The path revealed by the Abyssal Orb wasn't what they would've expected. Instead of a physical corridor, the ground beneath Team Eclipse shimmered and transformed into a bridge of dark energy that proceeded into the unknown, suspended over a swirling abyss of shadows alive, writhing and reaching upward with ghostly tendrils.
Draven stared down at the endless void and shivered. "This doesn't scream 'safe passage.' More like 'one wrong step, and you're done.'"
"Keep moving," Ryu said, his voice sharp with determination. The Abyssal Orb pulsed faintly in his hand, guiding them forward. "We don't know how long this bridge will hold."
Aris tested the path with a slow step. The energy felt steady beneath her boots though it pulsed unnervingly. "It's steady enough," she said, her unease clear.
The group moved forward in single file, each step deliberate. Around them the void whispered, faint echoes of voices too fragmented to make sense.
"…you…don't belong…"
"…turn…back…"
Draven glanced at Aris. "Still think this is a great adventure?
She didn't respond, her eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement.
Halfway across, the whispers grew louder, and the bridge started to shudder. The swirling darkness below erupted upward in great writhing tendrils that lashed at the path.
"Here we go again!" Draven shouted, raising his shield as a tendril smashed into the bridge near him, shattering part of it.
"Run!" Ryu yelled, taking off in a sprint.
The team bolted, dodging and weaving as the tendrils attacked with increasing ferocity. Aris darted ahead, her agility allowing her to avoid the writhing darkness. Draven stayed behind Ryu, deflecting strikes with his shield while moving as fast as he could.
A large tendril lashed toward Aris, and she leapt forward, landing just as the bridge beneath her crumbled.
That was too close!" she yelled, scrambling up and pressing onward.
Ryu turned around, his face serious. "Move! Don't even think about stopping!"
They could see the end of the bridge—a fractured stone lip glowing with faint, gummy light from the runes that covered it. However, just before they reached it, the tendrils combined to form a large single thing that stretched across their path and would not budge.
It had no shape, only a moving mass of darkness with thousands of glowing red eyes. A chilling system notification appeared before them:
[Catalyst Watcher: Abyssal Warden]
Level:???
"Of course it's a boss," Draven groaned, sliding to a stop and raising his shield.
The Warden shrieked, the sound piercing and unnatural. Its tendrils lashed out, one after another, forcing the team to spread out across the remaining sections of the bridge.
"Draven, hold its attention!" Ryu shouted, gripping his blade tightly. "Aris and I will go for the core!"
"On it!" Draven yelled back, charging toward the Warden. He slammed his shield into one of its tendrils, drawing its focus.
The Warden lashed out, but Draven planted his feet, absorbing the blows with his shield. "Not so fast, big guy! You've got to deal with me first!"
Meanwhile, Ryu and Aris circled to the Warden's sides, its body shifting as it tried to track their movements.
"Aris, aim for the eyes!" Ryu called out, leaping onto one of the remaining tendrils and sprinting toward the creature's core.
"Way ahead of you!" Aris replied, flinging one of her daggers. It struck true, shattering one of the glowing red eyes. The Warden screeched in pain, its tendrils thrashing wildly.
Ryu seized the opening, charging energy into his blade as he closed the distance. His blade shone brighter now as he launched himself into the air, bringing the blade down in a powerful strike to the Warden's core.
The creature howled as Ryu's attack hit, a burst of energy tearing through its form. But the Warden wasn't finished. Its tendrils surged up, knocking Ryu back onto the bridge.
"Ryu!" Aris shouted, rushing to his side.
"I'm fine," he said, pushing himself up. His eyes locked on the Warden, now weakened but still formidable. "We need to finish this."
The Warden began to regenerate, its form stabilizing. But before it could recover fully, a faint glow appeared around the Abyssal Orb in Ryu's hand.
"It's reacting," he muttered.
Aris nodded. "Maybe it's the key to defeating this thing."
Ryu held the orb high, its glow intensifying. The Warden recoiled, its tendrils retreating as if in pain.
"Now's our chance!" Ryu shouted. "Aris, aim for the core!"
With the Warden momentarily stunned, Aris moved swiftly, her daggers flashing as she struck at the creature's core. Draven joined the assault, his shield smashing into its form with unrelenting force.
Ryu channeled the energy of the orb into his blade, unleashing a final devastating strike. The Warden let out a final piercing scream before its form dissolved into the void.
A system notification appeared:
[Catalyst Watcher: Abyssal Warden Defeated.]
Rewards Unlocked: Abyssal Rune Fragment, Catalyst Crystal.]
The bridge stabilized, and the oppressive whispers faded into silence. The team stood together, catching their breath.
"Another day, another giant monster," Draven said, slumping against his shield. "We're really living the dream here."
Ryu held up the Catalyst Crystal, its faint glow lighting the path ahead. "This isn't over. The Core is close—I can feel it."
Aris sheathed her daggers, glancing warily at the swirling shadows beyond the platform. "If the Watcher was guarding the Core, whatever's inside is going to make this fight look easy."
Draven groaned. "Great. Just great."
With the Catalyst Crystal in hand and the path ahead clear, the team pressed on, their resolve unshaken despite the darkness that loomed before them. The Core awaited, and with it, the truth behind the ruins' sinister power.