The city of Zenith felt heavier that night, like the weight of the spiritual and human worlds pressed down on it, squeezing the very life from its streets. Yuto couldn't shake the tension crawling up his spine as he walked beside Seiji, Takeshi, and Shiro. Every corner felt like it hid a threat, every shadow loomed larger in the dim light of the flickering street lamps.
"Where are we going?" Shiro asked, his voice barely more than a whisper as they moved through the quieter outskirts of the city.
Seiji didn't turn to look at him, his gaze fixed ahead. "Somewhere the answers might reveal themselves. There's a place near the city's edge where the boundary between our world and the spirit realm is weakest."
Yuto furrowed his brow. "You think Abyss will show us something there?"
Seiji paused, glancing over his shoulder at Yuto. "Not Abyss. Something far older. We need to understand what it is that's waking inside of you."
Yuto clenched his fists, trying to keep his emotions in check. The idea that Abyss wasn't just a rogue spirit, but a being tied to some ancient force, was unsettling. What did that mean for him? What was lurking inside him, just waiting to take over?
"And if we don't find anything?" Takeshi asked, always the cautious one.
Seiji's voice dropped into something more somber. "Then we hope we have more time before it fully awakens."
As they continued down the path, Yuto caught Shiro's eye. Shiro flashed him a quick grin, a poor attempt at reassuring him. "Hey, at least we're in this mess together, right? Beats sitting around the base doing nothing."
Yuto managed a half-hearted smile. "Yeah, I guess so."
The walk seemed to stretch on forever, and with each step, Yuto's anxiety grew. What would they find? Would this help him gain control of Abyss, or would it just confirm his worst fears—that he was doomed to be consumed by it?
After what felt like hours, they finally reached the outskirts of Zenith. The city gave way to a forested area, the trees towering above them like silent sentinels. There was a different kind of silence here, one that Yuto wasn't used to. It was unnerving, as if the world was holding its breath.
Seiji stopped at the edge of a small clearing. In the center was a large, weathered stone, its surface covered in ancient symbols that glowed faintly in the dark. The air around it was thick with an energy Yuto could feel buzzing against his skin.
"This is it," Seiji said quietly, stepping closer to the stone. "This is where the boundary between the two worlds is weakest. It's been here for centuries, used by the ancient Soulbound to communicate with spirits far beyond our understanding."
Takeshi's brow furrowed. "And you think we'll find out more about Abyss here?"
Seiji nodded. "If there's any place where we can glimpse the truth, it's here." He turned to Yuto, his expression unreadable. "But you'll need to open yourself to Abyss. Let it reach out, connect to the energy in this place. Only then will we see what it truly is."
Yuto's stomach twisted. He knew what Seiji was asking of him—he'd have to let Abyss surface, allow it to take control, even if just for a moment. It was terrifying. He had barely been able to contain it before, and now Seiji wanted him to willingly let it loose?
"What if it goes wrong?" Yuto asked, his voice shaky despite his best efforts to keep calm. "What if Abyss takes over completely?"
Seiji's gaze was steady. "That's a risk, but one we have to take. If you don't learn the truth now, Abyss will continue to grow inside you, and when it eventually surfaces again, you might not be able to stop it."
"You can do this, Yuto," Takeshi added, his tone softer than usual. He placed a hand on Yuto's shoulder. "We're here. We won't let it get out of hand."
Shiro, standing a few feet away, gave Yuto a thumbs-up. "Yeah, man! If things get crazy, I'll just knock some sense into you, like always!"
Despite his fear, Yuto felt a flicker of gratitude. At least he wasn't doing this alone. He took a deep breath and stepped toward the stone.
The air around him felt heavier, thicker, the moment he neared it. A strange hum filled his ears, like the world itself was vibrating. His heart pounded in his chest as he reached out a hand, hesitating for a brief second before placing it on the cold surface of the stone.
"Abyss," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Show me what you are."
For a moment, nothing happened. But then, a cold, creeping sensation slithered up Yuto's arm, spreading through his body like ice. His vision blurred, the world around him darkening until all he could see was a vast, inky blackness.
And then… the whispers began.
They were faint at first, like the murmur of a distant crowd. But they grew louder, more distinct, until they filled Yuto's mind. Voices, countless voices, speaking in a language he couldn't understand but somehow felt deep in his bones. It was as if Abyss itself was speaking to him—no, through him.
"Do you feel it?" Seiji's voice cut through the haze, distant but clear. "That's the truth of Abyss."
Yuto's head pounded as the voices grew louder, more insistent. His body felt heavy, weighed down by the sheer force of it all. He tried to pull back, to shake off the overwhelming presence, but something held him in place, tethered to the stone.
"Yuto!" Takeshi's voice, sharp and filled with concern.
"Let go!" Shiro's panicked shout.
But Yuto couldn't move. He was trapped, sinking deeper into the void. Images flashed before his eyes—shadows, ancient battles, a power that consumed everything in its path. He saw destruction, entire cities swallowed by darkness, warriors falling one by one, their Anima extinguished by the relentless force of Abyss.
And then, he saw him—a figure standing in the center of the chaos, cloaked in the same dark energy that coursed through Yuto's veins. The figure's face was obscured, but Yuto knew who it was. His brother. The legendary Soulbound warrior who had died under mysterious circumstances.
"Yuto..." The voice came from the figure, low and filled with sorrow. "I tried to stop it... but the Abyss is eternal."
Yuto's breath caught in his throat. "Nii-san? Is that you?"
The figure didn't respond, but Yuto could feel his presence. His brother—Kaito Kisaragi—was somehow connected to Abyss. But how? And why hadn't he ever told Yuto about it?
The figure raised a hand, and the shadows around him swirled, condensing into a single point of light. "You have the power to choose, Yuto. Control it… or be consumed."
Yuto's heart pounded as the light expanded, enveloping him. The cold, crushing weight of Abyss lifted, replaced by a warmth that spread through his chest. His body jerked as he broke free from the stone, collapsing to the ground, gasping for air.
"Yuto!" Shiro was at his side in an instant, pulling him up. "Dude, what happened? You were out for a while there!"
Takeshi stood nearby, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, eyes sharp. "Are you okay?"
Yuto nodded weakly, still trying to catch his breath. His mind was spinning with the images, the voices, his brother's cryptic words. "I… I saw him. My brother. He—he's connected to Abyss somehow. I don't know how, but he tried to stop it."
Seiji knelt beside Yuto, his expression grave. "Then we need to move quickly. If your brother was tied to Abyss, there may be more at stake here than we realized."
Yuto looked up, his eyes hardening with resolve. "Whatever it is, I'm going to find out. And I'm going to stop it."
Seiji nodded. "Good. But be careful, Yuto. The path ahead will only get darker from here."
As they stood together, the faint glow of the stone behind them, Yuto felt the weight of his brother's words pressing down on him. Control it or be consumed. He didn't know what the future held, but one thing was clear: Abyss wasn't just a rogue spirit. It was something far more dangerous, and if Yuto didn't find a way to master it, it would destroy everything—just as it had threatened to destroy his brother.
And Yuto refused to let that happen again.