The air in the cavern was thick with the scent of blood and shadow. Kael's chest burned, his heart hammering against the Abyssal Brand's pulse. Every heartbeat carried the whispers: "Obey… obey… obey…"
He stood, trembling, staring at the empty shadows where Renn had vanished. Rage and fear twisted in his stomach.
Lira knelt beside him, spear trembling in her hands. "Kael… you have to calm down. The Abyss feeds off your panic."
Kael's fists clenched. "Calm down?" he growled. "He… he tried to kill me. And the Abyss didn't even hesitate to obey him!"
Her eyes softened. "It's not you. It's the curse. That's what it's testing. We have to survive—together."
Kael swallowed hard. Together. The word felt heavy, dangerous. He wasn't sure if he wanted anyone near him—not if the Abyss could turn that person against him.
A low rumble echoed through the cavern, and the walls shivered. Shadows coiled and stretched, crawling along the floor like living serpents.
[Trial 2 Initiated: Survive the Shadow Hounds]
Objective: Kill or escape. Failure = Death.
Kael's pulse quickened. Shadow Hounds. Seven massive creatures with glowing red eyes and mouths filled with jagged teeth, faster than anything he had faced before.
Lira whispered, "We'll go together this time. Trust me."
Kael hesitated. The Abyss pulsed, testing him. "Kill. Destroy. Obey."
He shook his head. "I… I'll control it. Just… watch me."
The Hounds lunged.
Kael's body moved instinctively, tendrils erupting from his arms and legs. He grabbed one Hound mid-leap, slamming it into the cavern wall. Its body disintegrated into shadow smoke.
[Synchronization increased: 52%]
Warning: Host autonomy at risk. Excessive use may result in full possession.]
Lira fought beside him, taking down two Hounds with precision strikes. Kael's movements were faster than he could comprehend—his hands tearing through shadows, crushing bones, and ripping creatures apart.
Then he felt it—a tug on his mind. The Abyss was watching, pushing, encouraging.
[Abyssal Evolution Available: Level 1]
Kael's breath caught. Evolution? He barely understood Borrowing. But the Abyss promised power… if he obeyed.
The Hounds regrouped, circling him. Kael's teeth clenched. Rage, fear, and desperation surged, feeding the brand.
[Level 1 Evolution Activated]
Pain shot through his body like molten steel. His tendrils elongated, sharper, stronger, moving with a mind of their own. The cavern trembled as Kael struck, one strike obliterating two Hounds at once.
The last Hound hesitated, sensing the overwhelming force. Kael lunged, black tendrils wrapping around its body, crushing it completely.
Silence fell.
Kael collapsed to his knees, chest heaving, blood mixing with sweat. The Abyss pulsed hungrily.
[Synchronization increased: 60%]
Warning: Host autonomy dangerously low.]
Lira knelt beside him, her hand trembling as she touched his arm. "Kael… you're… different now."
He looked at his hands, black veins crawling beneath the skin. Power surged through him, intoxicating and terrifying.
"I…" Kael whispered. "I didn't want this."
The Abyss whispered back, soft and mocking: "But you needed it."
Kael's eyes hardened. Survival had a price. And every second in this place, the Abyss was collecting.
The curse had tested him.
And Kael realized one horrifying truth:
Power could save him—but only by taking pieces of himself.