Ryu looked at the empty space where the shadowy figure had been, their parting words echoing in his mind: The Abyss watches you closely… Be careful, or it will consume you.
He exhaled sharply, gazing down at Voidfang before sheathing the blade once more. Whatever game the Abyss was playing, it had just escalated. Ryu returned to the campfire, his boots crunching softly over dried leaves and twigs. The others slept on, undisturbed by the strange encounter—at least for now.
Lowering himself to a rock, Ryu sat with his back to the fire, eyes fixed on the dark horizon. He couldn't afford distractions. Not now. The shard in his pocket seemed to hum faintly, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. Each pulse whispered of the power it held—and the danger it carried.
"Worthy." The word grated in his mind like rusted iron.
