The Abyss calls

The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows against the dense forest. Kuro sat with his back against a tree, his grip firm on The Eminence as he kept watch. The whispers in his mind had grown quieter, but they never truly left. The abyss was patient, waiting for him to acknowledge it.

His thoughts drifted to Aurora and Alice, their unwavering support a strange contrast to the darkness lurking within him. He glanced toward their makeshift tents. Aurora slept soundly, her bow resting beside her, while Alice lay with her blade close, her face serene despite the encounter they just had. While kuro's thoughts lingered in his mind a rustle in the leaves snapped Kuro from his thoughts. He gripped his sword, ready for anything, but his tension eased when he saw Aurora approaching.

"You should be resting," Kuro said, his voice low.

Aurora shook her head, settling beside him. "Couldn't sleep. Figured I'd keep you company."

Kuro gave her a small smile. "Not afraid of the dark?"

She smirked. "I've faced worse than the dark, Kuro."

Silence settled between them, comfortable yet charged. The tension of encounter had faded, but something unspoken lingered. The way Aurora's gaze lingered on him, the way she sat just a little closer than necessary—it wasn't lost on him.

"I noticed earlier," Aurora said, her voice softer now. "You hesitated before replying to him. Not out of fear—but something else. What is it?"

Kuro exhaled slowly. "The voice… it keeps calling to me. Telling me to embrace the abyss."

Aurora stared at the moonlight saying nothing else..

The night stretched on, cold and heavy with an unnatural stillness. Kuro and Aurora sat side by side, their watch uninterrupted by anything but the whispers of the abyss. The Eminence pulsed faintly in Kuro's grip, as if it, too, could sense the unease lingering in the air.

Aurora shifted slightly, her bow resting across her lap. "You feel it too, don't you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kuro nodded. "Something's watching us."

Aurora's fingers tightened around her bowstring. "Lucien?"

Kuro wasn't sure. Lucien had disappeared into the mist earlier, but his words lingered in Kuro's mind like an unresolved riddle. The abyss has taken an interest in you. It wasn't just talk—he could feel it growing stronger, clawing at his thoughts.

Then, a sound—a low, guttural growl—broke the silence.

Aurora was on her feet in an instant, arrow nocked. Kuro rose beside her, scanning the darkness.

A shadow moved.

Not Lucien. Not human.

Something else.

A pair of glowing, violet eyes emerged from the darkness, staring directly at Kuro. The creature's form was shrouded in writhing black mist, its movements slow, deliberate. It didn't attack—it watched.

Kuro clenched his jaw. "Who are you?"

The creature tilted its head, its voice a whisper that crawled into his mind. He who wields the abyss… why do you resist?

Kuro took a step forward, gripping The Eminence. "Because I'm not your pawn."

The shadow shivered, as if amused. You misunderstand. We do not seek to control… only to guide.

Aurora's arrow gleamed under the moonlight, aimed directly at the creature's head. "Enough riddles. If you want to talk, do it properly."

The entity's eyes flickered, shifting between Aurora and Kuro. Your attachments make you weak. You will see in time.

Before Kuro could respond, the creature dissolved into the air, vanishing like smoke. The oppressive presence faded, but the unease remained.

Aurora lowered her bow slowly. "What was that thing?"

Kuro exhaled, shaking his head. "I don't know. But I think… I think it's connected to whatever's inside this sword."

A sudden rustling behind them made them spin around. Alice stepped forward, sword drawn, eyes sharp. "I wake up for one minute and you two are already attracting creepy abyss monsters?"

Kuro sighed. "It wasn't an attack. It was… something else."

Alice sheathed her sword, but her expression remained wary. "Great. Because the whispers of doom weren't unsettling enough." She looked between the two of them. "We need a plan. If Lucien and that thing are connected, we can't afford to sit around waiting for answers."

Aurora nodded. "Agreed. We find Lucien first. He knows more than he's letting on."

Kuro gripped The Eminence, its surface cold beneath his fingers. The abyss wasn't just calling to him—it was testing him.

And soon, he would have to answer.