Chapter 8: The Awakening of the Abyss

A deep, guttural voice rumbled through the grand hall, resonating with something deep inside Lucian's very soul.

"You are the last."

The moment the words sank into his mind, the world around him twisted. The marble floor beneath his feet cracked as the oppressive force of an unknown entity pressed down on reality itself. The nobles, no matter how powerful, instinctively recoiled. Some stumbled backward, while others barely managed to keep their composure.

Even Duke Reynard's fingers twitched slightly—a rare sign of unease.

But Lucian—

Lucian could feel it.

Something ancient. Something that had been asleep for centuries.

Something that now stirred because of him.

The Ashford bloodline.

His crest, still pulsing with dark veins of power, burned against his chest, threatening to tear through the very fabric of his being. It wasn't just a seal. It was a barrier.

A barrier that was beginning to crack.

"Lucian!" Sylphira's sharp voice snapped him back to reality.

He gasped, realizing that his hands had begun to move on their own. An invisible force tugged at him, compelling him toward the abyss that had formed within the hall—toward the swirling mass of writhing shadows and countless glowing eyes.

His mind screamed at him to resist.

But his blood sang in response to the call.

Varian smiled. "Do you feel it now, nephew?" His voice was velvet-smooth, but beneath the amusement lay something else—expectation. "That instinct. That connection. It cannot be denied."

Lucian clenched his fists. "Shut up," he growled. "I don't know what this is, but I sure as hell know it's not something I want."

Varian chuckled. "Oh, but you do. Even if you deny it now, your blood will always betray you." He spread his arms wide. "Embrace it, Lucian. Let the seal break. Become what you were meant to be."

Before Lucian could respond, the abyss moved.

A shadow tendril lashed out, aiming straight for him.

Sylphira reacted instantly, her wings igniting in golden flames. She slashed at the tendril, severing it mid-air. The dismembered mass screeched as it dissolved into nothingness.

Nyx's crimson eyes gleamed as she raised her hand, summoning a wave of black fire that surged toward the abyss. "I don't know what the hell that thing is, but it sure as hell isn't touching our master!"

Lys, now unusually serious, extended her fingers. The air around them shimmered as spatial distortions formed, warping the abyss's attack trajectory away from Lucian.

The nobles watched in stunned silence.

For the first time, they weren't just witnessing Lucian's unique summons.

They were witnessing a war between powers they didn't understand.

Varian sighed. "Such loyalty. Such defiance." He tilted his head. "But it won't change anything."

Lucian ground his teeth. "What do you want from me?!"

Varian's silver eyes gleamed. "To awaken you."

The moment he spoke, the abyss pulsed—

And then—

The voice returned.

"Do not resist, child."

Lucian's entire body locked up. His vision blurred.

The hall. The nobles. His fairies.

Everything vanished.

And in their place—

A vast, endless void.

Lucian floated in the emptiness, weightless yet bound by invisible chains.

And before him—

A figure.

A massive, shadowy entity loomed in the darkness, its form shifting, impossible to fully comprehend. Eyes—thousands, millions of them—blinked within its silhouette, watching him, studying him.

The weight of its presence was suffocating.

Lucian couldn't breathe. Couldn't move.

And then—

It spoke.

"You are the last of the Ashford lineage. The final heir to the forsaken pact. The key to the sealed gate."

Lucian's heart pounded. "What… are you?"

The abyssal figure's countless eyes blinked in unison.

"I am your ancestor."

Lucian's blood ran cold.

No.

No, that wasn't possible.

His ancestor?

But before he could process it, the entity continued.

"You were never meant to summon fairies. That is a deviation, a fracture in the intended path. Your blood was meant to call upon something far greater… something forgotten by this world."

The void around them rippled.

A new vision emerged—

This time, of an ancient war.

Massive, towering figures clashed against each other, wielding magic beyond comprehension. The sky was torn apart by their battle. Entire realms shattered in the wake of their power.

And at the center of it all—

The Ashford bloodline.

A long line of summoners, each standing before the abyss, wielding its power like a weapon, commanding the eldritch horrors that lurked beyond reality.

Lucian's breath hitched.

This wasn't just some dark secret of his family.

This was an inheritance.

Something buried. Something hidden.

Something that was never meant to be unleashed again.

"But you… you are different."

The entity's eyes glowed.

"You denied your true calling. You summoned fairies instead of monsters. That alone proves that you can break the cycle."

Lucian's mind raced.

Break the cycle?

Was that why his summons were different? Was that why he had summoned something pure instead of something… monstrous?

The entity's form loomed closer.

"But the seal is weakening, and soon, you will have no choice. You will either awaken… or you will be consumed."

Lucian's pulse thundered.

If he didn't take control of this—if he didn't find a way to stop it—

Then he would lose himself.

He clenched his fists. "No," he said through gritted teeth. "I won't be controlled by fate. I won't let some curse decide who I am!"

The entity stared.

And then—

It laughed.

A deep, chilling sound that echoed through the void.

"Then fight, child. Prove that you are stronger than the blood that binds you."

The void shattered—

And Lucian snapped back to reality.

The grand hall returned.

The abyss was gone.

But his crest still burned.

Varian studied him, his gaze sharp. "Interesting…" he murmured. "You resisted. Most wouldn't have."

Lucian took a shaky breath. His body trembled, but his mind was clearer than ever.

He wasn't just dealing with family politics anymore.

This was something bigger.

Something that could change everything.

His summons weren't just rare. They were a defiance against an ancient power.

And now—

That power was watching. Waiting.

Lucian exhaled slowly.

He had one goal now.

To survive.

To grow stronger.

To make sure that when the time came—

He wouldn't be the one consumed.