The storm had rolled in by the night fell, wrapping Blackstone in a shroud of howling wind and rain. Waves thundered against the cliffs, their roar reverberating through the ancient stones like the growl of some great beast. Darian sat alone in the great hall, a goblet of wine mixed with blood untouched beside him. The flames in the hearth cast restless shadows across the high ceiling, their flickering light unable to pierce the gloom that clung to the room's edges. He was not expecting visitors at this hour, but a sharp knock echoed through the hall. Darian turned his head slightly, his crimson eyes narrowing.
"Enter," he said, his voice carrying effortlessly over the storm outside. The heavy doors creaked open, revealing a drenched figure wrapped in a traveler's cloak. Water pooled at their feet as they hesitated in the doorway, their face hidden beneath the hood's shadow. "State your business," Darian commanded, his tone colder than the wind that howled through the corridor. The figure stepped forward, pushing back the hood to reveal a young woman with sharp features and piercing green eyes. Her hair was slicked back, strands clinging to her pale skin. She was no ordinary traveler-there was something about the way she carried herself, defiant and poised despite the chill that clung to her.
"My lord," she began, her voice steady despite her trembling frame. "My name is Ilara. I've come with news from the western coast." Darian motioned for her to continue, his gaze unwavering. "The disappearances you've heard of -they are not just rumors," she said. "Entire villages have been abandoned. The waters near the Abyss churn with more force than I've seen. Something is stirring, my lord." Darian's expression remained impassive though unease coiled in his chest." And how is it you've come to know this?". "I was there, Ilara replied, stepping closer."I saw what the waters took."
Her voice trembled slightly, and for a moment, the bravado in her eyes faltered. "It wasn't a storm nor any beast of the sea. It was....' she paused, her words catching in her throat."It was something that should not exist." The hall seemed to grow colder. Darian rose from his seat, his figure towering over her as she stepped into the firelight. "What did you see?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. Clara hesitated, her gaze dropping to the stone floor as though the memory itself was too heavy to bear. "A shadow," she whispered. "Bigger than any ship. It moved beneath the surface like it was waiting. Watching".
Drarian's jaw tightened. He had heard stories of the Abyss his entire life- its depth, its dangers-but they had always been just that: stories. Legends meant to keep his family vigilant and wary. "Did it attach?" he pressed.
"No," Ilara said, shaking her head."Not yet. But it's only a matter of time. The villagers said it's drawn to movement, to sound. They fled inland, but the waters followed them. The Abyss isn't content to stay beneath the wave anymore." A tense silence filled the hall, broken only by the crackling of the fire.
"You've done well to bring this to me," Darian said finally."You'll stay here for the night. Speak to no one of what you've seen until I summon you back again." Ilara nodded, her relief evident." Thank you, my lord"
As she turned to leave, Darian's mind raced. The shadow she described, the churning waters-it all aligned too closely with the dreams that had plagued him. He could no longer dismiss them as mere figments of his imagination. Darian moved to the nearest window when the doors closed behind her, staring out into the storm. The waves lashed against the cliffs, their fury echoing the turmoil within him.
The Abyss was stirring, and whatever lay within it was reaching for the surface.