The Shadowlands stretched endlessly ahead, the Black Spire looming larger with every step. As Chen and Fenrir drew closer, the air grew colder, carrying with it a faint, unsettling hum. It wasn't a sound so much as a vibration, one that gnawed at the edges of Chen's mind.
"I'm starting to hate this place," Chen muttered.
Fenrir glanced at him, raising one expressive brow as if to say, Starting?
The wolf's exaggerated expression earned a chuckle, though it did little to dispel the tension. Fenrir's antics had become a strange anchor for Chen in this bleak landscape. Its lazy demeanor and bizarre habits, like collecting shiny pebbles and organizing them into odd patterns, were oddly comforting.
But even Fenrir seemed more alert now, its silver and amber eyes scanning the desolate surroundings.
"Host," the System chimed in, its voice unusually somber, "you are entering the outskirts of the Abyssal Gate's influence. The whispers you hear are fragments of despair, drawn from the souls it has consumed."
Chen frowned, gripping his spear tighter. "Whispers? I don't hear—"
The words died on his lips as a faint voice echoed in his mind. It was his own voice, filled with doubt and anguish.
"You'll never be strong enough. You'll fail, just like you always have."
He stopped in his tracks, shaking his head. "No. That's not real."
Fenrir growled low in its throat, pressing against Chen's leg as if to ground him. The wolf's intense gaze locked onto his, communicating a silent but clear message: Focus.
Chen took a deep breath, nodding. "Thanks, buddy."
---
The Abyssal Rift
Their path led to a jagged chasm, the earth split apart as though by a titan's hand. Black mist rose from the depths, swirling ominously. Across the chasm was a narrow bridge of stone, its surface slick with an unnatural, oily sheen.
"Of course, it's a creepy bridge," Chen muttered. "Why can't we ever find a normal way through?"
Fenrir snorted, trotting ahead and testing the first few steps with deliberate care. When the bridge didn't collapse, it turned back to Chen with a look that screamed, Hurry up.
Chen followed cautiously, each step feeling more precarious than the last. Halfway across, the whispers grew louder, a cacophony of voices overlapping in a symphony of despair.
"You're unworthy."
"You'll never protect them."
"They'll leave you behind."
Chen froze, his heart pounding