Chapter 34: Shadow of the Abyss

1. War in the Ruins

The ground shook beneath him.

The sky churned with swirling black clouds, lightning flashing like the fury of forgotten gods. Screams echoed through the burning city as abyssal creatures—warped horrors with too many limbs and too few eyes—tore through the remaining defenders.

But the Ashen King saw none of it.

Not the flames.

Not the chaos.

Only Veydris.

The Abyssal warlord stood before him, wreathed in black fire, his massive blade dragging against the cracked earth. The sigil on the Ashen King's chest burned hotter, pulsing in sync with Veydris's presence.

A silent message.

Join us.

Or die.

He ignored it.

Instead, he lunged.

Veydris met him mid-strike.

The collision sent a shockwave rippling through the battlefield, shattering the ruined streets beneath them. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, the sheer force of the impact distorting the very air around them.

The Ashen King gritted his teeth. He would not falter.

Not now.

Not ever.

---

2. The Price of Power

Steel met steel in a deadly rhythm.

Each strike was heavier than the last, their blows carving trenches into the battlefield. Every time the Ashen King pushed forward, Veydris countered with overwhelming force.

The warlord was stronger than before.

Faster.

More relentless.

And worst of all—the sigil on his chest was weakening him.

The Abyss wasn't just a mark. It was a shackle.

It coiled around his limbs, his breath, his very soul. Every time he called upon his power, he felt the chains tighten.

Eryndra's voice echoed in his mind.

"We have to remove it."

"Before it consumes you."

He clenched his jaw, pushing the thought aside. He couldn't afford doubt.

Not with Veydris's blade hurtling toward his throat.

At the last moment, he twisted—barely avoiding the fatal strike. But the warlord's blade still caught his side, slicing through armor and skin.

Pain exploded through him.

Blood splattered against the rubble.

Veydris's eyes gleamed. "You're holding back."

The Ashen King growled. No. He wasn't.

He was fighting the Abyss itself.

And it was winning.

---

3. The Rift Between Us

Eryndra watched from the rooftop, heart pounding.

She could feel it—the change in him.

Every move he made was just slightly off. His reactions, his strikes—they weren't as sharp.

Because something was dragging him down.

Her hands trembled as she clenched her staff.

The sigil is weakening him.

And if he kept fighting like this, he would lose.

Her gaze flickered to the Eldren Sanctum—so far away, but their only hope.

But if they waited too long—

She shook her head.

No.

She wouldn't watch him die.

Not again.

With a whispered incantation, she vanished in a flash of light—rushing into battle.

---

4. The Abyss Calls

Veydris slammed his blade into the Ashen King's defense, forcing him to skid backward.

"You feel it, don't you?" the warlord taunted, voice like gravel.

The Ashen King panted, his grip tightening on his sword.

Veydris smirked. "The Abyss doesn't just mark you—it claims you. It knows what you are. What you could be."

His gaze darkened.

"You were always meant to stand with us."

The sigil throbbed.

His vision blurred for a moment, shadows creeping at the edges. A voice—not his own—whispered in his mind.

Why fight it?

Embrace it.

For the first time in years, a sliver of fear coiled in his chest.

Because for a single, terrifying moment—

He wanted to.

---

5. A Light in the Darkness

Then—a familiar voice cut through the chaos.

"Get away from him!"

A golden spear of light crashed down from above, slamming into the warlord's position. The force sent Veydris staggering back, smoke rising from the blast.

The Ashen King's breath caught.

Eryndra.

She landed beside him, eyes blazing with magic. Silver light radiated from her palms, pushing back the Abyss's influence.

"You shouldn't be here," he muttered.

She didn't answer.

Instead, she did something that stunned him—

She grabbed his wrist.

And the moment she did—the sigil flickered.

The burning pain dulled for just a second. The shadows recoiled.

His eyes widened.

Eryndra gritted her teeth, focusing her magic. "I can hold it back. But not for long."

Veydris growled, abyssal flames flaring. "You think a mortal's magic can undo the Abyss?"

She glared at him. "Watch me."

Then, without warning—she poured every ounce of power she had into the sigil.

The Ashen King shouted as a surge of light rushed through him.

The Abyss screamed.

The battlefield trembled.

For the first time since the battle began—the sigil cracked.

---

6. Breaking Chains

The Abyss howled in defiance, but Eryndra didn't let go.

She could feel it—the power that bound him. It wasn't just darkness. It was something deeper.

Something alive.

But she wouldn't let it take him.

Not again.

With a final cry, she shattered the sigil's hold.

The mark on his chest fractured, breaking apart in tendrils of black mist. The moment it was gone, the Ashen King's eyes snapped open—glowing with unrestrained power.

And this time—it was his own.

---

7. The Final Clash

Veydris snarled. "Impossible."

The Ashen King rolled his shoulders, power crackling at his fingertips.

"No," he said calmly.

Then, he moved.

Faster than before.

Stronger.

The Abyss no longer held him back.

His sword sliced through the air, meeting Veydris's with a devastating clash. But this time—the warlord was the one struggling to keep up.

Strike after strike, he pushed forward, overwhelming his enemy.

Until—

With a final, decisive blow—

He shattered Veydris's blade.

The warlord staggered.

The Ashen King raised his sword. "You wanted proof?"

Veydris's eyes widened.

Then—his blade struck home.

The Abyssal Warlord fell.

The battle was over.

But the war was only just beginning.