The walls of the chamber trembled, the heartbeat of the abyss echoing in the air like a distant drum. The protagonist stood at the center of the storm, the darkness swirling around him, both familiar and alien. The Abyssal Bond pulsed within him, its power a constant hum, vibrating through his veins, filling him with an energy that was both exhilarating and terrifying.
"What have you done?" The girl's voice, filled with fear and disbelief, cut through the chaos. She stepped closer, her hands trembling as she reached for him, but the shadows recoiled, as if warning her to stay back. The abyss had taken root inside him, and its influence was spreading faster than he could understand.
"I've embraced it," he whispered, his voice barely above a growl. "The darkness is mine now."
The words felt foreign on his tongue, but they were true. The power that surged through him, the same power that had once terrified him, now felt like an extension of himself. His control over it was imperfect, but it was undeniable. The shadows obeyed his command—almost.
The girl took a step back, her face pale, eyes wide with fear. "This... this isn't you. You're becoming something else, something dark."
But he couldn't stop now. The power was too tempting, too vast. It whispered to him, promising strength, dominance, the ability to reshape the world. It was a voice he had heard before, but now it was louder, clearer, demanding.
"I am becoming more," he said, his eyes darkening. "More than I ever could be without it."
The girl shook her head, stepping back further. "You don't understand. This... this is only the beginning. The darkness will consume you. It's already changing you."
He could feel it—the cold, the hunger, the sense of inevitability. The shadows were not just surrounding him anymore. They were inside him, feeding on his doubts, on his fears. They grew stronger with each passing moment, their influence creeping into his thoughts.
"I don't care." His voice was firm now, the indecision gone. "I have power, and I will use it. I will never be weak again."
A rumbling sound filled the air, followed by a crackling noise as the very stone of the chamber began to fracture. The darkness was growing, feeding off his emotions, feeding off his desires. The walls seemed to be bending, warping, as if the very fabric of reality itself was beginning to distort. The abyss was no longer a distant threat—it was here, within him, and it was hungry for more.
"You're wrong," the girl said, her voice thick with emotion. "You're not invincible. This power will break you."
But the protagonist wasn't listening anymore. His hand tightened around the crystal, and the shadows swirled in response, coiling around him like a living cloak. His eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, and for the first time, he truly felt like he was in control of his destiny.
"I don't need saving," he said, his tone cold and unyielding. "I am the one who will decide what happens next."
The girl's eyes were filled with sorrow as she turned away, a sense of helplessness settling over her. She had tried to reach him, to pull him back from the brink, but it was too late. The protagonist had chosen his path, and there was no turning back now.
As the darkness continued to spread, the voice inside his mind grew louder, urging him forward, telling him that this was only the beginning. The shadows were not just a power—they were a purpose, a force that would change everything.
And so, with the girl standing behind him, the protagonist took the first step into the abyss, fully aware of what it meant. The world was no longer his to protect. It was his to conquer.
[System Notice: New Quest Available: Embrace the Abyss.]
Objective: Channel the Heart of Darkness and solidify your control over the shadows.
Rewards: Unknown.