Rhys followed the boy.
His steps were cautious, trailing slightly behind him just to make sure he had a visual on him. But the boy didn't seem worried about Rhys at all. That must have been because of his display of power from before and Rhys himself didn't look like he could put up much of a fight in his current condition.
After walking in silence, Rhys decided there wouldn't be any harm in introducing himself.
"My name is Rhys by the way, Rhys Mensah."
"Lenny." The boy replied.
They fell back into silence again.
Did he make me follow him just for the sake of it? I might as well gather as much info as I can.
"What is this place?" he finally asked.
The boy—no, Lenny—didn't stop walking.
"The Abyss."
Rhys frowned. "Abyss?"
Lenny tilted his head slightly, as if rolling the word around in his mind. Then, with a slow breath, he elaborated.
"That's what it's called. You could run for eternity and you'd still be in here. Doesn't matter where you go, how deep you fall—it's still the Abyss. The only way out is by completing your trial."
Sounds lovely. He mused to himself.
Rhys let that sink in. His gaze flicked to their surroundings—an endless, dark expanse, shifting like a mirage in his peripheral vision. There were structures in the distance, jagged things that looked like ruins, but beyond that… just void.
Lenny continued, "Where we are right now is called the Lobby."
Rhys raised a brow. "The Lobby? How casual."
You'd expect waiters to be serving drinks and mediocre jazz music with a name like that.
"It's where The Damned rest between trials." Lenny spoke as if in response to Rhys' inner thoughts.
Rhys slowed his pace for half a second.
"…So I'm one of The Damned?"
Lenny didn't confirm or deny it. He just kept walking.
Rhys took a breath, rubbing his temple. "Okay. Let's back up—"
"That mark on your neck," Lenny cut in. "You've noticed it, right?"
Rhys stiffened. His fingers instinctively brushed the side of his throat, where warmth had trickled earlier. He had been more worried about the cut than anything else, but now that he focused—he could feel it. A lingering heat beneath his skin.
Lenny stopped.
Slowly, he turned toward Rhys.
"That's the Mark of the Damned. It's beginning to manifest on you."
Rhys met his gaze. "And that means…?"
Lenny's expression didn't shift. "You better be prepared for your trial to start."
Silence stretched between them.
Rhys exhaled sharply. "Yeah. That's about what I figured."
A flicker of amusement danced in Lenny's eerie, glowing eyes.
They walked a little longer, neither speaking at first. The weight of Lenny's words settled over Rhys' mind, but the kid's presence was just as unsettling. He carried himself like someone who had long abandoned the concept of hope.
"How long have you been here?" Rhys asked, watching him carefully.
Lenny didn't answer right away.
Then, without looking at him, he muttered, "Years."
Rhys frowned.
"…How many?"
Lenny let out a dry breath.
"Dunno."
Rhys studied him. The boy looked no older than thirteen, but something about him—his posture, the weight in his voice—felt mature.
Lenny must've noticed his scrutiny, because he smirked faintly. "I haven't aged a day since I got here."
Rhys hesitated. "How?"
Lenny tapped his temple. "Same reason why even though I haven't eaten, slept, or drank anything since the day I woke up here, I'm still standing."
Rhys' stomach twisted.
Without waiting for an answer from Rhys, Lenny continued. "The pain and discomfort that come with hunger and thirst persists but the body remains. The Abyss deprives you of everything, even death, no matter how much you yearn for it."
There was no pain in his voice. No bitterness, either. Just… a simple, hollow fact. Maybe he had long fought against the concept but that is a battle he had clearly given up a long time ago.
Rhys didn't respond. He couldn't. But that didn't mean he had given up either.
Screw all that, I'm making it outta here, and surviving. No matter what.
Rhys began to think about all he had done in pursuit of survival because for better or for worse, that's what most of his life choices came down to—survival.
It's what drove him to run away from the abusive grown-ups who ran the orphanage where he grew up, which in turn led him to become a street kid.
After living off of theft, he ran into the Benefactor while trying to pick his pockets. Needless to say, he got caught. But to young Rhys' surprise, instead of punishing him, he provided for him. A small apartment, cash that appeared when he needed it and books that appeared without explanation.
