Kael's thoughts churned as they walked deeper into the thickening forest, the weight of the recent encounter still heavy on his shoulders. The dark stranger's words echoed in his mind, teasing at truths he wasn't ready to confront. The Abyss inside him had always been more than just power—it was sentient, waiting, lurking. And now it seemed others knew more about it than he did.
Beside him, Selene remained silent. Her face was as calm as ever, betraying none of the worries Kael knew had to be swirling inside her. It was one of the things he respected most about her. While his mind was often a battlefield, she seemed so composed, so grounded, even when the situation around them spiraled into chaos.
"Do you think we'll see him again?" Kael finally asked, the silence weighing too heavily.
"The stranger?" Selene asked, not looking at him.
Kael nodded.
"Probably," she answered after a pause, her tone cautious. "But only when he's ready. They don't make idle threats, Kael. He's waiting for something."
Kael frowned. "I didn't feel threatened, exactly. It was like... like he was testing me. Like he knows something I don't."
Selene slowed her pace, turning to meet his gaze. "Because he does. They're waiting for you to accept it, Kael."
"Accept what?" Kael felt his heart rate pick up, though he knew the answer.
"The Abyss," she said quietly. "They want you to stop resisting it."
The words hit him like a punch to the gut. She was right. He'd been fighting the Abyss, terrified of what would happen if he let it in. But what if he couldn't resist forever? What if the stranger was right, and this was his inevitable fate?
"I don't want to lose myself," he muttered under his breath.
"You won't," Selene replied, her voice softer now. "But you need to learn to control it before it controls you."
Kael looked at her, searching for something in her expression, something to cling to. "You really believe I can control it?"
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
Her words carried a weight that settled in his chest, pushing back some of the darkness that had been creeping in. Kael had always admired Selene, but in moments like these, when everything felt like it was falling apart, she was his anchor, his guide.
They walked in silence for a while after that, the only sounds the rustle of leaves underfoot and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures. The forest felt different at night—alive in a way that made Kael's skin prickle. The Abyss within him stirred, heightening his senses, and he could feel the world around him more vividly. The wind, the distant calls, the faintest movements. All of it was sharper, clearer.
It was getting stronger. He could feel it.
"We should stop for the night," Selene said, breaking the silence. "We need to rest before the next town."
Kael nodded, though unease tugged at him. The darkness in the forest was thick, the kind that felt alive. But Selene was right. They couldn't keep going without rest.
They found a small clearing shielded by trees and set up a modest camp. Selene moved with the ease of someone who had done this hundreds of times before, preparing a small fire as Kael kept watch. Once the flames crackled to life, they sat in silence, the warmth a small comfort against the cold night.
Kael leaned back against a tree, closing his eyes for just a moment. His mind refused to quiet, the Abyss swirling at the edges of his consciousness.
"You should rest," Selene said, not looking up from the fire.
"I'm fine," Kael lied.
"No, you're not," she replied, her voice firmer now. "I'll take the first watch. You need sleep."
Kael wanted to argue, but exhaustion was creeping up on him faster than he'd anticipated. He gave a small nod and shifted, using his cloak as a pillow.
"Wake me if anything happens," he murmured, though he doubted sleep would come.
"I will. Sleep, Kael."
---
When sleep finally claimed him, it was far from restful. Kael found himself in a dream, standing in an endless void. The ground beneath him cracked and dry, the air thick and stifling. In the distance, a figure stood watching him. It was the stranger from earlier, his presence more solid now.
"Welcome to the Abyss," the man said, his voice echoing in the vastness.
Kael tried to speak, but his voice didn't come. He looked around, panic rising in his chest. This wasn't just a dream. It felt too real.
The man stepped forward, his eyes glowing with that strange, unnatural light. "This is your future, Kael. You can't run from it."
"I'm not afraid of you," Kael finally managed, though his voice wavered.
The man smiled, a cold, calculating smile. "You should be."
Suddenly, the ground beneath Kael gave way, and he was falling—falling into the endless void below.
---
Kael jerked awake, his heart hammering in his chest. The fire had burned low, casting eerie shadows across the clearing. Selene sat nearby, her eyes scanning the darkness, alert.
"Nightmares?" she asked, glancing at him.
"Yeah," Kael replied, wiping sweat from his brow.
"The Abyss?"
"Yeah."
Selene's gaze softened slightly, though her voice remained calm. "It's getting stronger, isn't it?"
Kael didn't answer, but he didn't need to. They both knew the answer.
"Rest more if you can," she said. "We'll figure this out."
Kael gave a small nod, but deep down, he wasn't so sure. The Abyss was growing, and Kael didn't know how much longer he could resist it.