Yuto opened his eyes to darkness—an endless, suffocating void that seemed to stretch forever in every direction. He blinked, trying to clear his mind, but nothing changed. The blackness remained, enveloping him, pressing in on him. His body felt weightless, like he was floating in a deep, endless sea.
Am I… dead? The thought crossed his mind, lingering as the silence stretched on.
But then, a voice cut through the void. Deep, chilling, and all too familiar.
"You're not dead, Yuto… Not yet."
The voice reverberated inside his skull, cold and detached, and with it came a wave of dread. Yuto knew exactly who it was—the Abyss, the dark entity that had been lying dormant inside him for so long. But now, it was no longer a whisper at the back of his mind. Now, it was the only sound in the emptiness.
Yuto tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. It felt as if invisible chains held him in place. "What… where am I?" he asked, his voice shaky.
The Abyss chuckled, the sound echoing unnervingly in the void. "You're in my domain now. The place where I've always waited for you to let me in completely. You've given up control, Yuto, and now… now I have full reign."
Yuto's heart raced as realization hit him. Full control? He struggled harder, trying to break free, but it was like fighting the weight of the ocean. "No… no! I didn't—"
"Oh, but you did," the Abyss interrupted, amusement dripping from its voice. "The moment you lost hope, the moment you let the darkness in, I took over. You had your chance, and you failed."
"No!" Yuto shouted, his voice rising with desperation. "This isn't what I wanted! I won't let you—"
"It's too late, Yuto. It's already done."
Suddenly, the void shifted. In the blink of an eye, the darkness receded, and Yuto found himself standing in a dimly lit space, surrounded by swirling shadows. He could feel the weight of his body again, but something was different—he wasn't in control. His arms, his legs—they moved without his command. It was as if he was watching someone else from within his own skin.
And then, he saw Takeshi.
His friend lay sprawled on the ground in front of him, pale and barely breathing. Blood pooled beneath him, a vivid reminder of the brutal fight they had just endured. The sight made Yuto's stomach churn.
"Takeshi!" Yuto tried to shout, but his voice didn't carry. His body remained frozen, watching as if detached from the scene unfolding.
"Ah, your dear friend," the Abyss said, its voice now soft, almost mocking. "What a pitiful sight."
Yuto felt his own lips move, but the words weren't his. "Takeshi," he heard himself say, though the voice was lower, darker. "Look at you, barely clinging to life."
Takeshi's eyes fluttered open, his breath ragged as he tried to focus on the figure before him. "Yuto…?" he rasped, his voice weak.
Yuto's heart ached. It's not me! he wanted to scream, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't force his body to stop. The Abyss was in control, and it was using his voice.
"I'm not the Yuto you knew," the Abyss said, crouching down beside Takeshi. "I've taken over now."
Takeshi's eyes widened, panic flaring in them as he tried to push himself away. "No… no, it can't be…"
"You should be honored, really," the Abyss continued, tilting Yuto's head to the side, inspecting the fading life in Takeshi's body. "You get to witness the birth of something much greater than what Yuto ever was. He was weak, conflicted. But me? I am absolute."
"Takeshi!" Yuto screamed internally, trapped inside his own mind. "Don't listen! It's not me!"
But the Abyss paid him no mind. It grinned—Yuto's body grinned—at Takeshi's feeble attempts to crawl away. "Why struggle? It's over for you. For all of you."
Takeshi winced in pain, managing to spit out a few words. "Yuto… I know you're still in there," he gasped, his voice trembling but filled with determination. "Fight it. Don't… don't let it win…"
Yuto's soul surged with emotion, every fiber of his being screaming to take control, to save his friend. But no matter how hard he tried, his body remained under the Abyss's command.
The Abyss leaned in closer to Takeshi, its dark eyes glittering. "He's too far gone, Takeshi. Yuto is mine now."
"No," Takeshi said weakly, his eyes locking onto Yuto's. "You're stronger than this, Yuto. You're… you're more than this monster."
The Abyss's smile faded slightly, a flicker of irritation crossing its face. "He can't hear you," it said, its voice more forceful now. "This is the new Yuto. You're wasting your last breaths."
But Takeshi refused to back down, his voice growing more intense despite his fading strength. "I believe in you, Yuto. You've always fought, even when the odds were against you. Don't give up now. Don't let this thing control you."
Inside the depths of his own mind, Yuto felt something stir—a spark of resistance. Takeshi's words cut through the darkness, a reminder of who he was, of what he stood for.
"Takeshi…" Yuto whispered to himself, his soul trembling with the weight of his emotions. He believes in me… even now.
The Abyss chuckled, but it sounded forced. "Enough of this sentimental nonsense," it hissed, standing up to tower over Takeshi. "You're going to die here, and there's nothing anyone can do about it."
"Yuto…" Takeshi rasped, his voice barely audible now. "Please…"
The Abyss raised Yuto's hand, dark energy gathering in its palm. It was preparing to end Takeshi's life once and for all. Yuto watched in horror, every part of him screaming to stop it. He couldn't let this happen.
"No…" Yuto growled from deep within. "I won't let you!"
For a split second, his body hesitated. The Abyss's control wavered, just enough for Yuto to feel it. He latched onto that moment, pouring every ounce of his willpower into breaking free.
"You… won't… win!"
The Abyss snarled, its grip on Yuto's mind tightening again, but Yuto pushed back harder, fueled by the sight of his friend lying helpless before him. He could feel the darkness fighting him, but this time, he wasn't alone. Takeshi's belief, his words, had given him strength.
With a roar of defiance, Yuto surged forward, reclaiming control of his body for just an instant. His hand, still glowing with dark energy, stopped inches from Takeshi's chest.
"I won't… let you hurt him!" Yuto shouted, his voice finally breaking through the Abyss's hold.
The Abyss screamed in fury, thrashing against Yuto's will. "You can't stop me, Yuto! You're nothing without me!"
But Yuto held on, trembling with the effort. "Maybe I'm not strong enough on my own," he admitted through gritted teeth, "but I'll never let you control me!"
Takeshi looked up at him, his eyes filled with pain but also hope. "Yuto… you're still in there…"
Yuto nodded, his body shaking as he wrestled with the Abyss's influence. "I won't let it end like this, Takeshi."
For the first time since the Abyss had taken over, Yuto felt a surge of power that was his own. It wasn't born from darkness or rage—it came from within, from the core of who he was. He focused on that feeling, on the bond he had with Takeshi, and pushed back against the Abyss with everything he had.
The Abyss roared in frustration, but Yuto didn't let up. Slowly, inch by inch, he felt the dark entity retreat, its hold on him weakening.
"This isn't over, Yuto," the Abyss hissed, its voice fading. "I'll be back… and next time, you won't be so lucky."
With one final surge of effort, Yuto expelled the Abyss from his consciousness, feeling the weight lift from his soul. He gasped, his body collapsing next to Takeshi, utterly exhausted.
"Yuto…?" Takeshi croaked, his voice filled with uncertainty.
Yuto turned to him, his face pale but determined. "I'm here," he said, his voice weak but his own. "I'm still me."
Takeshi smiled faintly, his body relaxing slightly as relief washed over him. "I knew you'd fight it."
Yuto nodded, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on him. "It's not over," he muttered. "The Abyss… it's still inside me. But I'll fight it. I won't let it control me again."
Takeshi reached out, grabbing Yuto's hand weakly. "You're stronger than it, Yuto. We'll get through this. Together."
Yuto squeezed his friend's hand, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Yeah," he whispered. "Together."
But deep inside, Yuto knew that the battle with the Abyss was far from over. It was only just beginning.