The chamber was silent except for the low hum of the Abyssfang and the faint whispers slithering through Shi Yan's mind. He stood before the fifth chain, his hand trembling as it gripped the hilt of his blade. The shard in his other hand pulsed rhythmically, its glow a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness surrounding him.
"One more," a voice whispered, not from the armored figure, but from within his own mind. It was smooth, persuasive, and strangely familiar. "With each chain severed, you transcend. You become more. Isn't that why you came here?"
---
Shi Yan closed his eyes, steadying his breathing. He had already severed four chains, and with each one, he had felt both power and corruption growing within him. His strength was undeniable, but so too was the creeping sense of something alien rooting itself in his soul.
"Why do you care so much about these chains?" he muttered to the armored figure.
The figure tilted its head, the runes on its armor glowing faintly. "Because they bind the Abyss' will. To free the shard is to free the Abyss itself. You are no longer just a wielder—you are its harbinger."
The words struck him like a blow. A harbinger... The term felt both foreign and natural, as though it was a mantle he had been destined to take but had not yet accepted.
---
The fifth bound figure raised its head, its eyes burning with defiance. Unlike the others, this one did not plead or lash out. Instead, it spoke with a calm yet firm tone.
"You are walking a path of no return, Seeker. Turn back now, and you may yet retain your humanity."
Shi Yan's expression hardened. "And what would you have me do? Leave these chains and abandon the power I've fought so hard for?"
The figure nodded solemnly. "There is more strength in restraint than in indulgence. You wield the Abyssfang and the shard; they are tools, not masters. Sever the chains, and you may lose the distinction."
---
For a moment, Shi Yan hesitated. The weight of his decisions pressed down on him like a storm, his thoughts swirling between ambition and caution. The Abyssfang pulsed insistently, the shard burning hotter in his grip.
"No," he said finally, his voice resolute. "I will claim what is mine."
With a powerful swing, the Abyssfang cut through the fifth chain.
The reaction was immediate. The chamber trembled violently, and the bound figure let out a guttural roar as it dissolved into ash. A surge of power flowed into Shi Yan, stronger than before, but so too did the tendrils of darkness within his mind.
This time, they spoke with clarity. "You are one of us now."
---
Shi Yan fell to one knee, clutching his head as visions flashed before his eyes. He saw countless worlds consumed by darkness, each one echoing with screams of despair. He saw himself standing at the center of it all, wielding the Abyssfang, his body cloaked in shadows.
The armored figure approached slowly, its steps reverberating in the trembling chamber. "Five chains... Few have gone this far. But the sixth will test not your strength, but your soul."
Shi Yan looked up, his breathing ragged. "What happens if I sever it?"
The figure paused. "You will gain ultimate power. But you will no longer be you. The Abyss does not share its gifts freely."
---
Despite the warning, Shi Yan rose to his feet. The power coursing through him was intoxicating, and the whispers in his mind no longer felt foreign. They were his thoughts, his desires.
"Show me the sixth chain," he demanded.
The armored figure extended a hand, and the final chain materialized before Shi Yan. It was larger than the others, its links forged from pure energy that crackled and shifted like lightning.
The bound figure at its base was different as well—taller, more defined, and cloaked in an aura of absolute authority. Its eyes were not hollow, but sharp and calculating, as if it were judging Shi Yan's very existence.
"So, you have come," it said, its voice deep and commanding. "I am the Abyss' final guardian. To sever my chain is to accept your role as its vessel."
---
Shi Yan gripped the Abyssfang tightly, his body trembling with anticipation and fear. "What if I refuse?"
The guardian smiled faintly. "Then you leave here with what you have gained, but no more. The shard will remain incomplete, and the Abyss will wait for another."
"And if I fight you?"
"Then you either ascend... or fall like the others before you."
Shi Yan's eyes narrowed. He could feel the weight of the Abyss pressing down on him, urging him forward. Yet, a small part of him, buried deep within, resisted.
---
The shard in his hand began to glow brighter, its light almost blinding. The whispers in his mind grew louder, almost deafening, as if the Abyss itself was commanding him to act.
Shi Yan raised the Abyssfang, its blade igniting with golden fire and abyssal darkness intertwined. The guardian did not flinch, merely spreading its arms in a gesture of readiness.
"You will not claim me," Shi Yan said, his voice steady.
The guardian's smile widened. "We shall see."
The battle began.