Kyle stopped suddenly.
The air around him was thick, heavy… alive.
The Abyss was watching him.
And so was the creature.
It emerged from the shadows.
Bigger, stronger, more terrifying than anything he had faced before.
Its eyes glowed faintly, intelligent, assessing him—not just as prey, but as a potential ally—or a threat.
Kyle gripped Gravebound tightly.
The blade trembled slightly, as if sensing the presence of this ancient creature.
The weight of the moment pressed on him… yet he did not move a step back.
The creature took a step, testing him.
Its slow, precise claw strike was a measure of his reactions.
Kyle moved instinctively.
Not fast, not reckless… but aware.
Every breath, every heartbeat, every step… he had learned to read the Abyss itself.
The creature stopped.
It looked at him, as if silently asking: Are you worthy?
Kyle lowered his sword slightly and spoke in a calm, steady voice:
"I do not seek to destroy you… I seek understanding."
A long moment passed.
The air was silent.
Then the creature lowered its head slightly—a subtle sign of acceptance.
Kyle reached out and placed Gravebound on the ground between them.
He whispered almost to himself:
"Let this be a pact… a bond for survival."
The sword trembled.
The creature's body moved.
A faint glow connected them, flowing from the blade to the creature.
It seemed the Abyss itself acknowledged this bond.
The creature stepped closer and stood beside him, pressing its presence in a mysterious way, yet it did not attack.
Kyle felt new power flow through him.
His Morium Awareness grew stronger, and Gravebound became more responsive.
There was no exit, no sign of the Abyss ending.
But Kyle did not care.
He stood there, in the darkness, beside the strongest creature in the Abyss, stronger in body, sharper in mind… and more ready for what was to come.
The Abyss had not ended.
Kyle was no longer just a survivor.
He had become part of its world—united with its powers, united with the creature… united with the Morium itself.