Eclipse Requiem

A **pulse** of abyssal energy rippled through the chamber, shaking the very foundations of the ruins. Kael struggled to keep his footing as the tendrils of darkness coiled around him, **writhing like living shadows.**

The whispers in his mind surged.

*"Let go… Become what you are meant to be."*

Kael gritted his teeth, gripping his sword tightly. He refused to surrender. He refused to be consumed.

But Malrik's voice cut through the chaos, smooth and knowing.

"You've already stepped beyond the threshold, Kael." His gaze burned into Kael's very soul. "You've seen it now, haven't you? The truth of the abyss."

Kael **had** seen it.

That **endless void.**

That **colossal presence** lurking beyond reality.

A force **waiting.** Watching.

And somehow, **it knew him.**

"Shut up!" Kael snarled, slashing at the abyssal tendrils around him. The moment his blade met them, they recoiled, shrieking as if alive.

Malrik only chuckled. "You can resist all you like. But the abyss does not abandon its chosen."

The obelisk **pulsed again.**

And then—**they came.**

From the shadows behind Malrik, **the Abyssborn emerged.**

---

### **The Abyssborn Attack**

The cultists had been **mere pawns.** These creatures—**these Abyssborn—**were the true horrors lurking in the dark.

Twisted humanoid figures with **elongated limbs,** covered in pulsating veins of black energy. Their faces were **voids,** empty and featureless—except for their **smiling mouths.**

And their **claws** dripped with abyssal corruption.

Saren's grip on her sword tightened. "Oh, hell no."

Kael's breath was heavy, but his stance remained firm. "Stay sharp. These things aren't human."

One of the Abyssborn let out a **warped, distorted shriek** and lunged.

Saren reacted first. **Steel met flesh.**

Her blade sliced cleanly through the first creature's arm—**only for it to reform instantly, shadows twisting the severed limb back into place.**

Saren's eyes widened. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

The Abyssborn **struck back.**

Saren barely dodged as its claws **grazed her armor,** the impact sending a shockwave through her body. **A single hit from these things was enough to kill.**

Kael leapt forward, bringing his blade down on another creature's head. This time, he focused his energy—channeling his own **latent abyssal power.**

His sword **glowed.**

The moment it connected—**the creature howled in pain, disintegrating into dust.**

Kael's eyes widened.

They could heal from physical attacks—**but not from abyssal energy.**

"Saren!" he shouted. "They can't regenerate if you hit them with abyssal force!"

She scoffed. "Oh, great! And where am I supposed to get abyssal magic?"

Kael **didn't answer.**

Instead, he let his power **rise.**

---

### **Embracing the Abyss**

Kael had spent his whole life suppressing the abyssal force inside him, fearing what it might turn him into.

But right now, he **needed it.**

His free hand clenched as a **dark aura** flickered around his fingers.

The moment he **let go,** the abyss **responded.**

His veins **burned,** pulsing with unnatural energy. His sword—once an ordinary blade—became coated in **black fire.**

The Abyssborn hesitated. **They could sense it.**

Kael **moved.**

In the blink of an eye, he **cut down three of them,** their bodies withering before they could even regenerate.

Saren whistled. "Alright. That's new."

Kael panted, the abyss clawing at his mind. *Not now.* He pushed the voices back, focusing only on the battle.

But then—

Malrik raised his hand.

And **the obelisk roared.**

A wave of abyssal energy exploded outward, throwing Kael and Saren backward. The very ground beneath them cracked, and the remaining cultists **began to change.**

Their bodies twisted—skin peeling, bones cracking—until they **became** like the Abyssborn.

Malrik **laughed.** "Do you see now? The abyss does not destroy—it transforms. And soon, Kael, you will join us."

Kael **forced himself to his feet.** His limbs felt heavy. His heartbeat thundered.

The abyss **wanted him.**

And a part of him—**a terrifying part—**wanted to answer.

---

### **A Test of Will**

Saren grabbed Kael's shoulder. "You still with me?"

Kael's vision swam, but he nodded. "Yeah."

She studied him for a second before exhaling. "Good. Because we are **not** dying in some creepy underground nightmare cult dungeon."

Kael **focused.** He could feel the abyss **coiling** inside him, whispering, urging him to surrender.

But he wasn't going to be **their pawn.**

He was going to make the abyss **his.**

Kael took a deep breath.

And then—**he commanded the abyss.**

The shadows around him **shifted, bent to his will.** His sword pulsed with **controlled darkness.**

Malrik's eyes flickered with intrigue. "Fascinating. You resist, yet you wield. I wonder, how long can you last?"

Kael lifted his sword. "Long enough to kill you."

Malrik **smirked.** "Then let's test that, shall we?"

---

### **The Final Clash**

The abyss **erupted.**

Malrik **vanished.**

A second later—**he was in front of Kael.**

Kael barely blocked in time as Malrik's palm struck his sword, sending a **shockwave** of energy through his body.

The force **sent him flying.**

Kael slammed into a stone pillar, coughing blood.

Malrik landed gracefully. "You are strong. But strength alone is meaningless without purpose."

Kael wiped his mouth. "Yeah? My purpose is making sure you don't leave this place alive."

Malrik sighed. "So stubborn."

Then, he raised both hands—**and the obelisk roared.**

Darkness poured from it, gathering into a **single point.** A sphere of abyssal energy, crackling with power.

Kael's **instincts screamed.**

This attack—**if it landed, they were dead.**

Saren gritted her teeth. "Kael—what do we do!?"

Kael **acted on instinct.**

He gathered every ounce of abyssal energy within him, channeling it into his sword.

And then—**he struck.**

The blade **tore through the air,** sending a shockwave of abyssal power straight into Malrik's attack.

**Abyss met abyss.**

The impact **shattered** the ground beneath them, sending debris flying. The entire chamber **began to collapse.**

For a moment—there was nothing but **silence.**

Then—**a laugh.**

Malrik **was still standing.**

But so was Kael.

Their gazes met.

Malrik's smirk widened. "Yes… you truly are worthy."

Then—**he vanished into the shadows.**

Kael **cursed.**

The battle **wasn't over.**

But for now, they had survived.

And the abyss…

**Was still watching.**

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