He sometimes visited, but rarely, and the visits always felt more like inspections. But Rhys never asked questions; he knew better than to risk breaking whatever fragile arrangement kept him off the streets.
In all honesty, the man felt more like a shadow than a guardian, but still, Rhys couldn't shake the feeling that, in his own way, he had cared for him.
A lot of questions were left unanswered for most of Rhys' life regarding the Benefactor and his subsequent disappearance. But just as he started looking for answers, he got pulled into something which was entirely fantastical to him. Speaking of which—
Lenny kept trudging forward in silence and Rhys began to wonder. Where is he even taking me?
They eventually arrived at a cave.
Lenny went in first and Rhys stopped for a bit before proceeding cautiously.
Inside, the walls curved in a way that suggested intent rather than erosion forming it over time.
Rhys ran his finger along the stone and asked, "Did you carve it out yourself?"
Standing near the far end of the cave, Lenny answered. "Yes, it took a long time but it's not like I had somewhere to be."
Something about the way Lenny was standing rubbed Rhys the wrong way. Even his tone had changed from when they were talking before. Rhys had spent years reading people, learning to pick up on the small shifts in their posture, the tiny hesitations that came before a threat.
And right now, every instinct of his was telling him to get out.
Lenny continued speaking, "I've been stuck here for years you know—no food, no water—and you're the first living thing I've seen." Lenny stared Rhys down with an expression he couldn't identify. "I've even forgotten what meat tastes like."
Oh…is that what's happening here?
Lenny exhaled softly, "It's a shame, really."
The attack came without warning
Lenny moved like a shadow, low and fluid, his footwork precise. He struck with the efficiency of a predator with no wasted motion.
Rhys barely managed to sidestep the first blow, an attack aimed at his throat, but his balance was off —his missing arm threw him off centre. His heart pounded. He gritted his teeth and backpedalled, his boots skidding against the stone.
He reaches for the obsidian spike tucked at his waist and slashed upward, aiming for Lenny's torso.
Lenny shifted effortlessly, twisting just enough for the makeshift blade to slice through the air. Before Rhys could pull back, a sharp impact slammed into his ribs. Pain shot through his body as he staggered backwards.
Is this kid really trying to eat me?! But this wasn't the time to be thinking.
Lenny was relentless. Before Rhys could regain his footing, another strike came, this time at his leg. His knee buckled.
Rhys crashed to the ground, rolling quickly to avoid the next attack. He got up as quickly as he could prepare for the next strike. Sensing a strike coming for his neck again, he barely got his weapon up in time to block it. The impact sent a shock through his arm, nearly knocking the spike from his grasp.
He countered with a desperate thrust towards Lenny's abdomen but his opponent was too quick, sidestepping it with ease.
Then, a blur—Lenny ducked low and swept Rhys's legs out from under him and before he fell to the ground, Lenny connected a punch that sent him flying out the cave.
Rhys hit the ground hard, his breath exploding from his lungs. The obsidian spike fell from his grip and the medical pouch he had been carrying flew to the side, landing with a loud crashing sound. He tried reaching for it but Lenny was faster.
A crushing weight pinned Rhys' chest, an iron grip tightening around his throat. He gasped, struggling, his hand clawing at Lenny's arm, but he didn't flinch. Lenny's cold eyes, now glowing blue, along with the tattoo, looked unaffected as if he was merely completing a necessary task.
The edges of Rhys' vision darkened. His legs kicked weakly, his body screamed for air.
Then—
A cacophony of voices could be heard, lamenting and crying in pain, accompanied by the sound of violently crashing waves. The same waters that pulled Rhys away in his nightmare were barrelling towards him, but given his current predicament they were a welcome relief.
Lenny loosened his grip on Rhys and opened his mouth, "Looks like The Abyss is summoning you for your trial."
While Rhys was coughing and gasping for air he felt a pull. Then something wretched him from the moment. The Abyss shattered around him like glass, and before he could comprehend what was going on—
Rhys was gone. And only a calm voice lingered from Lenny.
"Make sure to come back alive."