The air in Zenith City had a peculiar stillness, as if the entire metropolis was holding its breath. The battle against the Voidspawn still weighed heavily on Yuto's mind as he, Shiro, and Takeshi made their way back to the Soulbound base. Each footstep echoed through the empty streets, only the faint hum of the city lights providing any sound in the darkened night.
Yuto couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Takeshi's words kept playing in his mind. Someone—or something—was pulling the strings behind these Voidspawn attacks. If that was true, then this wasn't just some random chaos. It was organized. It had a purpose. And that thought unsettled him.
"You okay?" Shiro's voice cut through his thoughts. The light-hearted grin that usually danced across his face was gone, replaced by a rare look of concern.
Yuto blinked, realizing he had been trailing behind. "Yeah. Just thinking."
"About the Voidspawn?" Shiro asked, though it sounded more like a statement than a question.
Yuto nodded. "It was different... stronger. And it seemed like it was after us specifically. I don't know, I just have this feeling like we're being watched."
Shiro chuckled, though there was little humor in his voice. "Well, that's a comforting thought." He glanced around as if expecting something to jump out of the shadows at any moment. "But hey, I guess it keeps things exciting, right?"
Yuto forced a smile, but his mind was elsewhere. Shiro was trying to lighten the mood, but the heaviness of the situation couldn't be ignored. He couldn't shake the dread building in his gut, like a storm gathering on the horizon. His hand instinctively moved to his sword, the weight of Abyss's power lurking just beneath the surface, coiling like a waiting predator.
Ahead of them, Takeshi remained silent, his posture rigid, eyes scanning the surroundings with a calculated intensity. Yuto knew that Takeshi had felt it too—the shift in the air, the palpable tension that was building with every passing second.
"So what do you think it means?" Yuto asked after a long silence. His voice was low, barely audible above the sound of their footsteps.
Takeshi glanced back at him, his face as unreadable as ever. "We'll need more information before we can make any assumptions. But the fact that Voidspawn of that caliber are appearing... it's not a good sign. We need to investigate further. We need answers."
"And where exactly do we start with that?" Shiro asked, his tone more serious than usual. "I mean, we can't just march up to the Syndicate and ask them if they've been making deals with Voidspawn, right?"
Takeshi's lips pressed into a thin line. "We'll need to proceed carefully. The Syndicate may be involved, but they're not the only ones. The Black Thorn has been quiet for too long. There's no way they're the only ones pulling strings in this."
Yuto swallowed hard, his mind racing. The Black Thorn Syndicate had been a thorn in the side of the Soulbound for years, a ruthless organization that dealt in illegal Anima trading and Voidspawn summoning. But if they weren't the only players in this game, that meant the situation was far more complicated than any of them had realized.
"So what do we do?" Yuto asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do we go after the Black Thorn?"
Takeshi shook his head. "We don't act until we have more information. Rushing in blindly won't do us any good." He paused, glancing at Yuto with a pointed look. "And you need to get a better handle on Abyss before we take on anything bigger."
Yuto tensed at the mention of his Anima, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. Abyss had been quiet since the battle, but Yuto could feel its presence—always lurking, always watching, waiting for an opportunity to take control. He knew Takeshi was right. His connection to Abyss was still unstable, and every time he tapped into its power, it felt like he was teetering on the edge of something dangerous.
"I'm working on it," Yuto muttered, though he wasn't sure if he believed his own words.
Shiro clapped him on the back, his usual grin returning. "Hey, don't sweat it, man. You've got this. And if you start losing control, we'll be here to pull you back. Right, Takeshi?"
Takeshi didn't respond, but the brief nod he gave was enough of an answer.
As they rounded the corner to the Soulbound base, a small, unassuming building nestled between two towering skyscrapers, Yuto felt a sense of unease settle over him. The base was a haven, a place where they were supposed to be safe. But tonight, it felt different. He couldn't shake the feeling that the shadows were closing in, that something was waiting for them just beyond the edges of the light.
Takeshi approached the entrance, his hand hovering over the security panel. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes narrowing as if sensing something was wrong.
