The Marked Child
Seraphina could no longer deny it.
Her son was different.
She had seen newborns before—frail, crying, reaching blindly for warmth. But her child was silent. He did not cry. He did not flinch. He watched.
The way he stared at the shadows unsettled her. As if he understood something she did not.
Ravian knelt beside the fire, his silver eyes reflecting the dim light. His expression was unreadable, but Seraphina knew he had drawn the same conclusion.
"He's aware, isn't he?" she murmured.
Ravian did not answer immediately. He looked at the child, studying him. Then, he sighed.
"Yes."
Seraphina's fingers curled against the fabric of her cloak. "What does that mean?"
Ravian's voice was quiet. "It means we don't have much time."
Seraphina's breath hitched. "Time for what?"
Ravian glanced toward the cave entrance, as if sensing something beyond the veil of darkness.
"The longer we wait, the stronger the Abyss' pull will become." He met her gaze. "If we do not act soon, you may lose him before he ever learns to speak."
A cold dread settled in Seraphina's chest.
She looked at her son again—his small hands curled into tiny fists, his breathing even. So innocent. So fragile.
And yet…
When she stared into his crimson-streaked black eyes, she felt something staring back.
---
The Inquisition's Advance
Malagar stood atop a hill, overlooking the dense forest below. The wind carried the scent of earth and damp leaves, but beneath it was something fouler.
The Abyss had left its mark here.
He could feel it—a faint pulse, like a dying heartbeat. It was subtle, but unmistakable.
The child was near.
A knight approached, bowing his head. "Our scouts have traced the mother's path, my lord. We believe she is hiding in a cave beyond the valley."
Malagar remained silent.
The knight hesitated. "Shall we send a vanguard to flush them out?"
Malagar's golden eyes gleamed beneath his hood. He reached into his robe, pulling forth a silver pendant engraved with holy runes. The divine essence within pulsed faintly.
"No," he said. "The Abyss will react if provoked."
He turned his gaze toward the distant mountains.
"We will not chase them." His lips curled into a knowing smirk.
"They will come to us."
---
The Voice in the Dark
Seraphina did not sleep.
The cave was quiet, save for the crackling of the fire. But she felt it—the lingering presence of the shadowed entity from before.
It had been banished, but not destroyed.
She held her son close, whispering soft reassurances even as her own fears gnawed at her heart.
Then—a whisper.
Not from the wind.
Not from Ravian.
From the dark.
"He hears us."
Seraphina stiffened.
She turned sharply, scanning the cave. The firelight barely reached the edges, leaving pockets of shadows untouched.
She could have sworn they were moving.
"He is waiting."
The voice was neither male nor female. It was not human.
It came from everywhere and nowhere, curling around her ears like a lover's breath.
Seraphina forced herself to breathe. "Who are you?"
Silence.
Then—
"You will know soon enough."
The shadows shifted.
The fire flickered violently, as if an unseen force had swept through the cave.
And then, just as quickly as it had come…
The presence was gone.
Seraphina's hands trembled as she clutched her son tighter.
Ravian stirred from his place near the fire, his eyes snapping open. He studied her, then the cave, his expression darkening.
"You heard it, didn't you?"
Seraphina swallowed hard. "It spoke to me."
Ravian exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Then we don't have a choice anymore."
Seraphina frowned. "A choice for what?"
Ravian's gaze was grim.
"To leave this place… and find the only ones who can teach him to control it."
Seraphina's stomach twisted. "Who?"
Ravian met her gaze.
"The exiled ones."
---
The Path Ahead
The decision was made.
By sunrise, Seraphina had packed what little she had, securing her child against her chest.
Ravian led the way, his cloak billowing as they stepped beyond the cave, into the unknown.
The mountains loomed in the distance—a harsh, unforgiving path. But Seraphina knew there was no other choice.
She cast one last glance at the cave behind them.
A whisper, barely audible, curled in the wind.
"The Abyss watches."
Then she turned and followed Ravian into the dawn.
---
The Road of No Return
A Journey into the Unknown
The mountain path was treacherous.
Rocks crumbled beneath Seraphina's boots as she followed Ravian up the narrow trail. The wind howled through the jagged cliffs, carrying with it a biting chill that seeped into her bones.
Her child remained silent against her chest, his tiny form wrapped in thick cloth. But even in the cold, he did not shiver.
That frightened her more than anything.
Ahead, Ravian moved with ease, his steps sure despite the shifting terrain. His eyes scanned the path ahead, ever watchful.
