Ravyn has been wandering through the Abyss for around a week. Above him stretches an endless sky, a pulsating chaos of red and black patterns that ripple hypnotically in ever-shifting waves.
Massive golden cracks streak across the sky, emitting shimmering light and pouring Essence into the dark world below. The surreal brightness provides illumination, but it unsettles more than it comforts.
Occasionally, flying monsters pass overhead. They resemble skeletal dragons, their black scaled bodies adorned with hollow, glowing red eyes. Their slim frames and expansive wings make them agile and swift.
Often, they travel in swarms, their shifting silhouettes like writhing clouds. Individually, they're not too dangerous, but a single moment of carelessness can spell disaster when they attack in groups.
Ravyn watches as one such swarm slips through a Void Breach, a gateway connecting the Abyss to Earth. A familiar weight settles in his chest as he imagines the devastation on the other side.
The drive to find his lost sister, Aris, keeps him moving forward through the desolate landscape.
In his satchel, he carries a map given to him by Sylvorn, the village elder. It charts several Void Breaches that connect the Abyss to Earth.
Most lead to uninhabited regions, oceans, or deserts, but Ravyn searches for one that will take him directly to Europe and to Sanctum Arcanum, the academy. The institution is not only a bastion of traditional learning but also a center for mastering Essence, Stigmata, and Arkana.
The Abyss functions as a compressed mirror of Earth, where distances are significantly shorter but the journey is far more dangerous and exhausting due to its terrain and the relentless presence of monstrous creatures.
The map in his hand feels like both a comfort and a curse. Sylvorn had told him of Europe's fractured state: tectonic shifts in recent decades had shattered it into pieces, separated by vast seas.
Choosing the wrong Void Breach could leave Ravyn stranded in the waters dividing the broken regions of Europe, a fate as bad as any he could face in the Abyss.
The story reminds him of the Abyss itself, a realm of unpredictable waters and scattered islands.
The sole exception is the central region of Tenebris, a landmass the size of a continent, through which Ravyn now travels.
~~~
Ravyn sits by a small campfire in the middle of a dense forest.
The trees stretch 50 meters into the air, their massive canopies providing some protection from airborne predators. The fire is intentionally kept small to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
Though born in the Abyss, Ravyn is biologically human, a fact that makes him unwelcome among its native inhabitants.
He works methodically, carving a blade from the horn of a red dragon. This same horn had once been his tool for creating a temporary Void Breach.
"Just what does Aureth hope, by contracting with someone like Lumen? He was lazy and probably too scared to even use his power."
The fire crackles softly in the background, a rare comfort in the oppressive landscape.
The powerful energy that had once coursed through the horn has faded. Now, Ravyn plans to repurpose it into a gift for his sister.
"I hope Aris is well, its just like her to disappear and then pop up in some acadamy on earth.. haha."
Ravyn softly smiles, something he probably hasn't done once, since his sister disappeared. He finally has hope and something he can look forward to.
He knows the journey across the Abyss to reach the right Void Breach will be long and dangerous.
~~~
As Ravyn continues his journey, leaving the forest behind, the atmosphere shifts. The air grows colder, the sky darker. Shadows along the ground seem to writhe as if alive.
A sense of unease crawls through his body, and he stops abruptly.
From the darkness, something emerges.
"A Shadow Hound…" Ravyn murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper.
A dense fog coalesces into a massive silhouette. The creature towers before him, nearly his height. Its black brown fur ripples like living darkness, and its gleaming white fangs catch the faint, eerie light.
Two hollow, obsidian eyes lock onto Ravyn, reflecting his face as if mocking him.
The beast wastes no time. With a guttural snarl, it charges, covering the twenty-meter distance in an instant.
Ravyn reacts instinctively, leaping to the side in a fluid motion.
The Shadow Hound lands gracefully, its claws digging into the ground. Dark dust billows into the air, carrying the Abyss's damp, decaying scent.
Ravyn quickly creates space between himself and the creature. His fingers tingle as he activates one of his Stigmata.
Absolute Void, a power he has yet to fully master.
Dark sparks flicker around him, and twin short swords materialize in his hands, their edges glowing with the same fiery red-black hue as his eyes. The blades crackle, their shadows spitting sparks into the air.
The Shadow Hound doesn't hesitate. With a primal growl, it charges again.
This time, Ravyn surges forward, adrenaline sharpening his movements. He ducks under the beast's massive frame, his swords slashing across its belly.
Thick, green liquid sprays onto the ground, leaving a sizzling trail where it lands.
The enemy lets out a blood curdling howl but doesn't stop. Ravyn quickly realizes it's preparing for a final, desperate attack, a attempt to take him down along with it.
Without a moment's pause, Ravyn drops one of his swords and morphs it into a bow. In a single fluid motion, he notches an arrow made of pure Essence.
The arrow glows ominously, its tip burning with searing intensity. He draws back, aiming for the creature's head.
Time seems to stretch.
The Shadow Hound barrels toward him, its jaws wide, ready to crush him.
Ravyn releases the arrow.
It streaks through the air like a comet, piercing the hound's skull and detonating in an eruption of black flames.
The beast's head explodes, its body collapsing. Its weird blood seeps into the ground.
Ravyn stands still, his chest heaving. He looks towards the horizon, where the landscape stretches endlessly.
The Abyss offers no mercy, but he doesn't expect any.
His goal lies ahead, and he will reach it, no matter how long it takes or what dangers lie ahead.