The moonlight filtered through the dense canopy of leaves, casting long, jagged shadows across the forest floor. The air was heavy with the scent of decay, the aftermath of the serpent's destruction still lingering in the depths of the trees. Aric stood over the fallen creature, his heart pounding in his chest as the adrenaline began to fade. The battle had been brutal, but it was far from over. He knew that this was only the beginning—the Abyss was watching, and it wasn't finished with him yet.
Aric's beast, standing proudly beside him, panted heavily, its large form still brimming with energy despite the intensity of the fight. Its glowing eyes flickered toward Aric, as if awaiting his next command. The bond between them had deepened during the fight, a silent understanding that transcended words. They had become more than master and pet—they were partners, a single force in a world that demanded power and control.
But the sense of triumph that lingered in the aftermath of their victory was fleeting. There was something else, something darker, lurking just beyond the edge of Aric's consciousness.
He could feel it now—like an itch that wouldn't go away, a whisper in the back of his mind. The Abyss was calling him. He didn't know how he knew, but he could feel the pull. A distant, invisible force drawing him deeper into the heart of this forest, deeper into the unknown.
"Something's not right," Aric muttered to himself, his hand instinctively reaching for the dagger at his side. The familiar weight of the blade was comforting, but even it couldn't shake the gnawing feeling of impending danger.
The beast growled low, turning its head toward the shadows as though it, too, could sense the presence of something more powerful, something that was not a beast but something… ancient. Aric's instincts were telling him to move, to go deeper into the forest, and the beast's gaze confirmed it.
"Let's go," Aric said, his voice firm despite the unease settling in his stomach.
They ventu