Chapter 15: Into the Abyss
The village stretched before Xia Yu like a labyrinth of shadows, its streets silent, as though the very air was holding its breath. The weight of the encounter with the mysterious figure pressed heavily on her shoulders. The words they had spoken echoed in her mind, each one more disturbing than the last.
"You carry a piece of my power," they had said.
Xia Yu clenched her fists, the mark on her arm still burning faintly. The darkness inside her seemed to stir restlessly, as though it had heard the call of its master. Epoch's voice was low but firm. "Host, the more you resist, the more the darkness grows within you. We need to find a way to suppress it before it overwhelms you."
She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep fighting this war on her own. Every step she took felt like she was walking deeper into a web she couldn't escape. The shadows weren't just in the village. They were in her, too.
The path before her seemed to stretch on endlessly, the village's eerie quiet broken only by the occasional rustle of wind or the distant creak of a door. Xia Yu didn't know who to trust anymore. The villagers were nowhere to be seen, and the few that had appeared were now shadows of themselves, their eyes hollow and empty.
She stopped at the edge of another clearing, the faint glow of lanterns casting long shadows on the ground. Her breath caught as she noticed a figure standing at the far end of the clearing.
It was another hooded person, their form indistinct in the dim light.
Xia Yu instinctively gripped her sword, her pulse quickening. "Show yourself!" she demanded.
The figure raised a hand, stepping forward into the light. It was a woman, with pale skin and eyes that shimmered like liquid silver. Her expression was unreadable, her lips curved in a faint smile.
"I see you've come far," the woman said, her voice smooth, almost soothing. "But I must warn you, child—what you seek here is far more dangerous than you realize."
Xia Yu's grip tightened on her sword, her eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"
The woman tilted her head slightly, as if considering the question. "I'm a part of the village you now tread in. But more importantly, I'm one of the few who understands the truth of your mark."
Xia Yu's heart skipped a beat. She stepped closer, the sword still at the ready. "Then tell me. What is it? What's happening to me?"
The woman's smile widened, though it didn't reach her eyes. "The mark is a key, Xia Yu. A key that unlocks a door—a door that leads to a power beyond your comprehension. A power that will either consume you or elevate you beyond the mortal realm."
Xia Yu's head spun. She had heard the words before. "The darkness will consume you." But this was different. This woman wasn't threatening her, she was offering her something.
Epoch's warning reverberated in her mind: "Host, do not trust her. She's a part of this place, this darkness. She wants to control you."
But something in the woman's gaze stirred a curiosity within Xia Yu. "And if I accept this power? What happens then?"
The woman's lips curled into an almost predatory smile. "You'll become a vessel for the true power of the shadows. You'll wield strength beyond imagining, and no one will be able to stand in your way."
Xia Yu's heart hammered in her chest. It was tempting. Too tempting. The promise of power, of freedom from the constant weight on her shoulders. But deep down, she knew there was no such thing as a free gift in this world.
"I don't need your power," Xia Yu said, her voice cold. "I won't let myself be a puppet of shadows."
The woman's smile widened completely, her face hardening. "You misunderstand, Xia Yu. You're already a part of the shadows. You've always been. You've just been too blind to see it."
Xia Yu's resolve hardened. She could feel the mark on her arm pulsing, but it was no longer controlling her. She was in control.
"I'll make my own way," she said, her voice firm. "And I'll take down anyone who tries to control me."
The woman's expression faltered, and the air around them grew heavier. The darkness seemed to pool beneath her feet, swirling like liquid tendrils. But the woman didn't attack—she simply stood there, her eyes burning with a mixture of admiration and disdain.
"Very well. You'll regret rejecting me, Xia Yu. The shadows are patient. And when they come for you, there will be no escape."
With that, the woman turned, melting into the shadows with unnerving ease, her presence vanishing like smoke.
Xia Yu stood frozen for a moment, the weight of her decision settling over her like a heavy fog. She had rejected the power that had been offered to her. But now, she had to face the consequences of that choice.
Epoch's voice was quiet but resolute. "Host, the path ahead will not be easy. The shadows are relentless, but so are you. We must continue. Only by confronting this darkness can you find a way to defeat it."
Xia Yu nodded, her sword now sheathed at her side. Her hand rested on the mark once more, a reminder of the battle still raging within her. The shadows might have been patient, but so was she.
And she would fight until the end.
As she continued down the darkening path, the world around her began to change. The once-familiar village had become a twisted mirror of itself, the shadows stretching longer, deeper into the night. The lanterns no longer illuminated the way—they cast ominous glows that flickered and twisted like the very darkness she had just rejected.
Her steps quickened. The sounds of her boots hitting the cobblestones echoed in the quiet, broken only by the distant howl of wind sweeping through the streets. She didn't know what the shadows wanted, but she knew one thing—she couldn't let them consume her.
Each corner she turned, every empty house she passed, felt like a reminder of the choices she had to make. Was she really strong enough to fight the shadows? Epoch's voice, calm and steady, brought her some semblance of peace.
"Remember, Host, you have me. Together, we'll find a way to end this."
But even with Epoch's reassurance, doubt crept into her mind. How could she fight something so deep, so rooted in herself? Was it really possible to sever the bond with the shadows without losing herself in the process?
Just then, she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. Her sword was back in her hand before she could even think.
A figure stepped out from behind a building, tall and gaunt, their skin almost translucent under the dim lantern light. Their eyes were black pits, voids that seemed to draw in the very light around them.
The figure didn't speak, but it didn't need to. Its presence was enough to freeze her blood. The darkness within her stirred, pulling at her consciousness like a magnetic force.
Epoch's voice was strained now. "Host, this… this is the true form of the darkness. It's trying to claim you."
Xia Yu didn't hesitate. She raised her sword, her body tense with the knowledge that the true test was upon her. The figure didn't move at first, merely standing in place, its shadow stretching out behind it like a living thing.
"This is the beginning, Xia Yu," the figure whispered, its voice like the scraping of metal on stone. "The darkness is already inside you. It always has been."
Xia Yu's grip on her sword tightened, her pulse pounding in her ears. The shadows around her seemed to shift, grow heavier, but she didn't falter. She couldn't.
The figure smiled, a cruel, twisted expression that made Xia Yu's stomach churn. "It's only a matter of time before you fall. You and I are one, whether you accept it or not."
And with that, the figure lunged, its shadow spreading out like tendrils to envelop her.
End of Chapter 15