Kael’s heart hammered in his chest as he plunged into the darkness after Elara. The shadow swallowed him whole, consuming him in its cold, suffocating grip. He reached out with his senses, feeling for any trace of her, any flicker of light in the oppressive void. 
“Elara!” His voice rang out, but it was lost in the vast, empty nothingness that surrounded him. The Abyss was everywhere now, a living, breathing presence that clawed at his soul, whispering things he couldn’t understand. 
He had to find her. 
The very air felt thick, as though it was pressing against him, holding him back. He fought to move forward, every step feeling like he was wading through concrete. The darkness itself seemed to mock him, curling around his limbs, pulling at him like a thousand invisible hands. 
And then, through the blackness, he felt it—a pulse of magic, faint but unmistakable. It was Elara’s. His pulse quickened, and he pushed forward, ignoring the strange, gnawing feeling that something was horribly wrong. 
“Elara,” he whispered again, more softly this time, as if speaking her name would bring her back to him. 
Ahead of him, the darkness began to shift. A faint light appeared in the distance—just a flicker, barely visible—but it was enough. Kael’s eyes locked onto it, and he surged forward with renewed strength, ignoring the exhaustion, the pull of the Abyss trying to drag him back. 
He had to reach her. 
As he approached, the light grew brighter, illuminating a figure standing in the middle of the void. But it wasn’t Elara, at least not at first glance. The figure was tall and shrouded in shadows, its features indistinct. It was as though it was a reflection of someone—someone he knew, but who? 
“Kael…” 
The voice was soft, but the way it called his name sent a chill down his spine. His heart skipped a beat, and he froze. That voice—it was too familiar. 
“Elara?” he called out, his voice shaking. 
The figure didn’t answer, but as it stepped forward, the shadows parted just enough to reveal a face—a face that was unmistakable. 
It was hers. 
But not quite. 
The Elara standing before him had her eyes, her shape, her features—but they were distorted. Her eyes were dark, hollow, and her expression was cold. The warmth he had always seen in her gaze was gone, replaced with an emptiness that cut him to the core. 
“Elara?” Kael’s voice cracked as he took a cautious step forward. 
The figure tilted her head, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “You came for me,” she said, her voice laced with mockery. “How quaint.” 
He stepped back, his gut twisting. Something was wrong—deeply wrong. This wasn’t the Elara he knew. 
“What is this?” he demanded. “Where is she? What have you done to her?” 
The figure laughed softly, the sound echoing in the void. “I am her, Kael. Or at least, the part of her you could never see. You think she is your savior, your light. But you cannot save her from herself.” 
Kael’s chest tightened with a mix of confusion and dread. “You’re not Elara.” 
The figure stepped closer, the shadows swirling around her, weaving a dark veil that threatened to consume everything. “Oh, but I am. I am the part of her that has always been there. The darkness, the power, the part that calls to you. She’s always been this—this is who she truly is.” 
“No,” Kael said, his voice firm despite the cold dread clawing at him. “Elara would never—” 
“She would,” the figure interrupted, her voice now a harsh whisper. “She has always been this. You’ve felt it, haven’t you? The way she burns with power, the way she calls to the Abyss. The way she belongs to it.” 
Kael’s heart pounded in his chest. He wanted to deny it, to believe that Elara was pure, that she was everything good and strong in this world. But the words the figure spoke rang true in his mind. 
“Elara is stronger than the Abyss. She is the light that can end it,” he said, forcing his voice to stay steady, even as doubt gnawed at him. 
The figure smirked, her gaze shifting to something in the distance—something dark, swirling, and chaotic. “And yet, you still do not understand. The Abyss does not end , Kael. It consumes. It always has. It always will.” 
Suddenly, the figure lunged forward, her hand outstretched, and before Kael could react, she pressed her palm against his chest, her fingers curling like claws around his heart. A sharp pain erupted in his chest, and he gasped, stumbling back. The shadows followed her hand, seeping into his skin, tearing at his very soul. 
“Kael…” The figure’s voice was low and insidious. “You are just like her. Drawn to the darkness. Drawn to the power. You cannot escape it .” 
With a final, wrenching pull, the shadowy figure let go, sending Kael crashing to the ground. He gasped for air, his chest burning with the aftershocks of the touch. His vision swam, the edges of his consciousness flickering like a candle struggling against the wind. 
“Kael,” the voice whispered again, now cold and distant. “You should have let her go.” 
The darkness around him seemed to close in tighter, suffocating him, and his mind began to spiral into a haze of confusion. The Abyss was alive—alive inside him, inside Elara, inside everyone. 
And the worst part was—he didn’t know how to fight it. 
--- 
Elara’s eyes snapped open. 
The void was still there, but it wasn’t the same anymore. The darkness seemed to bend to her will, shifting and warping around her like a cloak. Her senses were sharper than ever before, the connection between her and the Abyss clearer and stronger than it had ever been. 
 I am the Abyss. 
The thought flashed through her mind, sharp and unbidden, like a command she couldn’t resist. The voice she had heard earlier echoed in her mind, calling to her with familiar words, pulling her deeper into the heart of the darkness. The weight of it was heavy—so heavy. The very essence of it pressed against her soul, its power whispering promises of strength, of control. 
For a moment, Elara didn’t know if she was still herself. 
“Elara…” 
Kael’s voice. 
Her heart skipped at the sound of his voice, but it was distant, muffled, like a memory fading into oblivion. She struggled to reach for him, to feel him, but the Abyss held her in place, its cold grasp tightening around her. The shadows curled around her, a thousand whispered voices speaking in unison, telling her to embrace the power, telling her to let go . 
But there was something in her—a flicker of light, so small and fragile—that refused to let it consume her. Kael’s voice reached her again, more desperate this time, more real. 
“Elara, fight! You’re stronger than this! You are not the Abyss!” 
With every ounce of strength she had left, Elara pushed against the darkness, reaching out toward him. 
But the Abyss was relentless. And it had only just begun. 
The shadows began to form a shape—a silhouette, familiar yet twisted. And in the depths of the void, Elara saw him. 
Kael. 
And as she reached for him, the shadows pulled tighter, suffocating her with their weight. 
“Elara, help me …” Kael’s voice was barely audible now, distorted by the growing chaos. 
But even as the darkness closed in, Elara knew—there was no escape. 
At least, not without losing everything.