Into the Abyssal Deep

The abyss was no longer a distant rumor—it had become a looming force that Daniel could no longer ignore. As he hovered near the rift's edge, the water pressed down on him with the weight of forgotten eons, and his bioluminescent scales pulsed erratically—each flicker a mirror of his inner turmoil. Every beat of his heart seemed to sync with the dark, ancient rhythm emanating from below.

Mira remained close, her fins twitching as she observed him with a mixture of concern and steely resolve. "You're really going through with this?" she asked quietly, her voice holding no judgment—only worry.

Daniel took a deep, measured breath—the closest equivalent to breathing in the crushing depths—and replied, "I have to. The abyss isn't just some unknown force anymore. It's... connected to me." His words hung in the water, heavy with meaning. His internal system had not ceased its constant monitoring; a persistent notification still glowed in his vision: