'Thud, thud' the footsteps had stopped at some point.
But Gabriel knew, whatever it was, it was looking at him.
"You're weak"
A chilling voice entered Gabriel's ears.
It came from that figure. He could sense it, he was not in that figure's league.
"How pathetic"
The dim light from a distant crack flickered, casting shadows on the damp walls.
He could barely move, his limbs bound by invisible chains that held him in place. Every breath he took was a struggle, each inhalation sending sharp pain through his chest.
The shadow figure loomed over him, its form shifting and undulating like a living nightmare.
Its eyes glowed with a red light, and its presence filled the cave with an oppressive darkness.
"You're so weak, Gabriel," the shadow figure's voice echoed, dripping with contempt. "You cannot escape me."
Gabriel tried to muster the strength to get back, but his body refused to obey. He was completely at the mercy of the shadow figure.
Fear and despair gripped his heart as he realized just how helpless he was.
The shadow figure reached out, its cold, hand brushing against Gabriel's cheek. His long nails barely scratching Gabriel's cheek making it bleed.
A shiver ran down his spine as the icy touch sent waves of pain and nausea through him. He clenched his teeth, refusing to cry out, but the shadow's influence was relentless.
"Look at you," the shadow figure sneered. "Pathetic. You cannot even stand up for yourself."
With a swift motion, the shadow figure grabbed Gabriel by the throat, lifting him off the ground.
Gabriel gasped for air, his vision darkening as the shadow's grip tightened. He could feel the life draining from him, his strength slipping away.
"Please... stop..." Gabriel's voice was barely a whisper, his words choked by the shadow's hold.
The shadow figure laughed, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed through the cave. "Oh, Gabriel, this is only the beginning. Your suffering has just begun."
It hurled Gabriel against the cave wall, the impact sending shockwaves of pain through his body.
He slumped to the ground, his limbs trembling and weak. The shadow figure advanced, its presence overwhelming and suffocating.
"Do you know what true despair feels like?" the shadow figure whispered, its voice a chilling caress. "Let me show you."
The shadow figure began to merge with Gabriel, its dark essence seeping into his very being.
Gabriel's body convulsed as the cold darkness spread through him, filling every corner of his mind and soul. The pain was all-consuming, a relentless agony that tore at his sanity.
Memories flashed before his eyes, twisted and distorted by the shadow's influence.
He saw his past, moments of happiness and sorrow, now tainted by a creeping darkness.
The faces of his loved ones appeared before him, their expressions twisted into grotesque masks of pain and despair.
"You're weak, Gabriel," the shadow's voice taunted. "You cannot withstand this. You will break."
Gabriel's heart pounded in his chest, each beat a painful reminder of his vulnerability.
He tried to fight back, to push the shadow away, but it was futile. The darkness tightened its hold, suffocating his will to resist.
Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the sweat that covered his skin.
His breath came in ragged gasps, each one a desperate attempt to cling to some semblance of control.
But the shadow's influence was relentless, eroding his resolve with every passing moment.
"Accept it," the shadow whispered. "You are nothing without me. Embrace the darkness, and you will find the strength you seek."
Gabriel's vision blurred, the world around him fading into a haze of shadows. He could feel his emotions slipping away, replaced by a cold, hollow emptiness.
The pain was all-consuming, leaving him feeling utterly exposed and vulnerable.
He sank to his knees, the weight of the shadow's presence pressing down on him. His hands clawed at his chest, as if trying to physically remove the anguish that was tearing him apart.
The cave seemed to close in around him, the walls pulsating with the echoes of his cries.
"Please... no more..." Gabriel's voice was barely a whisper, his strength waning.
But the shadow showed no mercy. It continued to press down on him, its dark tendrils wrapping around his heart and mind.
Gabriel's thoughts grew distant, his emotions fading into the void.
He felt utterly broken, the pieces of his shattered heart scattered and lost.
The agony was relentless, a merciless tide that battered him from all sides, leaving him feeling utterly shattered and alone.
As the last remnants of his emotions slipped away, Gabriel's eyes grew cold and empty. The shadow's influence had consumed him, leaving behind a hollow shell of the person he once was.
The shadow figure's voice echoed in his mind, a final, chilling whisper. " If you want to go home, meet with Deimos. For every answer you seek, he will have them."