The biting wind cut through Kael's cloak as he trudged through the dense forest. Each step was deliberate, careful, but the tension was palpable. The silence between him and Selene had grown heavier, thick like the shadows creeping in around them.
Kael felt the weight of the Abyss within him, a dark, pulsing energy that never let him forget its presence. It stirred restlessly, as if sensing the danger in the air. The deeper they went into the wilderness, the stronger the pull became. It was like a whispered promise of power, one that Kael feared to unlock fully.
"We need to find somewhere to rest," Selene's voice broke through the stillness, her tone flat but tinged with concern. Her eyes, sharp as ever, flicked toward Kael, assessing him. She had seen the changes in him—how the Abyss had started to consume more of his soul. She feared for him, but even more for what he could become.
Kael grunted in agreement. The exhaustion weighed on his body, but his mind was consumed with the spiraling thoughts of what lay ahead. The Shadow Court had set its sights on him, but they were far from the only threat lurking in the dark. Ever since the Abyss had chosen him, Kael had become a beacon, drawing all manner of entities, both man and monster, toward him.
"We're running out of time, Selene," Kael muttered, his voice raw from fatigue. "They're closing in, and I still don't fully understand what's inside me."
"You don't have to do this alone, Kael," Selene said, her voice softer now, though her eyes still gleamed with their usual fire. "We've come too far to let it end like this."
He stopped, turning to look at her. Her determination had never wavered, despite everything they had been through. She had stayed with him, fought by his side, even when the easy option would have been to walk away. Kael knew he didn't deserve her loyalty, but it had become the one thing keeping him grounded. Without her, he feared he might have already succumbed to the Abyss's whispers.
"You're right," Kael admitted, though his tone was grim. "But that doesn't mean I know how to stop what's coming."
Before Selene could respond, there was a rustling in the underbrush ahead. Instantly, Kael's hand went to the hilt of his dagger, muscles tensing. The Abyss flared within him, its presence sharpening his senses, heightening the tension in the air. Selene was already moving, her sword unsheathed in a smooth, practiced motion.
A figure stepped out from the shadows, draped in a long, dark cloak. His movements were deliberate, unhurried, as though he had all the time in the world. The moonlight revealed only part of his face, but Kael could sense the raw energy radiating from him.
"Kael Armitage," the stranger said, his voice a low rasp. "It's time."
Kael's grip tightened on his dagger. "Who are you?"
The man's lips curled into a twisted smile. "Names don't matter. What matters is the power you carry. The Abyss calls to those of us who are worthy."
"You're here for the Abyss," Selene said, her stance defensive, her sword poised for attack. "You'll have to go through me first."
The man chuckled softly, a sound that sent a shiver down Kael's spine. "I have no interest in your kind, girl. My quarrel is with him."
Kael stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. The Abyss roared inside him, urging him to strike, to unleash its full fury. But he hesitated. He had felt this before—the pull of the Abyss's power, and the cost it demanded in return.
"What do you want from me?" Kael demanded, trying to suppress the darkness swelling within him.
The stranger's smile widened. "You still don't understand, do you? The Abyss chose you, Kael. Not because you were strong, but because it knew you would break."
Kael felt his heart race, the words cutting deeper than any blade. He had always feared that the Abyss would consume him, that one day he would lose himself to its endless hunger. And now, standing before this man, he felt that fear more acutely than ever.
"I'm not going to break," Kael growled, though he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince the man or himself.
"We shall see," the stranger said, his form beginning to shimmer, dissolving into the shadows around him. "The Court is coming, Kael. And when they do, you will have no choice but to embrace what you are."
And just like that, he was gone, leaving only the cold wind and the growing weight of Kael's doubts.
Selene sheathed her sword, her expression unreadable. "We need to keep moving."
Kael nodded, though his thoughts were far from focused on their immediate escape. The Abyss had chosen him for a reason. But whether it was to save this realm or destroy it, he still didn't know.