Seraphina quickened her pace to match his. "Where exactly are we going?"
Ravian didn't look back. "A village hidden in the mountains. A place where those who were cursed by the Abyss were cast away."
Seraphina's brow furrowed. "The exiled ones."
Ravian nodded. "They are the only ones who might have the knowledge to control what's inside your son."
Seraphina's heart clenched. "And if they refuse?"
Ravian's expression darkened. "Then we pray he never awakens fully."
A chill ran down her spine.
She glanced down at her son, his small hands curled into loose fists.
What will you become?
---
The Inquisition's Snare
Malagar's forces moved like specters through the forest.
The High Inquisitor stood at the river's edge, his golden eyes fixed on the distant mountain path. He could sense them—Seraphina and the child.
They were close.
A scout approached, bowing. "My lord, they have left the caves. They are heading northeast."
Malagar's lips curled slightly. "They are seeking the exiled ones."
The knight hesitated. "Shall we intercept them?"
Malagar shook his head. "No."
The knight frowned. "But my lord—"
Malagar silenced him with a glance. "The Abyss does not react well to direct confrontation. We do not need to fight them."
He turned his gaze toward the mountain pass.
"We simply need to ensure there is nowhere left for them to run."
The knight bowed and hurried away to relay the orders.
Malagar remained still, listening.
For the briefest moment, he thought he heard it—the faintest whisper carried on the wind.
"You are too late."
A flicker of irritation crossed his features.
He tightened his grip on the pendant at his neck.
"We shall see."
---
The First Signs of Power
The ascent grew more treacherous.
Loose rocks tumbled down steep cliffs, the wind threatened to push them off balance, and the path narrowed dangerously.
Seraphina's breathing was heavy, but she pressed on.
Then—the air changed.
A sharp, electric tension crackled through the atmosphere. The sky darkened, not with clouds, but with something unseen.
Seraphina froze.
She turned to Ravian. "Do you feel that?"
Ravian's hand was already on his dagger. "Yes."
The ground beneath them trembled. A faint, whispering wind curled through the rocks, carrying voices that did not belong to the living.
Then—Seraphina's son stirred.
His tiny fingers twitched, and his breathing deepened.
Then—his eyes opened.
A deep, abyssal black. Crimson veins pulsed faintly beneath the surface.
The air grew heavy. The shadows lengthened.
Seraphina's heart pounded. "Ravian—"
A low growl echoed from the cliffs above.
Ravian's head snapped upward.
Figures emerged from the mist—twisted, inhuman things. Their limbs were elongated, their skin pale and cracked. Their eyes were black voids, devoid of humanity.
Abyssal wraiths.
Ravian cursed. "They've found us."
Seraphina tightened her grip on her child. "What do we do?"
Ravian drew his blade.
"We fight."
---
Abyssal Awakening
The wraiths lunged.
Ravian moved first. His dagger, inscribed with silver runes, flashed in the dim light. He slashed through the first wraith, its form dissolving into smoke with a shriek.
Seraphina stumbled back, shielding her child.
Another wraith charged at her.
She braced for impact—
But then, the shadows shifted.
A pulse of dark energy erupted from her son's tiny form.
The wraith froze mid-lunge.
Its body convulsed violently. Black tendrils erupted from its chest, twisting, consuming—until nothing remained.
Seraphina gasped.
Her son was awake.
The shadows around them pulsed, moving like living things. The remaining wraiths hesitated.
Seraphina turned to Ravian. "What's happening?"
Ravian's eyes were wide. "His power… It's already manifesting."
The wraiths, sensing the growing abyssal presence, began to retreat.
But Seraphina's son wasn't done.
His tiny fingers twitched—and the shadows obeyed.
Black tendrils lashed out, wrapping around the fleeing wraiths. They screamed as they were dragged into the abyss, their bodies vanishing into the darkness.
Then—silence.
Seraphina's son blinked.
The shadows calmed.
The unnatural energy dissipated.
He let out a soft coo and closed his eyes again, as if nothing had happened.
Seraphina stood frozen.
Her child had just wielded the Abyss itself.
She turned to Ravian, her voice barely above a whisper.
"What… have I brought into this world?"
Ravian sheathed his dagger.
"Something that should not exist."
---
The Watchers in the Dark
Far beyond the mountains, in a place untouched by light, something stirred.
It had felt the power.
It had felt his awakening.
A whisper passed through the endless void.
"He is here."
The Abyss shuddered.
And it watched.
---
End of Chapter 6
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