The Abyss was still, the fog gone and the phantoms were all hiding because something ominous had caused them to go back into their shell.
Not even a mere whisper could be heard, it was more akin to a graveyard than before. The dark aura diminished and yet so drawn.
"You're not going to say anything?" Rav asked, trying to remain a lucid person and have a decent conversation with his childhood friend.
What happened earlier was a disaster and could have been far worse had he not intervened. He had to watch Kraven closely until they had crossed the Abyss before he tried something stupid.
The phantoms wouldn't be blamed this time for any actions taken but they sure as hell were responsible for pitching the bloodlust of a varmint.
"What did the phantoms show you?" Kraven asked distractedly, glaring at Isadora's unconscious form, so petite and vulnerable to his gaze.
"Krav" Rav imposed, making sure he wasn't having any funny ideas right now. The bloodlust still stank from him and Rav bid his chances if he went berserk again.
Kraven lightly chuckled. "Rav, I'm not gonna kill her" he took a drink from the flask.
"I don't believe you," he replied sternly.
Kraven raised an eyebrow. "The phantoms fed off my bloodlust, at that moment I felt killing her would free me. I wanted to kill her. I want to kill her"
Rav scowled. "What do you mean free you? I deserve an explanation, you've been acting odd since that brothel. Tell me, Krav, why did you drag me across the continent to this place? And now after five winters of wandering we're going back?"
He desperately needed to know. He had been with Kraven for many winters and not once had he acted blindly. So he chose to believe there was a reason for this. There was always a reason.
Kraven chose silence and Isadora as his unwavering attention. "I dragged you out here because I trust you, Rav" he said, scratching his underjaw where a visible scar was.
"But you don't trust me enough to tell me why?"
He smirked. "No"
How dire was it that Kraven, a man he had known his entire life, wouldn't tell him?
"I suggest we move faster out of this swamp and then clear your head"
Kraven laughed but forcibly this time. "I assure you I'm thinking very clearly" he took another drink before glowering back at Isadora, he could still hear the whisper however this time it was his thoughts piping him for the needful.
The bloodlust was unmistakable. The dominant power within him roared with it. 'She's triggering the shadows' he thought. "When we get back ensure the seal is stronger this time"
Rav narrowed his eyes in confusion, pondering why he would suddenly demand something like that. "Any stronger would—"
Isadora groaned, her throat burned and her body felt too heavy. She struggled to keep her eyes open but it was a tiresome feat.
The sound of popping fire caught her attention and then Kraven seated at the opposite side watching her with an unreadable expression.
The instant she laid eyes on him she staggered, sitting up and backing away as further as possible until she hit the tree bark behind.
She held her throat by instinct as the sensation of his tight grip overwhelmed her, so vividly real that for a moment she couldn't breathe.
"Don't worry, love, I won't hurt you" he coaxed.
Isadora did not believe a word, because his eyes told a different story. So frightening.
"We should get going" Rav declared, knowing the sooner they get out of here they won't be fucked.
Isadora dragged her gaze to Rav, who for once seemed tense and passing looks to Kraven like he expected him to make a move or something.
They weren't as coordinated as they were the first time she met them, it felt like an exchange between two predators ready to pounce on each other.
"We should" Kraven agreed, rising to his feet and kicking sand to quench the fire before leading the way.
"Isadora"
She snapped her eyes back to Rav who offered a hand for her to take. Despite being on alert she took it and he pulled her up.
Rav could feel her trembling under his hold, still traumatized by what happened, cold like ice too.
"I'm sorry," was all he could say, not trusting his words would soothe her.
Isadora sneaked a look at him, her eyes glassy and the tears on the verge of falling, she swallowed it up and chose not to spill it. It won't change a thing, she knew that much.
"It's not your fault," she said hoarsely. Despite being on the verge of dying she knew it was because of Rav's intervention that saved her life. "Thank you for saving my life"
"I did nothing," Rav exhaled. "But I will be honest, I can't guarantee that something like that won't happen again"
"What is he?"
Her question caught him off guard but he expected such.
Isadora couldn't stop the image plaguing her mind, the shadows, and the darkness in his eyes, she'd seen many things spending her time in that brothel but this was on a different league, whatever it was she prayed to the gods she would never see again.
"For your sake, I can't answer that question"
~♧~
After a few hours of walking, they reached the crossing, a way out of the Abyss.
It was a worn-out bridge that looked like it would collapse with a slight wind.
Isadora knew these two were hellbent on taking suicidal routes like it was nothing and protesting wouldn't get her anywhere, even if she did it would get Kraven's attention. He had not said a word and she would prefer it that way.
Kraven was the first to step on the bridge earning a sad squeak from it, a thought flavored his mind. 'It would be painless... just an easy fall. Just a push will do it'.
The phantoms may have poisoned his mind at a moment of weakness but he was beginning to think he was more inclined to do it.
Kraven was the first to get off the bridge and awaited the other two, he eyed the ropes holding the bridge and itched to reach for his holster trapped around his thigh. However, that was a bad decision because he would lose Rav too.
With clenched teeth, he withdrew the idea silently cursing to the gods with a knack of frustrating him to no end.
This was going to be a very long journey.