The deeper they ventured into the ruins, the colder and more oppressive the air became. Every step was a battle against the weight of the shadows that clung to them, thick and suffocating. Sera could feel the dark energy pulsing beneath the ground, like a heartbeat—a slow, malevolent rhythm that echoed through the earth. The heart of Thalios was close.
Damian led the way, his posture tense, his eyes scanning the crumbling walls that towered over them. "We're almost there," he said, his voice low. "The Abyssal Heart lies at the center of the corruption."
Sera's skin prickled at the name, as if just hearing it brought the darkness closer. The Abyssal Heart—Kael's source of power—was more than just a wellspring of corruption. It was alive. She could feel it in her bones, a gnawing sensation, like something was waiting for them, eager to consume their very souls.
The passage ahead narrowed, forcing them into a winding, cavernous tunnel. The walls were slick with a substance that looked like blood but moved like shadow, dripping slowly onto the floor in thick, viscous pools. Sera's heart pounded in her chest as they stepped over the puddles, the sound of the dripping blood-shadows echoing ominously in the confined space.
Damian paused, his hand raised to signal silence. "Listen," he whispered.
At first, Sera heard nothing but the constant drip, drip, drip of the blood-shadow. But then, beneath it, a sound emerged—low and guttural, like the growl of a beast. It was faint, but it was there, rumbling from deep within the earth.
A shiver ran down Sera's spine. "What is that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Damian's face was grim. "We're getting closer. The Abyssal Heart is waking."
They pressed on, the tunnel twisting and turning, each step taking them deeper into the darkness. The air grew colder, and the shadows thickened until it felt like they were wading through a sea of ink. The walls seemed to pulse with dark energy, the dripping blood-shadows now more frequent, forming grotesque patterns along the stone.
Sera's foot slipped in one of the puddles, and she nearly fell. She glanced down, only to see the pool ripple, as if something had moved beneath its surface. She recoiled, her stomach turning as the liquid bubbled, releasing a foul stench into the air. She quickly caught up to Damian, who had noticed the movement as well.
"They're not just shadows," Damian muttered, his eyes scanning the walls. "They're part of the corruption, tied to the Heart. It's like… a living thing."
Sera nodded, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. The closer they got, the more she could feel it—the Abyssal Heart calling to them, its dark power spreading through the air like poison.
After what felt like an eternity, they reached the end of the tunnel. Before them stood a massive stone archway, cracked and crumbling, leading into a vast chamber. The air inside was thick with corruption, a choking miasma that made it hard to breathe. But it wasn't the chamber that made Sera's blood run cold—it was what lay at its center.
There, pulsing with sickly green and black light, was the Abyssal Heart.
It was unlike anything Sera had ever seen. The Heart was a twisted mass of veins and tendrils, writhing and coiling around a dark, pulsing core. The tendrils extended across the chamber, clinging to the walls and ceiling like the roots of a monstrous tree. The core itself throbbed with dark energy, each pulse sending a shockwave through the room, causing the walls to crack and groan under the pressure.
Blood dripped from the tendrils, pooling in the center of the chamber where the Heart rested. The pools bubbled and churned, filled with grotesque figures—faces of lost souls twisted in eternal torment, their mouths open in silent screams as the shadows consumed them. The air was thick with their agony, their pain palpable in the silence.
Sera gagged at the sight, her hand instinctively covering her mouth. "What… what is this?"
Damian's expression was hard as steel. "This is the Abyssal Heart. The source of Kael's power… and the corruption of Thalios."
As they stepped closer, the Heart seemed to react to their presence, its pulsing becoming faster, more erratic. The tendrils writhed and lashed out, as if sensing their intention to destroy it.
"We have to be careful," Damian warned. "The Heart is alive. If we destroy it, the corruption might fight back."
Sera swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on the Heart. "How do we stop it?"
Damian's eyes never left the Heart. "We have to sever the tendrils. They're the key to its power. Once we cut them, the Heart will weaken."
Sera nodded, but just as they prepared to move forward, the chamber darkened. A cold gust of wind swept through the room, and with it came a familiar voice, laced with cruel amusement.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," came the voice, echoing through the chamber.
Sera's heart froze. She turned toward the source of the voice, her eyes wide with fear.
There, standing in the shadows at the edge of the chamber, was Kael.
He stepped forward, his grin twisted and malevolent, his eyes glowing with dark energy. The corruption seemed to coil around him like a living thing, feeding off his power.
"You didn't really think I'd let you destroy the Abyssal Heart, did you?" Kael asked, his voice dripping with mockery. "It's far too valuable to me. After all, it's the only thing keeping Limbo… and you… alive."
Damian's fists clenched, his eyes burning with fury. "Kael," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Kael laughed, the sound echoing off the walls. "Oh, Damian. You've always been so predictable. But this? This is beyond even you." He gestured toward the Abyssal Heart, his grin widening. "You think you can sever its power? You think you can stop the corruption? You have no idea what you're dealing with."
Sera felt a cold wave of dread wash over her. The Abyssal Heart pulsed with renewed strength, its tendrils lashing out wildly, as if responding to Kael's presence.
"Come, Damian," Kael sneered. "Let's see if you've finally got the strength to stop me. Or will you fall, just like the rest of them?"