The new passage was unnervingly silent, the kind of silence that presses against the ears, making every sound seem too loud. Nia's footsteps echoed faintly as she followed the god-king deeper into the abyss. The walls seemed alive, their surface rippling as though they were made of liquid shadow.
"How many more of these nexuses are there?" Nia asked, her voice breaking the stillness.
The god-king glanced back at her, his golden light illuminating his face. "I cannot say. The abyss has spread its roots far and wide. What we faced was but one strand of a vast, interconnected web."
She sighed, wiping sweat from her brow. "And let me guess, it gets worse the deeper we go?"
"Yes," he said simply.
The oppressive atmosphere pressed heavier with each step, making Nia's chest tighten. She tried to focus on the rhythmic glow of the god-king's light, a beacon in the suffocating darkness.
After what felt like an eternity, they emerged into another chamber. This one was smaller than the last but no less eerie. The walls were covered in writhing tendrils of shadow, pulsating faintly as if breathing. At the center of the room stood a pedestal, atop which floated a sphere of pure darkness.
The god-king stopped abruptly, his aura flaring in response to the object's presence. "A fragment of the abyss," he said, his voice tense.
Nia approached cautiously, her eyes narrowing. "What's it doing here?"
"It is a focal point," the god-king explained. "The abyss uses these fragments to channel its power into the mortal plane. If left unchecked, it will spread its corruption further, consuming all in its path."
"Destroy it, then," Nia said, gripping her knife.
The god-king's expression darkened. "It's not that simple. The fragment is protected by the abyss's will. To destroy it, we must first break its defenses. But doing so will awaken the entity bound to it."
Nia groaned. "So, another fight. Great."
The god-king turned to her, his gaze serious. "This will not be like the creatures we've faced. The guardian of this fragment is a direct manifestation of the abyss's power. It will be relentless."
She met his gaze, her resolve hardening. "Then let's get it over with."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the room trembled. The tendrils of shadow writhed violently, and a low, guttural growl echoed through the chamber. The sphere of darkness pulsed, and from its depths, a figure began to emerge.
At first, it was shapeless—a mass of shadow that twisted and coiled like smoke. Then, it solidified, taking the form of a towering humanoid figure. Its body was made of the same writhing shadows as the walls, and its eyes burned with a malevolent crimson light.
The god-king stepped forward, his aura flaring brighter. "Stay behind me," he commanded.
Nia ignored him, gripping her knife tightly. "We've been through worse. I'm not sitting this one out."
The shadow entity let out an ear-splitting roar, and the battle began.
The god-king unleashed a blast of light, the golden energy slamming into the entity with enough force to shake the room. The shadows recoiled, but the entity barely staggered. It retaliated with a swipe of its massive arm, the tendrils extending toward them like spears.
Nia dodged to the side, her movements quick and precise. She slashed at the tendrils with her knife, but her blade passed through them as though cutting air.
"It's not working!" she shouted, frustration mounting.
"The shadows are merely extensions of its will," the god-king said, deflecting another attack with a radiant barrier. "You must strike at its core."
"Easier said than done!" she shot back.
The entity roared again, its form growing larger as the darkness in the room fed into it. The oppressive energy made it difficult to breathe, and Nia felt her strength waning.
The god-king pressed forward, his light blazing like a star. He slammed into the entity with a surge of energy, forcing it back. "Now, Nia! Strike while it's weakened!"
Nia didn't hesitate. She sprinted toward the entity, her eyes locked on the glowing core that pulsed faintly within its chest. The shadows lashed out at her, but she weaved through them, her movements fueled by sheer determination.
Reaching the entity, she leapt into the air, driving her knife into the core with all her strength. The moment her blade made contact, a blinding light erupted from the core, and the entity let out a deafening scream.
The tendrils of shadow writhed violently, then disintegrated, leaving only the faint glow of the fragment on the pedestal. The oppressive weight in the room lifted, and Nia collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.
The god-king approached her, his light dim but steady. "You did well," he said, offering her a hand.
She took it, pulling herself to her feet. "You weren't kidding about it being relentless," she muttered, wiping sweat from her brow.
The god-king turned his attention to the fragment. "It is done, but this is only the beginning. The abyss will not take this loss lightly."
Nia sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Why am I not surprised?"
As the god-king reached out, his light enveloped the fragment, reducing it to ash. The chamber trembled, and a new passageway revealed itself, leading further into the abyss.
"Let's keep moving," the god-king said.
Nia hesitated, glancing back at the room they were leaving behind. "You said this was just one fragment. How many more are there?"
The god-king's expression was grim. "Countless. But each one we destroy weakens the abyss's hold on this world. We must press on."
With a deep breath, Nia nodded and followed him into the passageway. The shadows seemed to watch them as they disappeared into the darkness, their journey far from over.
And in the depths of the abyss, something stirred—a presence far greater than anything they had encountered, its malice growing with each passing moment.