"What is it?" Yuto asked, his voice tense.
Takeshi's gaze shifted toward the dark alley across from the base. "We're not alone."
Yuto's heart skipped a beat as he followed Takeshi's line of sight. At first, he saw nothing—just shadows stretching across the ground. But then, a faint movement caught his eye. A figure, cloaked in darkness, was standing at the edge of the alley, watching them with an intensity that made Yuto's skin crawl.
"Who the hell is that?" Shiro muttered, his hand already moving to his blades.
Before any of them could react, the figure stepped forward, moving with an unnatural fluidity that sent a chill down Yuto's spine. The figure's face was obscured by a hood, but there was something unmistakably menacing about the way they carried themselves.
"Stay back," Takeshi ordered, his voice low and firm. His hand hovered over the hilt of his sword, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
The figure stopped a few paces away from them, tilting their head slightly as if observing them.
"You've gotten stronger since last we met," the figure said, their voice smooth and cold, echoing through the alley like a whisper carried on the wind.
Yuto's eyes widened in shock. He didn't recognize the voice, but there was something about it—something familiar.
"Who are you?" Yuto demanded, stepping forward despite Takeshi's warning. His sword was already halfway drawn, Abyss stirring within him.
The figure chuckled softly, the sound devoid of warmth. "Who I am is of little importance. What matters is that you're standing on the precipice of something far greater than you realize."
Takeshi's eyes narrowed, his posture shifting into a defensive stance. "What do you want?"
The figure's gaze settled on Yuto, and though Yuto couldn't see their eyes beneath the hood, he could feel the weight of their stare. It was like being trapped under an oppressive force, suffocating and overwhelming.
"You." The figure's voice was a low, almost mocking drawl. "The one with Abyss. You've only just begun to scratch the surface of your potential, and yet here you are, already meddling in things you don't understand."
Yuto's grip on his sword tightened. "What the hell are you talking about?"
The figure didn't answer right away. Instead, they took another step forward, their presence becoming more oppressive with every inch. "Abyss is not just an Anima, boy. It is far more ancient, far more dangerous than you could ever comprehend. And if you're not careful, it will consume you."
Yuto's pulse quickened, the weight of Abyss growing heavier inside him. He could feel its darkness stirring, responding to the figure's words as if being called out.
"I can help you," the figure continued, their voice smooth as silk. "I can show you how to control Abyss. How to unlock its true potential."
Yuto's heart raced, confusion and anger warring within him. This stranger—whoever they were—knew about Abyss. They knew things that Yuto didn't. But why? And how?
"Why should we trust you?" Takeshi's voice was a sharp blade cutting through the tension. His hand had moved to his sword, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
The figure's lips curled into a slow, sinister smile. "Trust?" they repeated, as if the very concept was foreign to them. "Trust has nothing to do with it. Whether you trust me or not is irrelevant. The question is, can you afford to ignore what I'm offering?"
Yuto's mind raced. Could this figure really help him control Abyss? Or was this some kind of trap? The figure's presence was suffocating, overwhelming, but there was something undeniably compelling about their offer. A part of him—the part that struggled with Abyss's power every day—wanted to believe them.
But another part, the part that remembered the chaos and destruction Abyss had caused, screamed at him to be cautious.
"Get out of here," Takeshi growled, stepping between Yuto and the figure. "We don't need your help."
The figure chuckled again, taking one last, slow step back. "Perhaps not today. But soon... you will."
With that, the figure turned and melted back into the shadows, leaving only the oppressive weight of their presence lingering in the air.
Yuto's breath came in short, ragged bursts as he stared after the figure, his mind still reeling from the encounter.
"Who was that?" Shiro asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Takeshi didn't answer, his gaze fixed on the darkness where the figure had disappeared.
Yuto clenched his fists, his mind swirling with confusion, fear, and anger. Whoever that figure was, they knew things about Abyss that no one else did. And whether Yuto liked it or not, he had a feeling this was only the beginning.
The shadows were closing in, and Yuto wasn't sure how long he could hold them back.