Abyss. It's… more powerful than I thought. And I think—no, I know—it's still connected to me."
Selene's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't flinch. "How connected?"
Kael swallowed, his throat dry. "I don't know yet. But I felt it. It's not just gone. It's waiting. Watching."
For a moment, Selene was silent. Then, with a steely determination in her voice, she said, "We'll figure it out. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it."
Kael wanted to believe her. But deep down, he knew this wasn't something they could simply "deal with." The Abyss had its own plans, and he was now a part of them, whether he liked it or not.
"Yeah," he muttered. "We'll figure it out."
But as they turned away from the valley, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that their victory had only been temporary. The Abyss was patient. And it always claimed what was rightfully its own.