The Guild's corridors at midnight were quiet, alive with whispers and shades of darkness. Zephyr went swiftly, yet silently, down the partial light of corridors-the fire in her now tempered by a rare stillness, hours they had spent in argument since the revelation of the Council as to what next to do. Not only was it a night of chasing rumours but also a face-to-face encounter with the truth to which they were not even sure if ready for: Kieran's fall, the corrupting pull of the Abyss, and lurking shadows in the Guild itself-all uncharted territories. Zeph started to wonder if really he could trust anyone within the Guild, much less himself.
The chill in the air turned crisp as they approached the old library-that part of the Guild which saw very little footfall unless the most senior of Conduits needed something. Tonight Alistair had arranged for Zephyr and Mira to meet such an elusive figure in the name of an Elder: Corin. Unlike most in the Guild, Corin seldom emerged from the shadows of the library, yet second to none was his knowledge concerning the Abyss. Alistair spoke of him with reverent caution-a man who knew better than any the cost of darkness.
Mira threw a sideward glance at Zephyr; she could feel the unease. "If what Alistair said is true, Corin may have answers we haven't even thought to seek."
"Or perhaps he is the part of it," Zephyr returned low. "He has studied the Abyss all his life, and who is to say that he does not slowly fall to its pull?"
Mira scowled but nodded. She knew better than most the temptation of the Abyss made. She'd watched Zephyr fight against it once before, and they both had Kieran's fall as proof. "We'll have to trust Alistair's judgement… for now."
They pulled up before the heavy library doors-several hundred years old and cut with Abyssal glyphs that shimmered in the light of the torches. Zephyr felt a shiver of unease as he pushed them open, half-expecting the Abyss to pull him inside. Instead, they entered a vaulted room whose tall shelves were lined with the same dark tomes and forbidden scrolls kept all this time out of the sight of the Initiates.
Seated on the far side of the room, at a table with inscribed, glowing blue sigils, was a figure with eyes set deep into his skull-a face lined with secrets and age. Corin looked up; his gaze was sharp, nodding in acknowledgement. His eyes seemed an uncanny shade of silver as if they pierced through both of them into the tendrils of Abyssal energy that lay hidden in Zephyr's soul.
"You are Alistair's chosen, I presume," said Corin in a deep, resonating voice, an almost palpable echo of some far-off storm. "I have been expecting you both. The Guild has fallen upon dark times, and your arrival is… overdue."
Mira stepped forward; her posture guarded but respectful. "We are here to understand what is going on. There are rumours of Conduits embracing the Abyss in ways even the Guild wouldn't condone. We need to know who is responsible-and how to stop it."
Corin watched her, his lips twisting into a slight smile. "Ah, but the Abyss is not something you can simply 'stop.' Those who've courted it know its allure, its promises. Stopping them may mean facing the truth you fear most." He turned to Zephyr then, his eyes narrowing. "The Abyss calls to you, doesn't it? I can see it-a dark current under your control. Impressive… and dangerous.
Zephyr's jaw set. "I'm not here to give into it; I want to control it, protect the Guild from it."
"Control?" Corin laughed sourly. "You are naive if you think the Abyss can be controlled. It's like trying to chain the night itself. You may suppress it, for a time. But it will always find a way to slip through.
Mira's eyes flashed. "Then what are we to do? If you're so wise, Corin, if you know so much, why are you hiding here while the Guild falls apart?"
Corin's eyes went cold. "Hiding? No, child. I'm holding on to what's left of my humanity. Every breath one takes studying the Abyss is one taken closer to losing themselves. The Guild sent me to the archives because they're scared of what I will become. But even here, I have seen what is to come."
He gestured around him at the shelves. "There are records here, of those who sought the Abyss, who believed they could control it. They all failed. And now… it's starting again."
Zephyr felt a shiver run down his spine as Corin's words settled over him. "You mean… someone's trying to recreate the experiments? Trying to harness the Abyss as a weapon?
"Perhaps," the gentling of Corin's voice was balm. "But I really don't think it is one man. It's.the rot runs so deep, entrenched. The factions within the Guild, all with their own agendas and ideas about what power means. Some think they can tap into the Abyss, even use it against others, while others.just want to watch the world burn.
Len's head spun as he tried to fathom it all-too terrifying to believe that there really was such a faction in the Guild prepared to pay whatever price for releasing the Abyss. Part of him could not help but feel a thrill of dark curiosity about it, a twist of excitement he could not suppress entirely. What if they were right? What if the Abyss could somehow be tamed and utilised to remake not only the Guild but everything beyond it?
Mira seemed to feel his stare and reached out, her hand clamping onto his arm to refocus him. "We have to stop them, Zephyr. Before they destroy everything."
Corin watched them with a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "You are brave, the both of you. Bravery, however, will not save you from the Abyss. If you truly wish to eradicate this darkness, then you will need allies. And you will need to know what you are against.
Zephyr nodded, "Then help us. Show us where to begin."
Corin finally stood with a moment of fidgeting and deeper into the library guided them toward a sealed section by a carving of various ancient symbols. He pressed his hand onto the seal, murmured in his native language, and the wall opened to a chamber filled with scrolls and relics pulsating with dark energy.
These are the chronicles of those who fell to the Abyss, Corin intoned gravely. Their pride, their ambitions, their failures. Study them well, for it may well be the case that their example will be all the warning you will get.
Zephyr reached for a scroll; his fingers tingled as though the Abyssal energy within recognized him, almost welcomed him. He could feel its tug, its beguiling promise of power. Yet he made himself look, to read, to comprehend. And the scroll spoke to him of a Conduit named Valen-who rose and fell, and who had thought by mastering the Abyss he could protect his people-and was swallowed by it, leaving ruin in its wake.
As he read, the Kael'thar husky whisper purred in his mind, thick with temptation. See, Zephyr? Those who failed from the start were more powerful than anything. Imagine what you would be capable of, should you succeed.
Zephyr shivered, pushing the voice away. The whisper clung on, though-perhaps a dark seed planted deep in his soul.
Hours crawled by, and he and Mira pored over the records-learned the patterns of those that fell, the telltale signs of corruption, the subtle shifts in behaviour. It wasn't until they emerged from the library that the dawn broke, pale light casting over the grounds of the Guild.
Corin said nothing as they rode off, his face unreadable. "Be careful, Zephyr," he called after softly. "The path you are upon… it isn't one you can tread alone. Find those you trust, and hold them close to you. You will need them in the days to come.".
Zephyr turned and nodded, but with each step he took with Mira, the stirring within him whispered that Corin was warning a tad bit too little, too late. Fighting to hold it back, the rising darkness within clawed to be free from its tethers. He wasn't quite sure how much longer he would be able to keep prisoner the darkness brewing inside him.
As they neared the grounds, Mira clutched at his hand, her tone low. "We're going to pull through this, Zephyr. Together.
He looked into her eyes and contrived a smile. But one question clung there, unspoken in his mind: how much longer could he hold out against the Abyss? And when that day came… would he be strong enough to make the choice for the light?