Chapter 12: Shattered by Desire
Mildred's feet seemed to move of their own accord, her body carried forward by a force that was both familiar and alien. The abyss surrounded her, its depths unfathomable, its shadows now both a part of her and a part of everything she had yet to understand. The hunger still pulsed inside her, a steady, insistent thrum that echoed in her chest. It was no longer a threat—it was a yearning, a call to something more.
She had accepted it. She had learned to control it. But now, as she walked deeper into the abyss, she felt the first stirrings of doubt.
What is this hunger, truly?
It had begun as a simple craving for power, for knowledge. But now, as she ventured further into the void, Mildred could feel it shifting, growing, morphing into something far more dangerous. Something that gnawed at her very core, threatening to unravel the balance she had so carefully cultivated.
She had tasted the abyss. She had embraced its darkness. And now, she wondered if it had tasted her in return.
The shadows thickened around her, swirling with a kind of urgency, as though they sensed her growing unease. The hunger inside her flared, gnawing at her insides, but it wasn't the same as before. It wasn't a quiet, simmering desire. It was louder now, more desperate. It clawed at her thoughts, tangled in her emotions, clouding her judgment.
The abyss had always whispered its promises—its seductive call to power, to control, to mastery over the forces that governed this realm. But now, Mildred felt the cost of that promise. It was not just power that the abyss offered. It was more. It was everything. It was the deepest, most primal desires that no one could ever truly satisfy. And once tasted, those desires grew, fed by the darkness itself, leaving her wanting more.
More.
The word echoed in her mind, and the shadows seemed to respond, intensifying in their swirling dance around her. Mildred's breath quickened, her pulse pounding in her ears. She could feel the abyss pressing in on her, not as a reflection of her power, but as a reflection of her weakness.
The hunger wasn't just a thirst for control. It was a need to consume, to devour all that stood in her way. She could feel it growing within her, a dark, insatiable force that threatened to overwhelm the fragile balance she had fought so hard to maintain.
She was beginning to lose sight of herself—of the reason she had come here, of the purpose she had fought so hard to discover. What had started as a quest for understanding had become something more dangerous, more consuming. The abyss was no longer a tool. It was an addiction.
The figure's words echoed in her mind, The darkness will test you in ways you cannot imagine. But you have the strength to endure.
Had she? Mildred wasn't so sure anymore. The hunger was too strong, the pull of the abyss too overwhelming. Could she control it? Or had she already lost herself to it?
A soft, distant whisper broke through her thoughts, pulling her from the chaos swirling around her. The voice was familiar, but faint, like a distant memory or an echo from the past.
Mildred...
Her heart skipped a beat. She turned sharply, searching for the source of the voice, but there was no one there. Only the shadows, twisting and turning, ever-present, ever-watchful.
Mildred, do you remember who you are?
The voice, though distant, carried a weight of familiarity. She strained to hear it, desperate for any shred of clarity amidst the madness.
"I remember," she whispered to the darkness, though she wasn't sure who she was answering. "I remember."
But the hunger gnawed at her, louder now, demanding attention, demanding more. And as she stood at the edge of the abyss, she realized that the hardest part of this journey wasn't facing the darkness—it was facing the part of herself that the darkness had awakened.
The desire that had been kindled within her was not just for power. It was a deeper craving, a yearning to feel something, anything, that would fill the emptiness that had always lingered at the edges of her soul. The abyss had given her something—a connection to something ancient, something vast. But now, it seemed to want to consume her entirely, to shatter her into pieces that could never be put back together.
The shadows twisted around her again, tighter this time, their tendrils curling around her limbs, pulling her toward the heart of the abyss. The hunger surged, pulling her forward, as if the abyss itself was demanding she give in to it. It wasn't a question anymore. It was a command.
Mildred faltered, her resolve slipping just a little. She could feel the abyss calling to her, its whispers louder now, promising release from the pain, the emptiness, the hunger. It was so tempting, so easy to fall into its embrace and let it consume her whole.
But as the shadows wrapped tighter around her, she forced herself to stop. She could still feel the ember of humanity inside her, the flicker of something that had resisted the abyss's pull. It was fragile, so fragile, but it was there.
Not yet, she thought, her voice shaking as she whispered the words into the dark. Not yet. I'm not ready to break.
The shadows seemed to pause, the air thick with tension, as if the abyss itself was considering her words. The hunger inside her flared, demanding more, but Mildred held on, refusing to give in completely.
For a moment, everything was still. And then, slowly, the shadows began to recede, not entirely, but enough to allow Mildred space to breathe. She stood, trembling, at the center of the abyss, the weight of her desire pressing down on her. She had survived the first test, but she knew this was far from over.
She had been shattered by desire—by the abyss itself—and yet, she had not broken. Not yet.
The hunger would always be there, waiting. But Mildred knew now that she had to decide. Would she let it consume her? Or would she learn to control it once more?
The answer was not clear, but one thing was certain: the
abyss would never let her go. And neither would her desire.