Into the Abyss

The voice that came from the shadows was low and cold, sending a shiver down my spine. 

"He is ready."

Sebastian tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes locked on the dark hallway ahead. I stood there, heart racing, trying to make sense of the words. Ready for what? And who said that? The voice didn't belong to anyone I recognized, and it felt like it came from everywhere at once.

"Sebastian," I whispered, trying not to let the fear creep into my voice. "What's going on?"

For a second, he didn't answer. His eyes flicked back and forth, scanning the darkness as if expecting something—or someone—to appear any second. His jaw was clenched tight, and there was a flicker of something in his expression that I couldn't quite place. Was it fear? Or was it something worse?

"We need to leave, immediately. "Now", he said.

"Leave? But we don't even know who—" I started to argue, but before I could finish, the shadows in the hallway shifted again, moving like a living thing. A figure started to emerge, its shape becoming clearer with each passing second.

It was the same cloaked figure from before, the one with no face and burning red eyes. But now, it was moving toward us, slow and deliberate, like it had all the time in the world. And this time, he wasn't alone.

Behind him, more figures began to appear—shadowy shapes with glowing red eyes, their faces just as blank and eerie as the first. There were at least four or five of them, all moving in unison, their eyes locked on us.

"Sebastian," I said, my voice trembling. "We're surrounded."

Sebastian didn't respond. His face was pale, his eyes wide with something close to panic. It was the first time I had ever seen him like this, and that scared me more than anything else. If *he* was afraid, then we were in serious trouble.

Without warning, the first figure raised its hand, and the shadows around us seemed to come alive, swirling and twisting like a storm. The air grew colder, and I could feel the weight of something pressing down on me, like an invisible hand squeezing my chest.

Sebastian took a step back, his sword raised in defence, but I could see the doubt in his eyes. He didn't know if we could fight this. And honestly, neither did I.

"We need to get out of here," he said again, more urgently this time. "We're not ready for this."

I didn't need to be told twice. My legs were already moving before my brain had a chance to catch up. Sebastian grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the back of the room, where a small door led to a narrow staircase. We bolted through the door and started up the stairs, the sound of the shadows swirling behind us growing louder and more menacing with every step.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my breath coming in ragged gasps as we climbed higher and higher. The staircase was narrow and cramped, and every step felt like it took us deeper into the unknown.

"There's a way out on the roof," Sebastian said, his voice tight with tension. "We just need to get to higher ground."

Great. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. I could already imagine how well jumping from a rooftop was going to go.

But before I could argue, there was a loud crash from below, and the door at the bottom of the staircase flew open. The shadows had found us. I could feel them rushing up the stairs, cold and fast, like a storm chasing us down.

"Move faster!" Sebastian shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

I pushed myself to move, but my legs felt heavy, like I was running through quicksand. The cold was getting worse, seeping into my bones, slowing me down. I could hear the whispers of the shadows behind us, like they were right on our heels.

Finally, we reached the top of the staircase. Sebastian threw open the door, and we burst onto the rooftop, gasping for air. The night sky stretched out above us, clear and dark, with the city lights twinkling in the distance. But there was no time to admire the view.

"Over there!" Sebastian pointed to a narrow ledge that connected to the next building over. It was a risky jump, but it was our only shot.

Before we could make a move, though, the shadows poured out of the doorway behind us, spilling onto the rooftop like a wave of darkness. The cloaked figures emerged from the shadows, their red eyes glowing brighter than ever.

"We're out of time!" I shouted, my heart pounding in my chest. "What do we do?"

Sebastian glanced at me, his face grim. "We jump."

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, but there was no other choice. The shadows were close and we had no other option left.

Sebastian grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the ledge. "On three," he said, his voice steady despite the chaos around us. "One... two..."

Before he could say three, something hit him—hard. A shadowy hand shot out from the darkness and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground like he weighed nothing.

"Sebastian!" I screamed, reaching out for him, but it was too late. The shadows pulled him back into the dark, and he disappeared from sight.

I stood there, frozen in place, my mind racing. The figure with the red eyes stepped forward, its gaze locked on me now. Its voice echoed in the night, cold and empty.

"Your time has come."

I looked down at the ledge, my heart pounding in my chest. It was now or never.

With one last glance at the shadows closing in, I took a deep breath—and jumped.

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